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Teresa Palmer understands the importance of conservation and protecting indigenous species, so she is an enthusiastic ambassador to the cause.

“Conservation is a passion of mine as one of my early dreams was to work with an animal rescue service, and eventually open my own animal welfare agency,” said Ms Palmer.

President of Zoos South Australia, Heather Caddick said “I am delighted that Teresa is here at Adelaide Zoo today to bring awareness to the plight of Australian species and help educate a new generation of conservationists.

“Teresa is well known for her love of animals and wildlife. Today we are inviting her to be a Conservation Ark Ambassador for Zoos South Australia, as a young 'voice' for conservation, who has an international audience,” said Mrs Caddick.

Australia's landscapes and species have been severely impacted by over 200 years of habitat loss and fragmentation, due in part to land development, introduced plants and animals, grazing, pollution, and climate change that all place additional pressure on our threatened species and their shrinking habitats.

Twenty per cent of Australia's animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction, with dozens of species already extinct, and more than 150 species of animals classed as threatened. Without action our native plants and animals face a bleak future.

CEO of Zoos South Australia, Dr Chris West said “Zoos South Australia and Conservation Ark are committed to supporting threatened species, and has developed conservation programs for priority species including, Mainland Tammar Wallabies, Bilbies, Black-flanked rock-wallaby (Warru), and Tasmanian Devils to name a few.”

The date for National Threatened Species Day, the 7th of September, is significant in that it commemorates the death of the last known Tasmanian Tiger on this day in 1936, and it is vital that Australia’s other threatened species do not follow in its footsteps.

Children from Clovelly Park Primary School, St Peters College and Wilderness School will attend as ambassadors for the future; children dressed in red represented a call for action on the urgent plight of threatened species, currently on the brink of extinction, while adults dressed in black represented the threatened species who have been driven to extinction.