director's den - Henry Vilas Zoo

keeping up with the keepers
meet a keeper
Name: Jennifer Zuehlke
Education: Bachelor degree from
University of WI at Stevens Point majored
in wildlife education and minor in captive
wildlife management.
What area of the Zoo
do you oversee? I am a relief
keeper, so I float around to all the areas
filling in for other keepers and helping out
where I am needed. I am trained to do all
the areas of the Zoo; however I frequent
the Children’s Zoo, aviary, and the giraffe
barn (my favorite).
Best part of job? There
are so many good things, it is often hard
to pinpoint just one. I think the best thing
for me is being able to work with an
animal and learn that animal’s personality.
Even animals of the same species have
individual traits that make them special. It
is a constant reminder that though humans
are intelligent, we are not the only beings
on earth that think, feel and communicate.
Any hidden talents?
I was very athletic in high school, and
though I can’t play now while I’m pregnant,
I still love volleyball. I played the flute for
14 years, from 4 th grade through college.
It’s hard to fit in time now, but I’d love to get
back to playing music with a local group,
like a municipal orchestra.
enrichment program
at Mounds Stores
One of Henry Vilas Zoo’s goals is to make the captive environments of our
animals as complex, engaging and enriched as they can be. By adding
complexity to the animals’ habitats through enrichment, the animals are
encouraged to engage in species-typical behaviors, which in turn, gives them
more choice and control over their environment.
Mounds Pet Food Warehouse has partnered with the Henry Vilas Zoo’s
enrichment program. The Henry Vilas Zoo has displays at the 3 Madison area
Mounds (Middleton, East, and Fitchburg). Each display has animal enrichment
items from Mounds that are hand-picked by Henry Vilas Zookeepers. Please
help support your animals at Henry Vilas Zoo by purchasing these enrichment
items at your local Mounds stores.