Badger Chapter AAZK

06/04/2026

Time for another meet your AAZK Officers post! Today we have Brooke, our secretary.

She is primary of the Barns (camel, Somali Wild Ass, and guineafowl) and the golden lion tamarins that can be found at our Animal Health Center. 🐫🫏

Her favorite animals are too many to list.🦁🐅🫏🐄🐫🦒🐘🦏🐻‍❄️🐨🦨🦃🐢🦕
Brooke wishes that more guests got as excited as she does around North American Porcupines ( who cares that they stink!)
Careful catching her at a camel chat, she'll talk your ear off about their amazing adaptations.

05/31/2026

🦜🦜🦜Happy World Parrot Day 🦜🦜🦜

Not only are parrots colorful, but their complex social behavior and long lives make them one of the most unique bird group.

All parrots have a hooked beak and 4 toes, 2 pointing forward and 2 pointing back. These toes help with the handling of fruit, nuts, and other objects.

Parrots disperse seeds, help regenerate forests, and help maintain the health and biodiversity of ecosystems.

Did you know that a group of parrots is called a pandemonium???!

Make sure to catch Henry Vilas Zoo's own wild and noisey parrots in the Aviary or on pleasant days in the parrot bungalows outside the Aviary.

Photo: Keeper Allyce

05/31/2026

05/29/2026

Happy National Alligator Day! 🐊🐊

Today is a day to celebrate the important role these gators play.

They are an apex predator and ecosystem engineer, they are critical to maintaining balance in the wetlands.

They help keep prey populations in balance and they create what people call "gator holes". These holes retain water during dry seasons and are critical refuges for bird, reptile, and fish species.

At Henry Vilas Zoo, we have 2 alligators name after wetlands in the Florida Everglades, Honey and Barley. They were both hatched in 1989 and can often find them laying next to each other. 🐊🐊

05/28/2026

Happy Whooping Crane Day! 🎉

A great day to visit the International Crane Foundation!

05/27/2026

🦦🦦🦦Happy World Otter Day🦦🦦🦦

Today marks the 10th anniversary that IOSF (International Otter Survival Fund) created World Otter Day. This day was established to help draw attention to otters and raise awareness and support for their conservation.

There are 14 species of otters around the world and some of those are endangered or threatened.

Across the world, otters are taken from the wild to supply demand created by social media trends, Otter cafés and other interactive attractions.

Both Henry Vilas Zoo and Ochsner Park Zoo have North American River Otter (NARO) habitats. Luckily the NARO has a success story. By the 1950's their numbers were greatly reduced due to trapping and pollution. But after a long campaign to clean waterways, trapping management and reintroductions, this species now thrives in both the United States and Canada.

Photos: Keeper Emily

05/24/2026

Thank you so much to everyone who came to support Badger AAZK at our local Madison Rally soccer match!! We had a blast chatting and selling raffle tickets (and cheering on women’s soccer) !! Thank you for all your support! ❤️⚽️

05/23/2026

It's time to Shell-abrate Turtles!! It's World Turtle Day!!!! 🐢🐢🐢

Turtles today are as ancient as the dinosoars, but around the world turtles are in trouble. More than half of the 476 types of freshwater turtles, tortoises, sea turtles and tarrapins are threatened with extinction.

World Turtle Day is an annual obervance to bring attention and increase knowledge and respect for turtles and tortoises and to encourage human action to help them thrive.

Henry Vilas Zoo is home to a variety of species who would love to see you on your next visit.

📸: Turtle Survival Alliance
📸: Keeper Ellen

05/23/2026

Tonight is the night!! ⚽️⚽️⚽️

Badger AAZK will be at Breese Stevens Field at 5pm when gates open and will be walking through the crowd selling tickets for a 50/50 raffle! From 5pm until the 2nd half you will have the chance to buy tickets from our amazing AAZK members for a chance to win half the pot 💲💲💲.

See you there and Go Rally!!!!