Kimball Farms Species List (Westford, Massachusetts)

[ZooElephantMan]

This afternoon I went to Kimball Farms in Westford with a few of my friends. We went for the mini-golf and the great ice cream (and they also have bumper boats and a batting cage) but I was surprised to see there was also a small animal collection-- and it wasn’t just domestics. The animal section is called "Animal Adventures" and for any zoo nerd in the Northeast USA that name has a terrible reputation. Kimball Farm's "Animal Adventures" exists mostly inside a large white tent, and most of the animals live in small to medium-sized utilitarian cages (although they at least included natural substrates, climbing opportunities, and enrichment, and it sounded like the animals get moved to a different holding building every night). I spent 10 minutes in there, and it costs $10 to enter which was a little overpriced. This place is very small, and I don't think I'd count it towards my life list of “zoos” I have been to, but I was surprised by the existence of their collection so I thought I would document it here. Animals included:

1. Patagonian Cavy
2. North American Porcupine
3. American Alligator
4. Bearded Dragon
5. Six Banded Armadillo
6. Coati (signed as Mountain Coati, but looked like a South American Coati)
7. Barred Owl
8. African Spurred Tortoise
9. Guinea Pig (didn’t see)

There were also a few other empty exhibits outside the tent, but I am not sure if the animals in there were hiding or if the exhibits were just vacant.

 

[SusScrofa]

Thanks for this info. I researched Kimball Farms and apparently all the animals are seasonal loans from Animal Adventures (yes, that notorious one from Bolton). So if that info is correct I personally wouldn't count it as a zoological facility just for that reason.

 

[ZooElephantMan]

Thanks for this info. I researched Kimball Farms and apparently all the animals are seasonal loans from Animal Adventures (yes, that notorious one from Bolton). So if that info is correct I personally wouldn't count it as a zoological facility just for that reason.

Well that explains the naming

Yesterday's 10-minute misadventure is as close as I will ever get to visiting the Bolton location (unless anything substantive ever changes about that notorious place). It looks Kimball's also has loaned even more interesting taxa from Animal Adventures in the past; I just found a photo of a Carpathian Lynx on their Facebook page from 2016.