A young zookeeper who starred on Channel Seven’s Farmer Wants a Wife received a strongly worded legal letter over an interview with the Daily Mail about her experience working at the Irwin family’s Australia Zoo.Lily Tomkinson, a wildlife carer who is passionate about snakes, turtles and native-animal conservation, once considered working at Australia Zoo her dream job, believing that there could be few better places to build a career than the Queensland institution made famous by the late Steve ‘the Crocodile Hunter’ Irwin.But after about two years working at its wildlife hospital, Tomkinson’s admiration for the Irwin family had been replaced by profound disillusionment.The full edition of Inside Mail – the must-read media and politics column exclusive to DailyMail+ subscribers – is out Thursdays. Read the latest here.Tomkinson sat down with Daily Mail senior showbiz reporter Ali Daher for an extensive interview about life behind the scenes at the zoo.In the interview, she described a working environment apparently at odds with the tourist attraction’s wholesome public image.She also outlined the alleged circumstances of her own exit, claiming her relationship with management deteriorated after she began posting videos of herself performing volunteer wildlife rescues away from work. A zookeeper who starred on Seven’s Farmer Wants a Wife received a legal letter over an interview with the Daily Mail about her experience working at the Irwin family’s Australia Zoo Tomkinson was one of the women hoping to win the heart of Farmer Dylan on FWAW this year In her interview, Tomkinson described a working environment apparently at odds with the tourist attraction’s wholesome public image. (Pictured: Terri and Robert Irwin in May last year)Tomkinson, who was one of the women hoping to win the heart of Farmer Dylan on FWAW this year, said that Australia Zoo had rules governing what employees could publish on social media, including restrictions on posting material recorded at work or while wearing a zoo uniform.She understood those restrictions but also wanted to find an independent way to share her passion for conservation, so joined a volunteer wildlife-rescue organisation in Noosa, where local calls for assistance were shared among members.’When an animal needs help, it gets put into that group chat,’ she explained. ‘Whoever wants to go can go and rescue it.’I wasn’t getting paid. I was filming myself rescuing animals outside work.’Tomkinson said the arrangement allowed her to perform rescues in her own time and begin building an online presence focused on wildlife.However, she claims her social-media activity became the subject of discussions with Australia Zoo management.According to Lily, zoo representatives asked her to stop publishing certain rescue content because of concerns about its connection with her employment.Australia Zoo has not confirmed Tomkinson’s account of those conversations, and the Daily Mail is not suggesting that the organisation acted improperly. She claimed her relationship with management deteriorated after she began posting videos of herself performing volunteer wildlife rescues away from work Tomkinson, once considered working at Australia Zoo her dream job, believing that there could be few better places to build a career than the institution made famous by the late Steve Irwin Tomkinson said that she always believed her volunteer rescues were separate from her work at the zoo and was disappointed by the disagreement.’They said, “We don’t like this. You need to stop doing it,”‘ she recalled.’I said, “How can you ask me to stop rescuing animals?”‘On one occasion, Tomkinson said she responded to a request for help while travelling to work. Because she was wearing her Australia Zoo uniform, she said she changed her shirt before carrying out and filming the rescue.Despite taking that precaution, Tomkinson claims that concerns were subsequently raised with her about the content.The disagreement continued after she returned from filming Farmer Wants a Wife.Tomkinson had taken annual leave to participate in the reality program and admits that she did not disclose how she planned to use that leave.She claims that, about a month after returning, she attended further meetings concerning her online activity.Tomkinson left Australia Zoo in January. The precise circumstances of her departure have not been disclosed, and the Mail is not suggesting she was dismissed unlawfully or that the zoo’s management acted improperly.For Tomkinson, however, leaving a workplace that had once represented a major personal ambition was an emotional experience – and she wanted to share her story with the Mail.’It was very hard for me,’ she said. ‘It took me a few months to get back on my feet.’She has since found other work and is attempting to develop her social media presence into a full-time career focused on wildlife education and conservation.Tomkinson said her time at the wildlife hospital also changed her perception of what it meant to work alongside one of Australia’s most prominent families. Although her employment at Australia Zoo has ended, Tomkinson insists her commitment to animals has not. (She is pictured on the latest season of Seven’s Farmer Wants a Wife)She had expected the Irwins to be more regularly involved with the hospital’s everyday operations but acknowledged that the family’s public and professional commitments meant their appearances were less frequent than she had imagined.’The hospital is very different from the zoo itself because it’s not open to the public,’ she said.As for her experience working with the Irwins, and how the family compares to their public image, Tomkinson was quite blunt. ‘Never meet your heroes. It’s all an illusion.’ One issue that particularly frustrated Tomkinson concerned the release of rehabilitated sea turtles and sea snakes from the wildlife hospital.Tomkinson, who specialises in caring for the marine reptiles, claimed ordinary hospital staff were generally not permitted to conduct the releases themselves.’Terri had this rule where no one was allowed to release them,’ Tomkinson alleged.According to Tomkinson, the animals instead had to be released by members of the Irwin family. She further claimed that some releases could be arranged around the attendance of special guests.The Daily Mail has not independently verified Tomkinson’s account, and her comments should not be taken to suggest that any animal was mistreated or that Australia Zoo failed to meet its animal-welfare obligations.Tomkinson said the issue became particularly important to her because sea snakes can be difficult to maintain in care and may need to be returned to the wild promptly once cleared by veterinary staff.She recalled that staff were eventually permitted to release a sea snake themselves, although she said they had to do so on their own time.’We went out on a boat and released it on our day off,’ she said.Tomkinson claims she first sought permission to film and publish the release but was questioned about the footage after posting it online.’I even asked permission to film it and post it,’ she said. ‘Then the next day I got pulled into the office.’Tomkinson said she had expected the famous family to be more visible in the hospital’s everyday work.’It wasn’t as often as you think,’ she claimed. ‘It’s kind of disappointing.’However, she praised the carers and veterinary professionals working behind the scenes.’There is a team of hardworking people that actually do care,’ she said. ‘There’s so much more that we could be doing.’Her comments reflect her personal expectations and experiences rather than any suggestion that the Irwin family failed to fulfil its responsibilities.Although her employment at Australia Zoo has ended, Tomkinson insists her commitment to animals has not.She continues to undertake volunteer rescues and hopes to use her growing audience to educate people about the threats facing Australian wildlife.’If you look through my socials, I’m still doing it,’ she said. ‘I’m absolutely still passionate about rescuing animals.’Her outspoken personality was also apparent during her stint on Farmer.Tomkinson said she had been approached to apply for the program and was directed towards Farmer Dylan, with whom she believed she had several interests in common.When they first spoke during a speed date, she thought he seemed ‘like a really lovely guy’.But Tomkinson felt viewers did not see the full extent of their early connection.She claims Dylan made several complimentary comments about her when deciding to keep her on the farm, but those remarks were not included in the broadcast.’They aired the nice things that he said about the other girls but cut what he said about me,’ she said.’I felt like, from the beginning, they were making it appear that he wasn’t as interested in me.’Tomkinson stressed that she was not entirely unhappy with how she appeared on the program and acknowledged that the finished episodes could have portrayed her more dramatically.’I said a lot of stuff on there,’ she said. ‘I didn’t hold back at all.’I was actually surprised by how safe the edit was. It was almost like I was mostly cut from the show.’Tomkinson also found the restrictions placed on contestants difficult.She said participants ordinarily received limited access to their mobile phones while filming. That became a concern when a doctor needed to contact her about a medical-test result.Tomkinson claims the test indicated mycoplasma pneumonia and said she had begun experiencing symptoms by the time she received the message.She became increasingly frustrated because she also wanted to remain in contact with her family and attend to university and work responsibilities.After reaching Sydney Airport following the country ball, Tomkinson said she threatened to fly home to the Sunshine Coast unless she was allowed to use her phone.Production subsequently returned it, she said.’I’m a completely independent person, so I found it suffocating,’ Lily explained.The Mail is not suggesting that the production failed to comply with its legal or medical obligations.Although Tomkinson did not find romance with Dylan, the program gave her a close friendship with fellow contestant Miranda.The pair left on the same night, stayed in hotels together and travelled home together.Tomkinson said Miranda now regularly visits her at her home in Noosa. She was also present when Miranda’s new partner asked her to be his girlfriend.’Miranda is really the only one I talk to from the show,’ Lily said. ‘We’re very, very close.’For Tomkinson, the months since leaving the farm and Australia Zoo have involved rebuilding her life and reconsidering her future.She now hopes the audience she gained through reality television will allow her to pursue wildlife conservation on her own terms.’I’ve been doing a lot better recently,’ she said.’I’ve got a few new jobs, social media has really taken off for me and I’m trying to pursue that as a full-time job.’Wildlife conservation is my goal.’Last week, the Daily Mail contacted Australia Zoo and representatives for the Irwin family for comment about Tomkinson’s account of her employment and the organisation’s social media rules.We did not receive answers to our enquiries; however, the firm FC Lawyers, acting for Australia Zoo, is understood to have sent Tomkinson a letter claiming that her interview may be in breach of a non-disparagement agreement.The letter states that a settlement agreement reached in March contained a clause requiring Tomkinson to refrain from making disparaging comments about the zoo or any of its directors, officers or employees.As part of the agreement, Australia Zoo agreed to pay her a modest employment termination payment. The letter from FC Lawyers demanded that Tomkinson ‘cease and desist’ from making further disparaging comments about Australia Zoo, its wildlife hospital or the Irwins, and additionally contact the Daily Mail to withdraw her statements and rescind her consent to be quoted on the matter, and provide FC Lawyers with copies of said correspondence.Given the extensive PR machinery behind Australia Zoo, the relatively modest nature of Tomkinson’s exit package, and the fact that her comments about both her departure and the Irwin family were not especially damaging, we have decided to proceed with publication.