Wylie was born and raised in Topeka, KS and is a graduate from Allen County and has worked for the Topeka Zoo for 15 years.  “I started as a keeper assistant and then moved into a keeper position mostly in the Animals and Man Building and Rainforest but also worked in the other areas of the zoo.  Several years later, I became the Assistant Curator and maintained animal records, contact with SSPs and managing animal transports.  Now, I am a Curator and Elephant Manager and continue my previous duties as well as lead a fantastic team that is passionate about animal care and conserving the status of species all over the globe."

“I am from Phoenix, Arizona. I have worked at the Topeka Zoo as a full-time keeper since November of 2019, but I initially started as an intern and then a keeper’s assistant in 2019. I attended Arizona State University and have my Bachelor of Science in Conservation Biology & Ecology. I volunteered at the Phoenix Zoo for 5 years working with giant tortoises, elephants, black footed ferrets, & reptiles. A fun story about both elephants is during the summertime. they enjoy playing inside in the hose. They lean up against each other, grumbling over who gets to stand in the hose first, and get all their itches out on walls of the elephant barn. They are super cute, and make sure to turn their bodies so we can get any places we missed! “

“I’m originally from Akron, OH. I’ve been at the Topeka Zoo since March of 2020 so a bit over a year now. I went to the University of Akron in Ohio and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in biology and a minor in chemistry. I’ve been employed in the zoo field since April of 2018 and spent 2 years at the Dallas Zoo as an elephant keeper before coming to Topeka. Working with the two older elephants here has been very different than what I was used to at Dallas and has helped me learn and grow so much as a keeper. I have made several toys for them since coming here and making the firehose jack for Tembo specifically has been one of my fondest memories. The first day she got it she played with it for hours on end; throwing it everywhere, slamming it on the ground, throwing it on her back, pushing it into a wall, and even wearing it as a hat. Being able to see her and Cora play in her wallow is also one of my favorite things, it’s one of the most natural behaviors for an elephant and it is an amazing thing to experience.”

“I’m originally from Lawrence, Kansas. I’ve been working at the Topeka Zoo for a little over a year and a half now. Before that, I attended Kansas State University and received a degree in Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology with a minor in entomology. While there, I did an internship with the Topeka Zoo in 2018 and a second internship with the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in 2019. In both internships, I primarily focused on large hoof stock and mammals. I then came back to the Topeka Zoo in January of 2020 as a paid employee. My favorite story about working with our elephants is giving them Gatorade powder as enrichment and watching them throw water on the powder so that they could drink it. That always reminds me of just how smart they are!”