WRITTEN BY ALANA SNYDER AND PHOTOS BY KAYLA JOHNSON
A Howling New Habitat AT THE BRAMBLE PARK ZOO
A revitalized wolf exhibit is bringing new life to an area of the Bramble Park Zoo in Watertown.
The idea of a new wolf habitat was in the making since zookeeper Olivia Wulff started at the Zoo in 2014.
The recently unveiled habitat represents a major investment in both animal care and the visitor experience.
“We always knew our exhibit was outdated and ‘bare bones’ from my beginning here and was mostly adequate for the current animals, but definitely had lots of room for improvement and updates,” recalled Wulff. Former zoo director Dan Miller ignited plans for the project before he retired, and it was shaped further after current zoo superintendent, Stacy Plocher , continued to formulate plans and fundraise for the much-needed upgrades.
With roughly $600,000 in renovations, it replaced an exhibit that was more than 35 years old and doubled the wolves’ indoor space, added modern features such as heat, running water, and improved drainage, and provided a new glass viewing area where visitors can get remarkably close to the animals. It’s also an important part of the zoo’s work toward regaining AZA accreditation.
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