animal chatter A BAL L at the G IN Bramble ParkSummer/Fall Zoo 2016 V WINTERFall 2012 2018 A H Ev er y The Zoo is always a blast! da y, ev er y h our , som ething entertaining is goin g o n. OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS LAKE AREA ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY Will Morlock President Doug Alvine Vice President Mike Vener Secretary/ Treasurer Steve Hageman Board Member Accreditation Dale Christensen Board Member Susan Munger Board Member Bramble Park Zoo is proud to Did You Know: Fewer than 10% SaLena Engels Board Member announce that is has held continuous of the approximately 2,800 animal Rebecca AZA accreditation for the last 25 years. exhibitors licensed by the United Morlock-Reeves Board Member Accreditation is a process by which a States Department of Agriculture Chad Johnson Board Member program, organization, or institution is are AZA accredited! The AZA logo Rhonda Sederberg Board Member evaluated by recognized experts in the is the easiest, most reliable way for profession, and is measured against people to choose zoos and aquariums PARKS AND RECREATION the established standards and best that meet the rigorous accreditation Jay DeLange Director practices of that profession. standards. So, be sure to look for the Terry Kelly Asst. Director “Accredited by the Association of Zoos AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums and Aquariums” logo on web sites, are constantly evolving and standards PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD advertisements, and at the gate! Justin Struckman, President are continuously being raised. Each Lee Rycraft zoo or aquarium must keep up Pat Shriver with these changes to remain AZA- Scott Johnston accredited. And to prove it, they must Heidi Stoick go through the entire accreditation Bill McElhany process every five years. The Bramble Bruce Buhler, City Council Liaison Park Zoo is up for re-accreditation in 2019!” BRAMBLE PARK ZOO STAFF Dan Miller Zoo Director Jim Lloyd General Curator John Gilman Zookeeper The Holidays are Olivia Wulff Zookeeper Bill Gallagher Zookeeper right around the Michelle Miller Zookeeper Jennifer Giessinger Zookeeper bend… Jerry Biewer Maintenance Kim Konrad Office/Visitor Looking for unique gift ideas? Give Services Manager the gift of a VIP Tour! You and/or Jaime Stricker Educator your guests could go behind the Vacant Roots & Shoots Coordinator scenes with the animals and learn the inner workings of an AZA ac- credited Zoo. Doesn’t this sound like a ball?! The Zoo has many gift options to choose from - stuffed animals and t-shirts to animal art and memberships. Stop in or give us a call today! 2 director’s report Having a Ball! Growing up in the suburbs of things God created for us. From the members, and the City of Watertown Milwaukee provided me the magnificent tigers and roaming bison for allowing our guests to have a ball opportunity to explore the natural to the tiny Dakota Skipper. They have while visiting the zoo. world around me. I had a ball riding all improved the quality of our lives. my bike to ponds, grassy fields, and See you at the zoo! I would like to thank all the zoo staff, apple orchards; observing all the volunteers, donors, Zoo Society Dan Miller creatures large and small along my way. When I was in my teens, my parents purchased a cabin on a trout steam in northern Wisconsin. There, I learned the art of trout fishing and enjoyed my time beneath the pine trees. Like most people, I always found tranquility and peace in nature. Today, I continue to enjoy working around animals, zoo staff, and visitors. I especially love the faces of children Otter having a ball feeding the goats and w chickens. I truly enjoy the ball the it otters play with in the water. The zoo h staff continues to have a ball working a with 800 animals daily. f . ro sh When I look at a ball, I imagine zen f f the earth and all the wonderful ball o Tribute to Gordy Gordy, a black and white ruffed fruits or cereal. lemur, was born May 22, 2005 in Everyone who Santa Barbara Zoo. He came to met Gordy fell Bramble Park Zoo in February in love with of 2009 with the rest of his him. VIP tours family. He was a twin to left knowing Rufus who still resides here Gordy and in Watertown. Gordy loved how great he the zookeepers. He was was. If zoo picked on from time to guests ran into Michelle in or out of time by his rambunctious the zoo, they always asked about younger siblings, because he Gordy. was always a little slower and Unfortunately, for unknown causes, calmer, so he loved attention Gordy passed away on October 19th. M from his human caretakers. He is greatly missed and will never be i He won the heart of his primary forgotten. He was cremated, as was c dy keeper, Michelle (Drake) Miller. He hel or Cali, and their remains will be kept le and G would groom her hair every morning, here at the Zoo. and enjoyed his daily snack of dried 3 Enrichment Camp ers c ly polly toys! reating rol The animals need fun creative outlets too! A daily requirement here at the Bramble Park Zoo is enrichment. The zookeepers work very hard to create enriching experiences for the animals. This can be providing novel food items, presenting the food in a different way, providing exercise opportunities, offering brain puzzles for the animals to master or simply giving them new toys like a ball or a box. Sometimes Ed”ZOO”cation program participants get to assist with making the enrichment items for the animals. This is a win-win for everyone! ED‘ZOO’CATION Come have a ball with us! Education programs are offered year round for ages 2 and up. Zoo Education programs include a hands-on approach to animal discovery, activities, games, art and interaction with zoo animals. EARLY OUT ZOO CLASSES Continue your school day of learning and fun school Also, the new CivicRec system will be during these afterschool programs at the zoo ages scheduled on teacher in-service/early out days. launched soon. Once this program is active Time: Classes run from about 12:30-5:00 p.m. it will make signing up for all Park and and include a snack Fee: $18 + tax per program Rec classes a breeze. You can create your Happy Birthday BPZ Style, Friday, January 18 new updated account now by logging in Reptiles, Wednesday, February 27 or stopping by the Zoo or Prairie Lakes Animal Tales, Wednesday, March 27 Wellness Center during regular hours. Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead, Thursday, April 18 4 vin Ha g a B at the all! zoo Having a ball during a VIP Behind the Scenes Jane Tour! is having a ball with her new punching bag. Leopard ow h n av Owl S i n g on a round owl a b pumpkin a l l i n 34 Zoo Crew had t h e s a ball at the Zoo this n o w year! . 5 Tribute to Cali Of course, it was not always a rough afternoon, go. Cali stuck to her training. “At times, she was a very sweet cat. That made She picked up on training really it easier on well and was a very smart cat. She everyone was very food- and keeper-motivated,” involved to Gilman said. “She was really loved here end her life Cali by the keepers. Everyone really liked her in the most sassiness. When she would eat, she would comfortable By Dan Crisler, growl and hiss at you. She would kind of fashion. Public Opinion Staff Writer wait and then snap at the piece of meat you had for her on the end of a pair of “She was very calm. We were able There is one less jaguar at Bramble tongs. That was her personality.” to follow through just like it was a Park Zoo. training exercise for her,” Hennen said During her time at Bramble Park Zoo, Cali After seeing Calamity Jane, or Cali, Friday. “She was not at all worked up or was housed near a male black jaguar, suffer from cancer that spread from stressed. It was very peaceful for her. We Brutus. Initially, the two were housed her mammary gland, zoo staff and were all very pleased that her training together. But fights between the two Dr. Andrea Hennen, Glacial Lakes helped us provide a quality end-of-life quickly put an end to a shared indoor Veterinary Clinic veterinarian, ended for her.” space. Cali’s suffering Thursday, November 15, With Brutus still around, Gilman said the “Jaguars are typically very solitary cats,” 2018 by euthanizing the 22-year old zoo is not likely to get another jaguar Gilman said. “They were O.K. with each spotted jaguar. until something happens with Brutus. other being outside in the exhibit but It was a somber process for all involved Now 18 years old, Brutus has lived at didn’t really interact with each other. We but made necessary within the past Bramble Park Zoo since he was three couldn’t put them together inside because week when Cali had trouble balancing months old. there would be big fights and things like as the cancer spread throughout her that.” “He’s never known any place else body. besides here,” Gilman said. “Right at the For most of her tenure, Cali’s health wasn’t Still keeping her sassy personality to moment, we don’t think we’re going a concern. But about two years ago, she her final moments, Cali was one of the to be doing anything as far as bringing was diagnosed with the initial tumor on her older jaguars as she beat the 15- to another cat in or anything like that.” mammary gland.