Zoologist Perfumes is a Toronto-based niche fragrance house founded in 2013 by Victor Wong. What began as a passion project has grown into an internationally acclaimed brand, celebrated for its imaginative storytelling, animal-inspired concepts, and daringly unconventional approach to perfumery.
A former 3D artist in the video game industry, Victor longed for a more expressive outlet. His fascination with animals and growing love of fragrance inspired him to create perfumes that capture the wildness of nature in olfactory form. Collaborating with renowned independent perfumers, he has built a collection that goes beyond imitation—transforming creatures like Bat, Hummingbird, Panda, and Squid into complex, wearable narratives.
The brand’s visual identity is just as distinctive: ornate illustrations of anthropomorphic animals in elegant attire reflect Zoologist’s playful yet sophisticated spirit. True to Victor’s values, the perfumes are entirely cruelty-free, relying on synthetics and natural alternatives rather than animal-derived ingredients.
Zoologist Bat escorts you on an odyssey through the night. This unique olfactory experience carries you with the fruit bat to a sumptuous feast in a lush tropical jungle, before whisking you down to the recesses of its cavernous home. Sweet guavas and passion fruits ensnare you with addictive notes, then beckon you deep with primordial mineral scents that evoke a rugged enclosure redolent with hints of damp soil and vegetal roots. Allow yourself to hang, draped in pitch black, as alluring musk wafts over you with every unfolding of the thousands of leathery wings that surround you.
Evoking the onset of spring, Zoologist Beaver Maple Edition combines fresh florals with the delightful sweetness of cocoa-infused maple syrup. Within smoky woods laced with earthy vetiver and patchouli, castoreum and vanilla offer a cozy haven. Like a carefully-crafted lodge of a beaver family, this scent offers warmth while hinting at hidden depths.
Like the frantic hustle of the bee through a maze of multi-faceted scents, Zoologist Bee delivers a surreal experience. The rich aroma of honey captivates, while alluring florals, royal jelly, animalic beeswax and regal incense unite to create a buzz, offering excitement, and the sweet rewards of life.
In Zoologist Camel, beautiful aromas of rose, and jasmine-infused, succulent dried fruits are joined along the way by an alluring blend of incense, myrrh, amber, and cinnamon. Soon met by animalistic musks and authentic oud, they surround you in a rich tapestry. This sensual caravan of fragrance carries you away to accompany the camel on its long, lonely journey across the ageless desert.
Zoologist Chipmunk captures an autumn forest bursting with ripe nuts. Juicy quince, dusted with cardamom and nutmeg, dangles tantalisingly among naturalistic woods and green, milky kernels. Chipmunk invites you up into the branches, offering a dazzling vantage point from which to enjoy the rich golden and russet hues of the changing seasons.
Zoologist Civet pays homage to the age-old ingredient, civet, as well as chypre perfumes of bygone days – perfumes that refused to be intimidated by raw, alluring, animalistic musks. Civet is a moody and complex brew entwined in mystery. It opens with a spicy floral accord, threaded through with dark coffee tones. Slowly it prowls forward, unraveling base notes of leather, moss and vanilla that combines with distinctive civet musk to create a bewildering, sophisticated scent with the promise of a sultry nighttime rendezvous.
Zoologist Cow brings to mind a bucolic scene, a myriad of scents from Mother Nature’s nurturing bosom. Innocent florals sway among soft grasses, while apple gently sweetens the soft aroma of fresh milk. The result is a place both familiar and reassuring, where warm arms unfold to welcome us into a loving embrace. A place called home.
Like a lotus spreading its petals, Zoologist Dragonfly opens with a rush of beautiful aquatic florals. Hints of rice, powdery iris, and mimosa diffuse from within a lush shroud of green, beneath the intimate aroma of an imminent summer shower. Dragonfly encapsulates the richness and romance of impressionism, a canvas of florals under a watery veil.
Like a countryside bathed in sweet sunlight, Zoologist Harvest Mouse conjures images of home-baked goodness. Stalks of wheat sway among chamomile, davana and hay, and rich beer extracts are sobered by resins and woody notes. Cosy up in a warm nest of homespun scent.
Zoologist Hummingbird mingles light floral tones with delectable fruity nectars to create a harmonious balance. This diaphanous scent alights upon you in a pastel bouquet of honeysuckle, mimosa, lilac and peonies, with just the lightest dusting of natural sugars found in pear, cherry and honey. A finishing dollop of velvety whipped cream melds the tantalising notes, completing this irresistible and opulent perfume.
King Cobra from Zoologist is driven by danger and a desire to dominate. It hypnotises with camphorous notes of Ganja and petitgrain, radiating coils of aromatic spices and damp mossy soil around a body heavy with incense. Finally, after shedding a delicate green leather, the powerful king ascends to his throne. A coronation of scent, King Cobra gives you license to rule.
Sweet notes of yuzu dance through a pine forest, welcoming you to Zoologist Macaque. Incense adds gravity with aromas of Hinoki woods and myrrh. The delicate balance between heavy and light results in an austere woody scent with mild hints of creamy sandalwood. Macaque is exuberance tempered by calm, sublimity buoyed by joy, a happy harmony of meditative bliss.
At first encounter, the rich, gothic scent of Zoologist Moth may surprise but soon it hypnotises. A heavy dose of dark spices jolts your senses before settling into a dusting of honey-sweet rose and powdery florals. Slowly, it tests its wings, taking flight on an exotic journey of nagarmotha, guaiac wood and patchouli. Beneath it all lingers a smoky undertone that serves as a constant reminder of the danger within the tantalising flame.
The opening of this oriental fragrance envelops you in a joyous embrace – osmanthus, magnolia, lily, juicy apple and mandarin tumble over one another in a happy melee to create a moment of pure joy. As the scent gently settles, you find yourself meandering through a shadowy corridor of bamboo, where subtle hints of jasmine, amber, and musks peek out from behind fresh green leaves, leading you to a tranquil oasis. In the quiet calm, a carefree exuberance rolls over you, lifting your spirits to a magical place where panda roam and play.
Zoologist Penguin opens with saffron caught upon a salty blast of crisp antarctic air. Against the cool desolation, anticipation glimmers as lively aromas of pink pepper and sea moss swirl over musks, suede and sandalwood. Brace yourself for a vibrant scent that Is always invigorating, a reminder of nature’s harsh reality in a welcome blast.
Zoologist Rabbit is soft, earthy, and whimsical. It opens with the scent of fresh soil and meadow grass, like stepping into a damp spring garden. There are hints of carrot, iris, and hay, giving it a rooty sweetness mixed with powdery florals. As it settles, it warms with musk, soft woods, and a touch of resin that feels like burrowing into a rabbit’s nest lined with hay and fur. Gentle, playful, and cosy – like the scent of a sun-warmed meadow after rain, mingled with soft animal warmth.
Zoologist Seahorse invites you to wade through a vibrant coral garden. This unisex scent turns expectation on its head. With such surprising couplets as tuberose and seaweed, sage and neroli, and fennel and vetiver, this delightful melody will sweep you away on a wave of joy and abandon.
Zoologist Snowy Owl glides on with a minty opening, while the gentle warmth of musk combines with beautiful hints of snowdrops, lily of the valley and iris. Sweet coconut and woody vanilla swoop in to surprise and entice. Snowy Owl merges cool vitality with exquisite softness in a captivating scent, ideal for those who aren’t afraid to take what they desire.
Zoologist Tyrannosaurus Rex is a gargantuan scent that sinks its teeth into the world of delicate fragrances and rips it wide open. Primitive woods and florals seize you and snatch you away to an ancient era. Smoky, charred wood warns of the danger of smouldering fire, setting your senses on edge, while droplets of metallic rose oxide offer a chilling premonition of blood-lust. The mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex is sometimes menacing, sometimes fascinating, but never, ever ordinary.
Launching an independent fragrance brand in Canada came with its share of hurdles. With limited infrastructure for small-scale perfume production, Victor personally took on every aspect of the process – diluting, filtering, bottling, and labelling perfumes himself. His commitment and hands-on approach became part of the brand’s DNA, reinforcing Zoologist’s identity as a true indie house built from the ground up. That dedication has since earned the brand international recognition, with fragrances like Bat winning the Art & Olfaction Award in 2016 and Squid earning Perfume Extraordinaire of the Year in 2020.
Today, Zoologist continues to expand its universe of scents while remaining true to its roots: bold, inventive, and evocative perfumery that invites wearers to explore new worlds through fragrance. Victor’s vision is clear—to create perfumes that inspire wonder, spark imagination, and bridge the worlds of art, nature, and humanity. In an industry often defined by trends and repetition, Zoologist stands apart as a brand unafraid to experiment, to provoke, and above all, to tell unforgettable stories.
