Frequently Asked Questions from visiters at the Zoo

FAQ’s about the Zoo
Many people go to the Henry Vilas Zoo, and many of those people think up questions; questions that Beth the Zookeeper have gotten time and time again. Here are some frequently asked questions that many visitors of the zoo have:
Q:“Why can’t I see the animals?”
A: Wild animals don’t really care to have people right up next to them, and many people go right up to the glass and expect to see the animals right away. Usually, you have to spend a little time just looking through the exhibit in order to spot the animal.

Q:“Why don’t any of the animals have babies?”
A: If there is a certain species of animal that is thriving in the wild that’s living in the zoo, then it wouldn’t be responsible for the zookeepers to let those types of animals to have babies with no place to put them: They’re wouldn’t be enough room. ‘If we let the animals have babies all the time there would be zoos full of just prairie dogs or just camels. No one wants a zoo of just camels! There are a lot of issues that come into play when we decide if any of the zoo animals are going to have babies,’ Beth explains.

Q: (To a Zookeeper) Is that pepper spray you’re wearing?”
A: Yes, all of the Zookeepers are required to carry mace with them in case an animal attacks them or puts a life in jeopardy. It’s should distract them for long enough so that any human could escape.

Thanks!
~Brooke

Daily Life of the ZooKeepers

The animals at the Zoo all have daily schedules, so that means the zoo keepers usually do as well. Beth, the zookeeper I’m paired up with told me that every morning, everyone checks up on the animals and takes account for them, and making sure they are alive and well. No one’s patrolling them overnight, and the zoo just wants to make sure nothing is wrong. Then she says that the rest of her day is filled with a lot of “cleaning, feeding, and medicating.” All of those animals, all 1,200+, need to have a clean place to live, be healthy, and eat! That’s a lot of work that these zookeepers do. Beth said that many people think that she get to cuddle with the animals and play around, but she says that’s completely wrong. ‘They are still WILD animals. Your average squirrel in the backyard doesn't want anything to do with you and most of the zoo animals are just the same.’ They’re may be a very few cases where the zookeepers would get to make contact with the animals, but not many.

Thanks!
~Brooke