In 1934, Fleay was asked to design and establish the Australian animal section at Melbourne Zoo, and worked there for four years. During this time he had several scientific achievements, including the first breeding in captivity of the emu, several bird species including the tawny frogmouth, and marsupials including the koala. He also commenced research into the breeding habits of the platypus. His next public education efforts were nature talks on a Melbourne radio station, in 1937. Later that year, disagreements with the zoo's management came to a head and Fleay was dismissed, principally because of his belief that native birds and animals should be fed what they would eat in the wild.
