Wellington Zoo's Snow Leopard Pins
3D, Illustration, Merchandise, Print
October 2021
The first carboNZero-certified zoo in the world, Te Nukuao Wellington Zoo puts conservation at the centre of everything it does. Set into the hills of the city-fringe suburb of Newtown, Te Nukuao Wellington Zoo is a thoroughly modern institution dedicated to conservation and sustainability. From solving a lion's itchy ears to keeping native penguins well-fed, the team of veterinarians and keepers know how to keep animals happy and put their welfare first.
In 2022, Wellington Zoo began work on a multi-million dollar project to renovate the old sun bear habitat into a state-of-the-art, sustainable, stimulating environment for two new snow leopards, Asha and Manju. The exhibit would include climate controlled dens, caves, steep rock faces and advanced animal care facilities. Wellington Zoo is a not-for-profit organisation and relies on public support and donations to help them build new exhibits, fund research efforts and ensure their animals receive the best of care.
As part of these efforts, I was asked to design concepts for a wooden pin that could be sold as a fundraising product at the zoo shop. I developed dozens of sketches and presented them to the marketing team, who selected their preferred design. This was refined and enhanced over the next two months, including the design of a matching backing card.
The pins went on sale in March 2022 and the new snow leopard habitat opened to the public on 12 April 2023. As a lifelong fan and frequent visitor at Wellington Zoo, working on this project was a dream come true, and I was excited and honoured to see Asha and Manju exploring their new environment for the very first time.
Let's make something amazing together
I take on a limited number of freelance and volunteer design projects each year. Get in touch now to secure your spot.