SINGA’S CUDDLES SHOW WHY TIGER WOMAN LISA LIVES HER JOB…

News Source: Sunshine Coast Daily, page 1 & 2, Saturday 3rd July, 2004
By: Belinda Warren

Like many before her, when Lisa Baker joined Australia Zoo as a casual admission officer, she dreamt she would one day get up close and personal to the animals. The dream became reality when the 19-year-old started the year off on a high, beating the boys to become the Zoo’s first female tiger handler on New Year’s Day. Yesterday, she became a celebrity in her own right, handling her charge, a 13-week-old Sumatran tiger cub Singa, as well the visitors, bureaucrats and the media. The former Caloundra High School student and 1998 winner of a Dolly magazines’s Best Friends competition, has steadily advanced her career since arriving at the Zoo.

First, Lisa was promoted to admissions supervisor, then she successfully applied for the tiger handler vacancy.

Lisa loves the interaction with the animals and the fact she is working on the conservation side and is learning something new every day. “They mean a lot to me though they are quite fiery, bity and agile. I’m an animal lover so I love being around the animals and feel happy and relaxed. It’s just a lot of fun," Lisa said. Sometimes she works 50 to 60 hours a week when the animals require extra care and attention. She said that was okay, though, because the Zoo offered flexibility with its working times under the company’s Australian Workplace Agreement (AWA).

Steve Irwin and his wife Terri have been officially recognised as AWA ambassadors by the Office of Employment Advocate for their use of individual contracts among employees.

The Zoo has grown from 50 to 450 staff within two years and chose AWA’s for their simplicity and fairness. They have been recognized with many awards including the 2002 and 2003 Queensland Tourism Award and the 2003-2004 Australian Tourism Award for major tourist attraction.

Human Resources Manager Sandy Whitehead said AWA’s helped form a more effective working relationship between management and staff. “We went from multiple awards down to one AWA for everyone in our team,” Ms Whitehead said. “Instead of dealing with different penalty rates for public holidays and weekends, we pay a higher rate all year round.” And does our tiger tamer have any thoughts of swapping cats for the catwalk? “Yes, but I wouldn’t leave working with the tigers. “Modelling would only be on the side for a bit of fun. “As for my dream job that’s a good question. I suppose I’m living my dream job now, “Lisa said.