People
Animal Works was originally started by two women, artist Nafisa Naomi and zoologist/author Tammie Matson. This Australian not-for-profit organisation was developed in 2009 to bring attention to the plight of species in a world with evermore diminishing wildlife habitat, using elephants as a flagship species. Tammie has now moved on to other conservation work in Africa and Asia and is no longer involved in the running of Animal Works. Today, the organisation has grown with the help of many generous supporters and advisors, from every walk of life, a few of whom are mentioned below. No one at Animal Works takes a salary, so that the maximum benefits can be provided where they are most needed. None of our work would be possible without the tireless efforts of our volunteers and for this we are enormously grateful. We especially thank Karyn Steele who is tireless in her efforts to obtain special milk bottles for the orphans and a constant supply of first aid equipment for the vets at the CWRC.
Nafisa Naomi
Animal Works President & Co-founder
From the time Nafi sa began her art practice in 2000, she has been totally committed to creating works that celebrate the beauty of our fragile world. Nafisa was born in Mumbai, India, educated in Hong Kong and Sydney and currently works from a studio set amongst the beauty of natural bushland with Sydney Harbour as a backdrop. She has a Master of Fine Arts degree (National Art School, Sydney), is a fellow of the Royal Art Society of NSW and is the founder and president of Portrait Artists Australia. She has won over 50 awards and commendations for her work, including the gold medal for painting in the Florence Biennale with her work ‘Regeneration’, the prestigious Black Swan – City of Perth Prize for Portraiture (2008) and the prestigious Packers’ Prize as part of the Archibald for her portrait of Glenn A. Baker.
“Ultimately I want my work to be viewed for what I created them to say- we all have to learn to share and value each other as we do have to care for the other species on our planet.”
Darek Figa
Advisor and Consultant in all Animal Works Projects
Darek Figa’s twenty three years of animal industry experience encompasses work across the zoo industry, animal research and teaching facilities, wildlife rescue centres, animal nutrition, animal behaviour, welfare, education and wildlife conservation. These areas have shaped Darek’s strong interest in animal behaviour and captive animal welfare – especially behavioural enrichment. As a result, Darek received an ANZCCART award for improvements in animal welfare and enrichment designs for rodents used in research and teaching. His recommendations have since been applied in various animal welfare codes of practice across Australia.
Darek is also the founder of ENRICH (Encouraging Natural Responses In Captive Habitats) – a volunteer organisation assisting wildlife sanctuaries to maintain natural behaviours of captive animals – important for threatened species scheduled for release. For the past five years Darek has worked extensively on sanctuary projects across Indonesia including birds, reptiles, primates and the conservation of sea turtles.
Darek is an Animal Welfare Consultant for the Masarang Foundation headed by the inspirational founder, and world renowned conservationist, Dr Willi Smits – whom is also founder of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOS). In this roll Darek assist’s with captive animal welfare projects across sites in Indonesian Borneo, Sulawesi and Java working with primates, sun bears, crocodiles, and various species of birds.
Not only a committee member of AnimalWorks, Darek is also Board Member of the ‘Orangutan Foundation International Australia’ (OFIA) organisation – currently working towards saving the Rawa Kuno Legacy Forest – a home to some 200 orangutans nearby the famous Camp Leaky site in Borneo.
Finally, Darek is a teacher at the Sydney Institute of Technology within the Animal Studies division, he has studied animal behaviour and psychology at Macquarie University, and is a Guest Lecturer for ORION Expedition Crusies during their Borneo and Sulawesi voyages.
I’m often amazed by dogs that sit at a closed doorway and, using a simple bark, can indicate to their owner that they want the door opened so that they can move through it. This fascinates me as in most cases the owners have not trained the dog to do this, more amazingly the dog has actually trained the owner to get up and open the door – and the dog can’t speak a word of the human language! Overall I believe that understanding animal behaviour is the language that enables us to communicate with them. To enable us to understand what they need, so that we can improve their welfare. More so, by providing preventative measures that ensure their behavioural purity is not compromised by captivity, and managing their environmental resource needs, it then ensures that we allow the animals to manage themselves… just as it has been and as it should be.. as nature intended.
Our Supporters and Advisors
Vivek Menon
Vivek is the founder and director of the Wildlife Trust of India. With many years of experience in wildlife conservation in India, Vivek is an authority on the subject and a key scientific advisor to the team at Animal Works.
Tony Park
Tony Park is the author of three biographies and eight novels set in Africa. His eighth book, African Dawn is a family saga set in Zimbabwe and the former Rhodesia from 1959 to the present. African Dawn also deals with the plight of Zimbabwe’s rhinos.
