DAY 10: Saturday, July 21st
I decided that 5 zoos per day wasn't enough and so I had yet another very long day and toured 6 zoos this time. They are all fairly small and that is why I'm able to see so many in a single day, plus there is the usual assortment of animals that I'm consistently looking at 3-4 times every day. Bobcats, Bald Eagles, Barred Owls, Barn Owls, Ring-tailed Lemurs, White-tailed Deer, Raccoons, Bearded Dragons, North American Porcupines, Mara, African Crested Porcupines, Grey Wolves, Red Foxes, Red-tailed Hawks and many others are ones that I'll end up seeing probably 25 or more times on this trip. They are everywhere and so I admit that I'm not lingering at each Barn Owl aviary for much more than it takes to snap a photo of the sign, the exhibit and locate the animals. They are always motionless in the top corner of each aviary anyway!
Zoo #30:
After spending the night on the edge of the state of Indiana, I drove just a few minutes and into Illinois. First up on yet another busy day was Willowbrook Wildlife Center (Glen Ellyn, IL) and this facility didn't take long to see at all. I passed the exit for Brookfield Zoo and the center is less than 30 minutes away from its illustrious companion. Willowbrook has many rescued animals and it has already received exactly 3,684 animals this year and that was just in the first 5 months! In those 5 months there was a total of 7,286 volunteer hours and this information was posted inside to impress visitors. There is a building with a couple of small rooms for on-show species and I was shocked by the diversity of bird life in tiny, jewel-box aviaries. It was unfortunate to see so many birds that had to be at the center but it was cool viewing them just a few inches away. Besides the two small rooms, there is an outdoor loop with many wood-and-wire enclosures for rehabilitated animals. With 55 species and a number of birds that are found in Illinois rural backyards, this 'zoo' is a must-see for a European zoo enthusiast who keeps a list of viewed taxa.
Species list for the outdoor loop (14 species): Bobcat, Red Fox, Raccoon, Woodchuck, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Eastern Screech Owl, Barred Owl, Barn Owl, Great Horned Owl, Black-crowned Night Heron and Herring Gull.
Species list for the indoor area (41 species): Southern Flying Squirrel, Eastern Screech Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Blue Jay, Mourning Dove, Dark-eyed Junco, Gray Catbird, Cedar Waxwing, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Swainson's Thrush, Ovenbird, Killdeer, Tennessee Warbler, White-breasted Nuthatch, Common Grackle, American Robin, Red-winged Blackbird, Virginia Rail, Eastern Bluebird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Indigo Bunting, Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, House Finch, Western Fox Snake, Great Plains Rat Snake, Bullsnake, Ornate Box Turtle, Spotted Turtle, Painted Turtle, Common Musk Turtle, Blanding's Turtle, Northern Leopard Frog, American Bullfrog, Eastern Tiger Salamander, Bess Beetle, Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillar and Chilean Rose Tarantula.
Zoo #31:
About an hour north from my first stop is the family-owned Summerfield Zoo (Belvidere, IL) and the zoo is way out in farming country with nothing but cornfields and other crops for miles in all directions. Much like some rich English aristocrats began zoos on their stately properties, many Americans with a passion for animals and some financial heft have begun zoos right on their farms. There seems to be no way to know about these type of zoos other than via word of mouth and I parked on the lawn (no fancy paved parking lot here!) and walked in with some trepidation. A couple of Grey Wolf exhibits are so ridiculously tiny that the 4 wolves (2 in each cage) were running around in circles. Yikes! There are also some abominable indoor exhibits in the horse barn as animals such as Red Kangaroos, African Crested Porcupines and Maras are kept in dark, gloomy horse stalls.
For such a pokey, home-made place, there are other notable species such as Spotted Hyena, Cougar, Bobcat, Serval, Vervet Monkey, Arctic Fox, Spotted Genet, Reindeer (around a dozen) and the best exhibit award goes to the big grassy yard for North American River Otters, although the pool is way too small. This place has many more animals and is a bit of a mixed bag.
At this point in time I've now visited 13 out of the 14 Illinois zoos that I'm aware of, only missing the dodgy-looking Brown's Oakridge Zoo.
Here is my updated list and ** means that I've visited that facility:
**Brookfield Zoo (Brookfield)
Brown’s Oakridge Zoo (Smithfield)
**Cosley Zoo (Wheaton)
**Henson Robinson Zoo (Springfield)
**John G. Shedd Aquarium (Chicago)
**Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago)
**Miller Park Zoo (Bloomington)
**Niabi Zoo (Coal Valley)
**Peoria Zoo (Peoria)
**Phillips Park Zoo (Aurora)
**Scovill Zoo (Decatur)
**Summerfield Zoo (Belvidere)
**Wildlife Prairie Park (Hanna City)
**Willowbrook Wildlife Center (Glen Ellyn)
Now that Illinois is off my bucket list, it's time to tackle a whole bunch of small zoos in Wisconsin, a surprisingly zoo-rich state. I've been through Wisconsin several times before, most notably on a 2014 road trip, but this time around I'm going to make one final swoosh and clean up the zoological delights/detritus along the way. Ha! Let's roll...
Zoo #32:
Leaving Illinois, I headed 1.5 hours north to an obscure zoo called MacKenzie Center (Poynette, WI), as its listed on most signs and 'MacKenzie Environmental Center' in a couple of other locations. I didn't really know what to expect, which seems to be the case with many of these unknown zoos, and first had to leave the main highway and pass through the town of Poynette (pop. 2,500). Then I drove out of town for a few miles, turned down a side road and found a large parking lot. Disembarking from my vehicle I immediately came upon a group of Harley Davidson aficionados as they were using the area as a resting spot before hitting the road again. Lots of long hair, tattoos, bulging muscles, black outfits and at least 20 individuals. I proceeded down a rocky path into the forest and there are a couple of large paddocks and then deep into the woods I came across a mini-zoo all laid out in a loop and with wood-and-wire cages. What an extraordinary setting!
Species list (11 species): Plains Bison, White-tailed Deer, Grey Wolf, Red Fox, Canada Lynx, American Badger, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Barred Owl, Great Horned Owl and Turkey Vulture.
Zoo #33:
Only about 45 minutes away is Wisconsin Big Cat Rescue (Rock Springs, WI), which was much smaller than I expected and it is a single paved loop around a lot of big cat exhibits. The establishment is located in a town of around 400 people but only 30 minutes away from Wisconsin Dells, a very popular summer city. All of the big cats are rescue animals, either from a life as a 'pet', a circus performer (as in the case of a trio of leopards that share an exhibit) or unwanted from various zoos and sanctuaries. There is a single Canada Lynx, a few African Lions, 4 leopards and then probably close to 20 tigers. During my visit it was blazing hot and it was late afternoon and so all of the cats were either lying in the grass or sleeping in their big cement tunnels and it was easy enough to walk around slowly and see the facility in 30 minutes. I saw almost every single animal as the enclosures are not huge (but totally adequate) and again I was struck by the fact that there was zero hotwire around the base of the tiger enclosures. There was also zero hotwire around the top of the exhibits and no overhang either. You'd never see any of that in an accredited zoo, and although it is probably safe I just don't like the idea of seeing tigers in cages without an overhang or hotwire preventing a stressed cat from leaping out.
Zoo #34:
About 25 minutes away is Beaver Springs Park Aquarium (Wisconsin Dells, WI), a place that Tim Brown told me was the 'nadir of zoological experiences' but he was glad that he visited so that he could add another place to his all-time total of almost 800 zoos. I had to check this place out for myself and sure enough it is the WORST zoo or aquarium that I've ever visited. This place was my 89th public aquarium and things started poorly when I gave the staff member a ten dollar bill to pay for my outrageous $7.47 admission. He spent a minute or two rooting around for a calculator while I waited expectantly. Moving on from mathematical calculations, I entered and the building is divided into two sections. First up is a Fish & Wildlife Museum that is covered in cobwebs and has an air of decrepitude in all directions. There are taxidermy specimens in dioramas, fish models and lots of dust and decay everywhere as if I had stepped onto an old Hollywood film set. Tim Burton could use the place for an Edward Scissorhands sequel, and he could even digitally recreate Vincent Price to play some kind of evil aquarium owner. (Younger zoo nerds are currently scratching their hair-less chins)
Anyway, this place is so bad that it revels in its awfulness. There are smashed boxes in corners, a huge gumball machine, pet shop-sized tanks with literally garbage inside, perhaps 6 tanks (including two large ones) with fish in them but the water in all cases is stinky and dirty. Who needs filters? There is so much junk that the building needs to be either gutted and modernized or perhaps bulldozed into the nearest landfill. The fact that the aquarium has the nerve to charge admission is hilarious, but it is so gosh darn awful that I recommend a visit to anyone in the area. Go and see it before it is consigned to history's garbage dump.
Zoo #35:
The 6th and final stop of the day was the nasty little Animal Gardens Petting Zoo (Delavan, WI), which together with Beaver Springs Park Aquarium made for a nice one-two punch of a crap-fest. About an hour and a half from the infamous aquarium, Animal Gardens Petting Zoo is run by a woman who was as kind as could be. Upon realizing that I was Canadian, due to her asking where I was from, she launched into an impassioned speech in support of Donald Trump and she is a huge fan of the guy. This zoo owner knew all about Trump cheating on his wives, sleeping with "adult" actresses and whoever else, and generally being an all-around idiot, but she loved him regardless. “Trump comes across badly but he wants to make America great again. Your leader Trudeau is a pussy cat”. I should have just rolled my eyes and left right then and there but she gave me a free ticket for the train ride and I couldn't resist her charm.
Alas, I found myself sitting in a Bambi-themed red caboose on the zoo's kiddie train as we bucked and rolled along the bumpiest path of all-time. I had to hang on with both hands or else face being ejected into the roly-poly bosom of a local Wisconsin resident, no doubt with a tattoo of Trump on her chest. I did not wish to ride in the Bambi section of a freakin' kiddie train but that is the ONLY way that visitors can see the mini-loop that contains White-tailed Deer, Eurasian Lynx, Red Foxes, Woodchucks, African Crested Porcupines and a few pheasants and owls. If I wanted to see that mini zoo then I had to ride the damn train and the zoo owner even gave me a free ticket and practically pushed me onto the caboose. Oh, the humiliation. As some young kids jumped up and down, making the rear of the train even more precarious, I sat there in grim determination...attempting not to run for either the hills or the latest Republican campaign headquarters. Wisconsin folk like Trump and I saw more bumper stickers promoting that orange-skinned man than ever before.
While sitting on the train, wallowing in my embarrassment, we'd stop and the tour guide would get out and tell us about how “porcupines don't really shoot their quills” or some equally inane animal tidbits of information. That was when the mosquitoes attacked, savaging us with enough brutality to qualify for an episode of Planet Earth. We all begged the tour guide to shut the hell up and get this jalopy going, but she jabbered on about how “woodchucks see their shadows in February” until one rather red-faced lady demanded that we leave the infestation behind us or she was walking out through the woods by herself. After we were savaged some more, all the time having to smell the musty odour of a trio of pungent foxes, the heavens opened up and it began to rain. This story is 100% true, right down to the roly-poly bosom. So there I am, 42 years old and with what I thought was a successful life in front of me...getting rained on, smelling fox urine, ravaged by angry mosquitoes the size of baseballs, and all the while sitting in the red caboose of a Bambi-themed kiddie train in some backwoods Wisconsin hellhole. Shoot me now!
Epilogue: After the train experience I went through the nursery, with its huge albino Raccoon and eager volunteers who pull animals out of their slumber to be petted. No, I did not want to see the horse show or go on another flippin' train ride to make up for the last one. I was very polite as I'm Canadian and it is some kind of law that we have to be nice to everyone. I left under the pretense that I was going to get my umbrella and I hit the highway with such speed that my minivan actually left the ground for a millisecond. For a moment I had flashbacks to the Bambi train and I clutched the steering wheel with all of my might as I roared down the highway.
