Departing zoo manager Jeff Mitchell looks back on work at Forestry Farm

After more than six years as manager of the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo, Jeff Mitchell is preparing to leave his role for a new opportunity in the United States.

Mitchell, who is originally from Indiana, started his career as an aquarist diver at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium before moving to the Brookfield Zoo, where he worked as associate curator of aquatics and reptiles. After that, he spent some time at the Cincinnati Zoo before moving to a new role as director of Henson Robinson Zoo.

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But none of that experience prepared him for the first challenge he faced when he moved to Saskatoon to start his job as zoo director.

“The day I started was the day everything shut down for COVID, so my first big challenge was navigating a pandemic in a brand-new facility, in a new city, in a new country where I knew absolutely nobody, so that was a pretty challenging time,” Mitchell said with a laugh.

The zoo was closed for around four months during the pandemic, meaning Mitchell had to hit the ground running, tackling staffing challenges and working to reopen the facility to the public.

“Making sure that I was able to bring the tools and the resources to our staff so they could do their job was kind of the biggest challenge to start,” he said.

“One of the things that I worked on really, really hard was to get the zoo open as quickly as possible, because I really wanted to have the experience for kids to be kids again, and run around the zoo and be able to be outside and enjoy the zoo. I remember the day we opened, and it was a really exciting moment for me and the staff.”

Mitchell, whose background is in fish and reptiles, said those are always his favourite animals to work with. One of the first projects he tackled at the zoo was renovating the Affinity Learning Centre, with new fish and reptiles added to the exhibit.

Asked which animal was his least favourite, Mitchell said he loves them all, even though the feeling wasn’t always mutual. Kazi, the zoo’s snow leopard, which died over the summer, was not a big fan of Mitchell, he explained.

“Kazi, with the staff, was this amazing cat,” Mitchell said.

“We had a little back scratcher that we could reach through the fence and scratch his back, and he would purr and just be a wonderful cat for them, but the minute I walked in, he would get angry and start growling and roaring at me.”

Zoo manager Jeff Mitchell said Kazi, the zoo’s snow leopard, wasn’t a big fan of him, and would grown and roar any time he got close. (City of Saskatoon/Submitted)

The zookeeper also noted the challenges of caring for meerkats, which were added to the Forestry Farm’s Small Mammal House during his tenure. He described the animals as “very, very ornery and very, very fickle.”

Mitchell also highlighted the work the zoo did with a group of zebras seized by provincial authorities during a wildlife investigation. The animals are now on display to the public at the Forestry Farm.

He said he’s especially proud of the creation of the Prairie Butterfly House, which opened to the public in 2023.

“I took a moment to walk into the butterfly house by myself early in the morning when the first butterflies were there, and being able to realize what an amazing experience it was, and just sitting down and watching the butterflies and how calming and relaxing it was, and I was like, ‘This is why I’m in this field,’” Mitchell said.

Butterflies on display in the Prairie Butterfly House at the Forestry Farm Park & Zoo in Saskatoon. (City of Saskatoon/Submitted)

Despite the fact that a large portion of his role is made up of budget work, meetings, answering emails and the other day-to-day requirements that come with managing a large and complex facility like the Forestry Farm, Mitchell said he still loves coming to work every day.

“I tell everyone in the world ‘I’ve got the greatest job.’ I’ve got the greatest job in Saskatoon, and in Saskatchewan as far as I’m concerned,” he said.

“Like every other job, there are days when I’m stuck doing budgets, or I’m stuck doing meetings… When I’m having a really bad day, I’ll take a half an hour, and I’ll just go for a walk out into the zoo or walk through the park here, and it really helps (me) remember why I’m here and what I’m doing.”

Mitchell said he’s proud of the work he did to care for the zoo’s staff members during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with a number of upgrades he brought to the animals’ homes at the zoo.

“Looking at some of the animal habitats over the course of the last six-and-a-half years and being able to make significant improvements in quite a few of those were the biggest accomplishments,” he said.

Mitchell said he’s accepted a position as zoo director at Henry Vilas Zoo, a facility in Madison, Wis., which is free for the public to visit.

“I wasn’t necessarily actively looking for another position, but they kind of recruited me for it,” he said.

Mitchell said that when he was growing up, his parents often brought him and his siblings to visit another free zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. He said those afternoons made a huge impression on him.

“Had it not been for Lincoln Park, I don’t know if I would be in this career, and so being able to go to a zoo that’s free and be able to make a positive impact in that community is what’s ultimately driving me there.”

The Saskatoon Zoo Foundation praised Mitchell for his work with both the zoo and the broader community.

“During Jeff’s time with the zoo, the Foundation was able to invest more than $3 million into projects that have made a lasting difference and will benefit our community for generations to come,” the foundation said in a social media post.

The foundation said Mitchell’s impact on the zoo includes the butterfly house, creating a new home for the zebras, an award-winning prairie dog exhibit, an accessible pier, a new home for the zoo’s bobcats, the new Kinsmen II electric train and more.

“These accomplishments are a testament to Jeff’s vision, passion, dedication and knowledge, and to the tremendous difference one person can make when they truly believe in the future of the zoo,” the foundation added.

“Jeff has been such an important part of the Saskatoon Zoo’s story, and his impact will be felt for many years to come. He will be missed by so many of us, both personally and professionally. It has been an honour to work alongside Jeff and to be part of building a brighter future for our zoo and our community.”

The Saskatoon Zoo Foundation wished Mitchell well on his future endeavours, adding that his shoes will be “incredibly hard to fill.”

Mitchell said Wednesday will be his last day at the Saskatoon zoo, and he starts his new job on the 19th.

“I’ve taken every day I’ve been up here as a true honour to be able to work here,” he said.