SDSU alum returns to South Dakota, featured on ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’

Stephanie Arne has led a remarkable career. A world traveler, conservation expert, online show host and recent guest on “The Drew Barrymore Show,” she has taken her passion for animals global. 

But after 17 years away, the State alum is now back in South Dakota as the conservation director of the Great Plains Zoo and Butterfly House and Aquarium, bringing her world of experience back to her home state. 

Arne, a 2005 South Dakota State University graduate, took an unconventional approach to pursuing her education and her dreams. She took a “little bit of everything” and gained knowledge from across campus. 

“I remember loving that there was a diverse amount of programs, and I wanted to do all of them,” Arne said. “That was my problem. I wanted to do psychology, biology, zoology, wildlife and fisheries sciences. I was into sociology, and it was all available to me.” 

The Pierre native graduated with B.S. in education, human/animal development and behavior. 

Her outside-the-classroom activities at SDSU were just as diverse, including SDSU dance and cheer, Students’ Association Senate and boxing. 

She and a friend also hosted a morning campus radio show. 

“That’s when I learned that most people don’t like to be on camera or on the radio,” Arne said. “Just that experience of trying to get everybody excited and pumped up on our radio show was really, really fun for me.” 

Two experiences really showed Arne she was on the right career path. During her college career, Arne took a study abroad trip to West Africa and completed an internship at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. 

“When I got back from that study abroad trip in May and walked across the (graduation) stage, from that point forward I was full on into working in zoological facilities around the world,” Arne said. 

Following graduation, Arne worked with animals across the globe, including at the Omaha zoo, the San Diego Zoo, Sea World San Diego, the Honolulu Zoo, in eco-tourism in Hawaii, New Zealand and Australia, and did some work in Thailand and Papua New Guinea. 

In addition to her passion for animals, she takes sharing her conservation message with others very seriously.  

“I think I have just always wanted to reach people,” Arne said. “What I have learned is that you need to meet people halfway, at a minimum, and sometimes you have to meet them exactly where they are at. 

“All of this was helping me become a well-rounded wildlife conservationist who not only can do the work hands-on out in the field but can translate it to the public, so they understand the importance of that work.” 

Arne has used her animal expertise to help people, both one-on-one and in front of millions, understand the human-animal relationship. 

For five years, she was the host of the online series, Mutual of Omaha’s “Wild Kingdom.” 

She has also done hundreds of media appearances, sharing her knowledge through local media, Animal Planet’s “Animal Nation,” “Harry” with Harry Connick Jr., The Weather Channel, “Fox and Friends,” “Kidd Kraddick in the Morning” and most recently, “The Drew Barrymore Show.”  

Her path to “The Drew Barrymore Show” studio started as a regular guest on “Harry,” where she became friends with a producer who now works for Barrymore. 

Arne received a text saying, “Do you remember me? I want you to go on ‘The Drew Barrymore Show.’” She “squealed” at the text message, a fitting reaction considering she brought pigs on the show to give Barrymore and guest Maisie Williams, a “Game of Thrones” actress, a chance to talk about how Williams’ love for pigs almost caused her to miss her audition. 

This opportunity gave Arne a chance to talk about picking good pets. 

“For me to be able to get, whether it’s on a local news station or on a national station, you can reach hundreds of thousands, if not millions more people with your passion and your knowledge for animals,” Arne said. 

In Sioux Falls, Arne and the staff at the Great Plains Zoo and Butterfly House and Aquarium are focused on domestic conservation efforts with the Dakota skipper butterfly, black-footed ferrets, American bison and the American red wolf. 

Internationally, she is focused on black rhinoceros, monarch butterflies and snow leopards. 

“I got to have my dream career at a very young age, and it just keeps getting better and better,” Arne said.