President: Brandi Taylor
Animal Care Specialist-Carnivores, Denver Zoo, Started in 2018
Years with AAZK: 5
Previous Zoos: Zoo Tampa (internship) and Busch Gardens Tampa (graduate research)
Favorite Zoo Keeping Moment: It’s so hard to pick just one! My favorite part of being a zookeeper is training with the animals, so I’d probably have to pick the first behavior I ever trained, which was a roll behavior with our female sea lion, Ady. The moment she finally had that “ah-ha” moment and did it for the first time was pretty awesome! I think it is such a fun and exciting challenge to find ways to communicate with animals that don’t share our language.
Favorite Animal Fact: The spot patterns on whale sharks are as unique as human fingerprints. The same algorithm that astronomers use to identify stars is being used to identify individual whale sharks through their spot patterns! With this information, scientists are starting to gain a better understanding of whale shark populations numbers, habitat ranges and migration patterns.
Vice President: Disa Skaff
Lead Night Animal Care Specialist, Denver Zoo, Started in 2016
Years with AAZK: 9
Previous Zoos: Happy Hollow Park & Zoo, America’s Teaching Zoo
Favorite Zoo Keeping Moment: Crating “Smeagol” the Aye-Aye for his move to the exhibit next door and getting head-hugs from “Sekele” the Okapi
Favorite Animal Fact: Okapi calves don't poop until they're 1-2 months old.
Downtown Aquarium Liaison: Jenna Gallagher
Secretary: Megan Grady
Lead Animal Care Specialist- Hoofstock, Denver Zoo, Started in 2022
Years with AAZK: 6
Previous Zoos: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, Milwaukee Zoo (Phoenix Zoo for a very short time)
Favorite Zoo Keeping Moment: Moving our gerenuk Betty in the with the kudu herd, and seeing her get a bath from Eleanor 3 days later
Favorite Animal Fact: : The Egyptian fruit bat is unique among bats because it is a fruit bat that echolocates AND it uses its tongue to do so, rather than its larynx, which is the method used by most microchiroptera/insectivorous bats.
Communications Officer: Alyssa Alvarado
Animal Care Specialist- Carnivores, Denver Zoo, Started in 2020
Years with AAZK: 8
Previous Zoos: Dallas Zoo, Moody Gardens
Favorite Zoo Keeping Moment: Too difficult to pick just one! I did a tour though in 2022 for the “Make a Wish Foundation.” The tour was for a little girl under the age of one and seeing her light up when she saw the animals was incredible. It made me realize, again, how cool of a job this is and what a difference an animal can make in a person’s life.
Favorite Animal Fact: Sea lions live in large groups and a mom learns to recognize the unique call of her pup within hours of giving birth. They rely on this bond, in addition to scent identification, to find each other again after a mom comes back from fishing at sea.
Denver Zoo Liaison: Christa Klein
Float Keeper, Denver Zoo, started in 2018
Years with AAZK: 11
Previous Zoos: Sacramento Zoo
Favorite Zoo Keeping Moment: So many to pick from, but one of my favorites is when Vet Tech Eva and I successfully drew blood from Tundra the grizzly bear – this marked the first time that blood was drawn from a bear though voluntary training at the Denver Zoo.
Favorite Animal Fact: Orangutans have the longest childhood of any animal except humans- babies remain with their mothers for 8-12 years. Since they’ll have to fend for themselves, moms need to teach their kids all the important life skills they will need to survive in the wild, such as where to find food, what other animals are a threat to them, how to find shelter, build their nests, plus much more.