Dr Zainal Zahari Zainuddin started off towards being an accountant, but switched to veterinary medicine, joining the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Peninsular Malaysia in 1985. Since then, he has developed expertise in surveying, capture, translocation, husbandry and breeding of Malayan tiger, elephant, Hairy rhinoceros, Malayan seladang, Malay tapir and Bornean banteng. After the death of the last rhinos in Malaysia, due to age-related pathologies, he has directed his efforts into developing expertise in the breeding of native plants, with an emphasis on the genus Ficus. Together with BORA staff at Tabin Wildlife Reserve, he established the Sabah Ficus Germplasm Centre which is an invaluable resource for the restoration of natural forest in Sabah.