Engineering Graduate Turns To Zookeeping, Proves It’s Alright To Pursue Your “True Passion”
Abdullah left his job in electronic engineering to work as a zookeeper as he felt his line of work was too “high risk”.
Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter, or Telegram and WhatsApp channels for the latest stories and updates.
A graduate in Electronic Engineering chose to work as a zookeeper in 2019 due to his love for animals.
Abdullah Aiman Abdul Razak was inspired by the 1994 comedy film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective starring Jim Carrey, which he watched as a child.
The 28-year-old from Tasik Gelugor, Penang, left his job in electronic engineering as he felt that it was too “high risk”, according to an interview with media outlet Mstar.
In a recent post on Threads, Abdullah recalled the old interview with mStar, adding that his role model is the late Steve Irwin.
He has had a keen interest in pets and animals from a young age, and it continues to be his passion until today.
“I’ve cared for all sorts of animals since I first started having an interest in them, and I studied their lives, habitats, temperament, behaviour, species, and everything else about the animals I’ve cared for throughout my life,” he said in his Threads post.
“To be honest, I love animals more than I do humans,” Abdullah added.
Through his post, Abdullah is seen handling various types of animals including snakes, owls, eagles, cats, dogs, horses, alpacas, and parrots.
Abdullah said in his post that taming a cat is easy to him, as he has tamed wild animals such as Ball Pythons, Brahminy Kites (a species of eagle), and most parrot species.
On the late Irwin being his role model, he said the Australian animal expert who earned the title “Crocodile Hunter” inspired him to keep pursuing his passion in wildlife.
View on Threads
He went through multiple depressive episodes, but kept returning to work with animals
In one of his posts, Abdullah revealed that the pictures and stories he shared are from 2019 to 2023, before he was hit with depression and “lost himself”.
After he recovered, he became a professional cat groomer but left that line of work due to a skin condition he contracted.
“Now that I’m almost fully recovered, I am slowly making a comeback to this career,” he said.
Abdullah illustrated how many discouraged him from pursuing his passion, but he ignored and chased after it anyway, soldiering through all obstacles until he became the professional animal handler he is today.
He also claimed that he had once mentored veterinary interns on animal handling techniques and skills.
Abdullah’s story is proof that no matter what course you choose academically, there is still always time to pursue your real passion in life, as long as you commit to it.
Share your thoughts with us via TRP’s Facebook, X, Instagram, or Threads.
