Racquel Ardisana-Penney is the Associate Director of Carnivore and Small Mammal Care & Conservation at Brookfield Zoo Chicago. From polar bears to kangaroos, Ardisana-Penney oversees the daily husbandry and welfare of a wide range of magnetic species. Growing up a mile away from the Zoo, she developed a passion for connecting others with wildlife, inspiring them to care deeply about and protect animals.

Over 15 years ago, Ardisana-Penney began her career as an animal care specialist at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, where she also volunteered in high school. Today, she works closely with species such as polar bears, African painted dogs, Mexican wolves, western grey kangaroos, short-beaked echidnas, and more. Using her experience with these species, she brings strategic leadership to their conservation and welfare programs.

Her work over the years has been integral to the Brookfield Zoo Chicago's participation in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction Mexican Wolf program — she supported two Zoo-born litters in their transfer to be fostered in the wild. Alongside wolves, she's overseen other rare carnivore births, including helping manage a breeding pack of African painted dogs. She also worked closely with giraffes and other ungulates in past roles at the Zoo. Recently, she joined AZA's African Painted Dog SSP management group.

Ardisana-Penny has a bachelor's degree in integrative biology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a master’s degree in biology from Miami University.