That's because he shares his home with 2000 creatures great and small.

And even though this may have its challenges from time to time, he wouldn't have it any other way.

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Born in Melbourne and growing up in the semi-rural suburb of Kilsyth, Chris' love for anything furry, feathered or scaled began at a young age.

"My siblings and I grew up surrounded by paddocks, orchards, and the natural bush and lizards and snakes were commonly encountered in our very own backyard," he said.

"I was blessed with parents who took every opportunity to travel with my brother, sister and I around Australia. This is where my fascination for all things 'WILD' began."

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Young Chris made it his mission to look after as many animals as he could with some help from his family.

"The Humfrey House growing up was a veritable zoo and I cared for 100's of creatures in our backyard," he said.

"My dad even built me a purpose-built insulated reptile house. I vividly remember sleeping outside in the reptile shed, waiting for my blue-tongued lizard to give birth. I watched the whole process, it was absolutely awesome."

As a child, Chris suffered from severe asthma and spent a lot of time at the Royal Children's Hospital, but this didn't stop him from following his dreams.

"I was a very sick kid as a child," he said.

"Luckily for me, I started getting fit as a young teenager and managed to adapt and became healthier and stronger."

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While his passion for all things wild continued to grow, Chris was also showing off his talents as a kayaking champion who was on his way to competing for Australia in the Olympic Games.

"My Olympic dream of kayaking took the 'back seat' to my passion for educating people about wildlife and protecting the environment," he said.

"It dawned on me at the start line of the French Wild Water World Championships in 2000, about to paddle downgrade 5 life threatening rapids, that all I could think of was my animal Family back home in Australia.

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"I ran out of conviction. My mind wasn't on the job and I lost focus.

"I still paddle most days of the week, and I absolutely LOVE being in a kayak because that's where you see more wildlife. It's also how I relax from such a busy life and schedule."

Chris went on to study zoology and botany at the University of Melbourne and, while living in a share house in Brunswick, began building what would eventually become his Wild Action Zoo.

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"My reptile collection grew and grew while I was there, and I slowly rented more rooms, and virtually took over the whole house," he said.

"I remember clearly, the first time I did a mail-out to promote my educational shows, the phone rang off the hook. It was such a unique and novel service for Early Educators."

Chris purchased what he calls ZooHQ in 2003 in the Macedon Ranges and hasn't looked back.

"Back then, the property was a former wildlife park/deer farm. It had all of the local council permits to grow and expand to become my company," he said.

"I have always worked exceedingly hard. I never stop still, and my zoo has always been my focus. I have a very competitive streak."

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Over the the next 20 years, Chris accumulated a wide range of animals from all walks of life.

And that doesn't happen without a funny encounter or two along the way.

"I found Freddo the green tree frog, my oldest friend in the world, sticking to the urinal in the boy's toilet when I was a kid and we have been best friends ever since," he said.

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"The best day and the scariest day of my life was encountering a male cassowary defending his chicks on a remote trail in Far North Queensland.

"The disgruntled cassowary literally stalked me and bailed me up on numerous occasions. Luckily, I was nimble and strong enough to quickly scale saplings to get out of harm's way."

Chris has appeared on television around the world on his series Chris Humfrey's Animal Instinct and has now released his first book titled Awesome Australian Animals.

"Believe it or not, I have been formulating the structure for my new book for the past 15-20 years," he said.

"It took the COVID-19 pandemic to slow me down and finally gave me the impetus to sit down, write and create it."

The book will take children into Chris' world with pictures and even 45 minutes of videos, accessed through a QR code, teaching them about different creatures and their lives.

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"I want kids to experience a sense of wonderment and magic which I have for the environment and wildlife. To love and respect all animals," he said.

"Also, to encourage everyone to start small, work locally, and improve and help protect biodiversity."

And if you wanted to live like Chris? He said there's nothing stopping you... except maybe money.

"It's very hard to get a bank loan working with animals," he said.

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"Follow your passion, don't give up, read, and talk to as many people as you can. Travel our great country of Australia, and volunteer your time to assist in wildlife conservation.

"One massive bit of advice is to read...read...and read. Kids don't read books anymore!

"Don't rely on the internet as your only source of information. There is nothing better than getting lost in a good book."

You can pick up a copy of Chris' book Awesome Australian Animals online at newhollandpublishers.com

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