Paddle for the Polar Bears

Here it is!! Your time to shine as you paddle through Lake Wingra standing on a surfboard! You can take lessons,(10:30 A.M.-1:15 P.M.)compete in challenge events, (1:30 P.M.) then it's the NAISH race series at 3:00 P.M. It's a great cause and all proceeds go to the Henry Vilas Zoo so that they can build an Arctic Passage for the Polar Bears and Seals. The next dates for these events at Wingra Park/Lake Wingra are:
~Saturday, August 7th
~Sunday, August 15th
Come and join the fun and support your local zoo while you're doing it! For more information, go to http://www.vilaszoo.org/events/index.php?category_id=4832
Thanks and hope to see you there!!! ~Brooke

Grizzly Bears(Featured Animal of the Week)

Since Beth really likes to care for the Grizzly Bears, I thought that I'd make them my featured animal of the week. Here are some facts about these fantastic and powerful creatures.

Grizzly Bears (Scientific name; Ursus arctos horribilis)
~A Grizzlies’ diet consists of berries, nuts, leaves, and roots. Yet they can eat meat, such as rabbits, or even a moose.
~Grizzly cubs are born during the hibernation months
~Cubs are usually born twins
~These bears can run up to 30 miles per hour
~There are only about 1,000 Grizzly Bears left in Northern America under protection
~It is normal for Grizzly’s to travel alone, but in some occasions they may travel as a group
~In Alaska, many Grizzlies’ can be seen gathering around fishing spots during the summer months where they can get the nutrients they need for the harsh winter months of hibernation
~Grizzly Bears usually live up to 25 years in the wild
~Average height for these bears is about 5-8 feet, and they usually weigh 800 pounds of power


Thanks to National Geographic for the information and photo!!!
~Brooke

Meet Zookeeper Beth

Now that you know who I am, it's time for everyone to meet the Zookeeper behind the scenes. All the girls in my troop were assigned their own Zookeeper, and I was partnered up with Beth, a woman who's been a Zookeeper for eight years, working at four years during that time. Her education really proves she's got what it takes, graduating from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls majoring in Biology, and she minored in communications. She really loves her job, and it might be thanks to the variety of animals she gets to take care of daily. Instead of caring for just a few certain animal species, Beth is able to look after all of them. She's called a 'relief keeper' and moves around the zoo to where she is needed, and most often she ends up at the primates headquarters. Beth may be around the crazy primates a lot, but she told me that she really enjoys caring for the Grizzly and Black bears at the Henry Vilas Zoo.
Caring for so many animals day in and day out may seem repetitive, but it's what Beth loves to do. Her favorite part of her job is finding fun 'jobs' for the animals to do. "I think wild animals thrive off of being busy and having "jobs" to do and I like finding "jobs" that the captive animals in the zoo can do too," Beth told me in an interview.
I can only wish to have a job as cool as hers!!! Thanks again, Beth!
~Brooke

Meet Zookeeper Amy

Hey everyone. Thanks for coming back to read our blog! Did you know this past week was national zoo keeper week?
Well since it was I think I should let you know about some of the zoo keepers at Henry Vilas Zoo. I’ll start with the zoo keeper that I am matched up with, her name is Amy. Amy is one of 12 zoo keepers at Henry Vilas Zoo; she has been at this zoo for about a year and a half. Her favorite animal is the rhino, Gracie.
Another zoo keeper that works with Amy is Beth. Beth went to college for 4 years, she got an internship, and now she works at the Henry Vilas zoo. There are 10 other zoo keepers who work at Henry Vilas Zoo.
There are also 1200 plus animals in the zoo, that is counting every little bird, every single animal that is there. Every day the animals need to be checked and all the zoo keepers need to shift animals to the exhibits in the morning and put them away at night. All the animals in the zoo were born in the zoo or born in a different zoo and got brought to Henry Vilas Zoo. Only .5% of a zoo keeper’s day they get to play with the animals.
Ok now on to something you can do to help the animals at the zoo, you can go to the store Mounds and buy a zoo approved toy, and it goes to the zoo! Thanks for reading. Have a good rest of the week and check in soon for more updates about the zoo.
~sarah~

Brooke's introduction blog

Hello!! My name is Brooke and I'm one of the girls who are going to be blogging for the Henry Vilas Zoo. I'm going to be a Freshman in highschool, and I'm working with Sarah and Laura to write blogs for friends and fans of the zoo to follow and keep updated with the animals and the people that devote so much to the zoo. As you've read on Sarah's blog, we are working for our Silver Award in Girl Scoutes, which requires 50 hours of community service, and I'm so excited to have the oppurtunity to work on it with the Henry Vilas Zoo!!! We'll all keep you updated, so keep coming back for more soon!!!

Thanks!!! ~Brooke

Introduction: Sarah

Hello my name is Sarah, I’m 14 years old and I’m going to be a freshman in high school this year. I am in girl scouts and my troop is trying to get our silver award, we need to do 50 hours of community service to get the award. We are planning on doing our hours with the zoo; we are doing an online blog for the Henry Vilas Zoo. There are 3 girls in my troop and we are all helping with the blog. All three of us have been assigned to a zoo keeper and will be getting more info from them for the blog. We will have daily updates about the zoo on here so come check it out!

Thanks, Sarah