DR. JEN

Nutritionist

Dr. Jen Parsons is a Mazuri nutritionist and formulates diets, conducts research, and provides technical support for our team.
 

EXPERIENCE

Before joining Mazuri, Jen was a zoo nutritionist for 8 years, working with large collections of diverse species at the San Diego and Denver Zoos.  She has a PhD in animal nutrition from Mississippi State University, conducting doctoral research with the Memphis Zoo on giant panda nutrition, and a master’s degree in zoology from Oklahoma State University, where she researched nutritional ecology of native prairie wildlife.  During her bachelor’s work in animal science at Colorado State University, Jen also participated in internship programs at the Woodland Park and Point Defiance Zoos, in the Seattle-Tacoma area.
 

IN HER WORDS

“I grew up on the edge of town in Anchorage, Alaska, watching wildlife pass by our living room window every day.  So I’ve been passionate from a young age about doing all I can to help wildlife and exotic species, and to improve the lives of animals under our care.  I was fortunate in my zoo career to work with a wide variety of animals – from pandas to pangolins – and as a customer, I was always aware of Mazuri’s commitment to quality, customer support, and research.  For those reasons, I was thrilled to join the Mazuri team, all of whom are passionate about supporting long, healthy lives for exotic animals everywhere.”
 

PRO TIP

“The key to keeping exotics healthy and happy is to replicate their natural history and habitat as much as possible – so be sure to feed a diet that comes close to the nutritional profile that they would consume in the wild.”