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All about Alyssa!

Alyssa has been part of the Out of Africa team for over a year, working closely with our Small Mammals. She graduated from Northern Arizona University with a bachelor’s degree in Biology, focusing on zoology, along with a minor in Chemistry and a certificate in Wildlife Ecology and Management.

Alyssa has always known she wanted to work with animals, a passion that grew stronger with every encounter. Working at Out of Africa is a dream come true for her. She loves sharing her enthusiasm for wildlife with our guests during shows and tours, and seeing the excitement in their reactions as they learn more about our amazing animals.

In this month’s Keeper Korner, she’s happy to share knowledge with her favorite sloth at Out of Africa – Bella!

Keeper Questions

  • Tell us a little about what you do here at Out of Africa?

    I am a small mammals keeper, and that means I am responsible for the daily care, feeding, and overall well-being of small mammal species – like meerkats, lemurs and porcupines. I prepare diets, clean enclosures, and provide enrichment activities to keep the animals mentally and physically stimulated, as well as monitor their health and behavior.

  • Sloth Encounters are Back at Out of Africa?

    Yes! If you come to a sloth encounter you’ll get 15 minutes with a Keeper and Bella. You’ll be able to feed her snacks, like some carrots, and hopefully you’ll be able to give her some pets and love. You can reserve time online to sign up.

  • Tell me more about Bella!

    Bella is five years old and she’s lived in the park since December of 2023. She comes to us from another facility where she was also popular and did encounters. We wanted her to be comfortable in her new environment here at Out of Africa before she started encounters, which is why we did not start them right away, but waited eleven months until the time was right for her.

  • What is Bella's favorite food?

    *Bella munching on a piece of corn*

    So corn is one of Bella’s favorite foods, but she also likes sweet potato. We are adding more variety to her diet, but it’s easy to say what her favorites are.

  • Can you tell me more about sloths in the wild?

    Two toed sloths are considered a bit more aggressive, but that’s just due to their size. A common thing that you’ll see is the difference between sloths in the wild and sloths under human care is the quality of their fur. Out in the wild, they are going to have a lot of algae and different moths and little bugs growing in their fur, whereas under human care they don’t have the same type of environment.

  • Sloths have algae in their fur in the wild?

    It provides a type of camouflage for them! They live in the tops of trees and the green from the algae is going to help them blend into the leaves, and be a source of nutrition for them.

  • What is your favorite sloth fact?

    My favorite sloth fact is their family name. Their family name is Pilosa, which loosely translates to oddly jointed. Their closest relatives are armadillos and anteaters.

See More of Keeper Korner
Armando & Diligence
Rachael & Fisher
Vinh & Sierra

If you love animals and have a question – ask! We would love to answer your questions about our animal friends and what it’s like to be a Keeper!

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