Mindy worked as an animal caregiver for more than two decades with a variety of taxa including bears, cats, mustelids, and primates. With a PhD in Psychology focused on animal behavior and cognition, she conducts behavioral and cognitive research with bears in an effort to improve their management in zoos. Mindy has consulted with a variety of NGOs, accredited and non-accredited zoos around the world, and state animal law enforcement to help assess animal welfare issues and educate caregivers on proper husbandry for bears and other species. Mindy is the zoo's representative to AZA's bear taxon advisory group and the studbook keeper for the AZA sun bear population.

Article

• Babitz, Mindy, Gibson, Angela, and Pratte, Jason. 2023. "Improving Animal Wellbeing Using Behavior-Based Methodologies: A Discussion on Enrichment and Bears under Human Care." Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens, 4, (1) 256–276. https://doi.org/10.3390/jzbg4010022. 2023
• Tabellario, Stacey, Babitz, Mindy A., Bauer, Erika B., and Brown-Palsgrove, Michael. 2020. "Picture recognition of food by sloth bears (Melursus ursinus)." Animal Cognition, 23 227–231. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-019-01314-w. 2020
• Bauer, Erika B., Babitz, Mindy, Boedeker, Nancy C., and Hellmuth, Heidi. 2013. "Approaches to Understanding and Managing Pacing in Sloth Bears in a Zoological Setting." International Journal of Comparative Psychology, 26, (1) 53–74. 2013
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