Meet the Zoo Crew!

Dennis and his wife, Marilyn, bought the property in the early 90's in hopes of a peaceful retirement. Their love of animals quickly turned the retirement into an around-the-clock job. Today, he enjoys watching all of his hard work come to fruition with the help of his family and some very loyal team members. His guidance and perseverance play a huge role in our day-to-day operations!

Marilyn is probably the closest real-life version of Snow White you'll find. Her connection to animals is something truly remarkable. Marilyn especially loves taking in and caring for any little babies when they need special attention, and this allows her to create an unbreakable bond. These days, she's most likely running the day-to-day errands, but on busy weekends, you'll still be charmed by her sweet character in the gift shop!

Donavan is the son of Dennis and Marilyn, the owners! He has dedicated the better half of his life to the park, having first started as a Ranch Hand in 2001. Consistently taking on more hats, Donavan has graduated to General Manager and Co-Owner as he takes on each aspect of the business in stride. His dedication to the animals, our patrons and the park's success is a huge factor in who we are today.

Kayli started giving Guided Tours back in 2012, as a mere 14-year-old. Working through summers, weekends and holidays, she graduated with a business degree from Sam Houston State University in the spring of 2020. This allowed her to come back to the park full-time and assist her family with all things ZOO! You'll find Kayli running anything from marketing and social media to mucking stalls or assisting with vet care. On busy holidays or weekend, you may even snag her as your tour guide. 

Logan is THE guy when it comes to any sort of maintenance or animal care. He can operate any sort of equipment or machinery to take on heavy projects, then turn around and be the most tedious and careful with the small jobs. He is dedicated to helping our park grow to the best it can be while providing amazing animal care and creating unique memories for visitors. We couldn't be prouder to have him as our Ranch Hand!

Bill joined the team a few years ago and is truly a jack of all trades! What started out as a lawn maintenance assignment, turned into any and all jobs in between! Mr. Bill is known to be able to fix it all, and we are incredibly thankful for him!

Brande is our one and only housekeepin’ queen! She is one of the most flexible team members, as our bookings are always random. Not only does she do an incredible job, but this chick accomplishes more than most in limited time. She shows up time and time again, always with a smile on her face! We are so thankful for her hard work and lucky to have such a thoughtful and thorough housekeeper on our team. 

Nicole took on all things zoo back in 2016, in fact she is our longest reigning employee that is not bound by blood! Over the years, she's proven her dedication and knowledge by continuing to take on responsibility here at the park. Nicole has no problem going 90mph to make sure all projects are completed, and all animals are tended to. We are so thankful for her and the asset she is to our team!

Olivia knows all the odds and ends of the Exotic Resort Zoo, having grown up at the park and being part of the family. She may be young, but Olivia definitely knows her stuff when it comes to these animals and how to have an incredible experience at the park. She is currently attending cosmetology school per the Scottish Highland's request. LOL! A tour with Olivia will leave you with awesome memories!

Becca is the most adventurous and animal-loving soul there is. She became a Tour Guide in the Spring of 2021, left for a few months to travel the States by renovated RV, and has since made her way home. Now, Becca lives on-site and is always eager to lend a helpful hand. She’s kind and bubbly, and sure to charm you upon arrival. We are beyond blessed by her dedication to the park! 

Tuesdey is one of the sweetest people to ever join our crew! She is known to receive rave reviews from our visitors thanks to her charming, outgoing and bubbly personality! Tuesdey is consistent and eager, and we are so thankful for her hard work and dedication. We also know that you'd love to take a tour with her as your guide!

Affectionately nicknamed "Dani", Daniela joined the team towards the end of our 2023 Summer season as a fun adventure! Dani is likely the sweetest person you'll meet and takes incredible care of our guests and animals. Not to mention, she is super talented and speaks two languages! We are so pleased to have her with us!

Amanda joined our team in the Fall of 2023 and has proven an incredible asset to our team thus far. She takes on every new skill and task with stride. Staying busy during the week with her full-time job as an AC Dispatcher, she is currently only here on the weekends. But, if we could have ten more Amanda's, we would!

Caylee is one of our favorite college kids! When she is home from ASU, we try and steal her time as much as we can. She is sweet, kind & bubbly. Not to mention, always down for an adventure! You'd be lucky to have Caylee as your Tour Guide over school breaks.

Kenadi is our newest and youngest member of our team, still being in high school. However, Kenadi is active in FFA & 4H so she has known nothing but the life of ag. She is incredibly sweet & knowledgeable, so we know that you'd love her as your guide!