Chaz Moxley
Manager of Large Predators,
Lead Person for Tiger Splash
As Manager of Large Mammals, Chaz Moxley oversees the care, feeding and mental enrichment of Out of Africa’s impressive collection of big animals, including lions, tigers, leopards, giraffe, zebra, bears, and rhinoceros, among many others.
His lifelong experiential study and work around wild animals ranges from caring for apes to bottle feeding baby kangaroos to raising lions from cubs.
Looking into the minds of the animals under his care, Chaz describes each of them as having distinct personalities. “Every wild animal has a reason for what it does. The most important of our responsibilities is to understand why an animal is acting in a particular way and to react intelligently, without resorting to human instinct
The Park works hard to help its members of the animal kingdom feel content, healthy, and happy by allowing them the room and opportunity to be instinctual and territorial. It also makes sure that the animals have plenty of mental stimulation through interaction with each other and their environment, as well as with the caretakers.
“For individuals who are open to the amazingness of our animals,” says Chaz, “there is grandeur, awe, and joy to be found here.”
Heather Mueller
Manager of Herp, Chirp, and Fur
Vet-Tech, Education
As Manager of Herp, Chirp, and Fur (the Park’s nickname for reptiles, birds, and mammals), Heather Mueller has responsibility for the care of a vast array of exotic animals, ranging from pythons to ostrich to warthogs, with dozens of other species in between.
Certified as a Veterinary Technician and holding a B.S. in Veterinary Technology with a minor in Micro-Biology, Heather also studied in Indonesia.
At Out of Africa, Heather is responsible for first-response medical care of the Park’s animals. “We use a blend of Western and holistic medical treatments,” said Heather.
Especially important to the health of the animals at the Park are the observational skills that Heather and the other caretakers use to determine if an animal needs help.
In addition to her medical duties, Heather oversees the education department of the Park. “My belief is that when our guests can actually touch a giraffe, it brings them closer to nature, and inspires them to treat other wildlife respectfully as well. And, maybe that will encourage them to save our rare species of animals before we don’t have any left.”
