A lighted holiday path set up for the holidays around Christmas at ZooMontana (Photo by Cassy Crafton for the Daily Montanan).
The longtime director of ZooMontana, the state’s sole zoo located in Billings, will be heading to Nebraska to become the leader of zoo operations at the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha, Nebraska.
Jeff Ewelt, known as “The Nature Guy” for his weekly videos of zoo animals, lessons in biology and animal behavior, will leave the top post at ZooMontana, a position he’s held for 14 years.
Ewelt has grown the operations and the donations to the zoo, which was on the brink of closure and economic collapse when he arrived. During his tenure, he helped the organization regain accreditation as well as bring a host of new exhibits and features to the zoo, located off Interstate 90.
“I am profoundly grateful to the Billings community for their unwavering support over the past 14 years. It has been an honor to serve ZooMontana, and while I’m excited for this next chapter, I will always carry with me the incredible memories and the relationships I’ve built here. ZooMontana is in great hands, and I’m eager to see the Zoo continue to thrive,” Ewelt said.