I expect you clicked on this review on the 'New Posts' page with a bit of confusion. "Harley-Davidson, the motorcycle? I thought this website was about zoos! Why would birdsandbats review a motorcycle shop?" Well, dear reader, we have entered the top notch (or maybe the low point) of American roadside attractions. This facility is both a motorcycle shop AND a zoo. And before you start scratching you head, it also has an antique shop, a bar, a BBQ restaurant, several nautical vessels, and a museum devoted to antique motor vehicles (and other random stuff). Doc's Harley-Davidson is located in Shawano, Wisconsin.
The Zoo
First things first, how was the zoo? It was about average as far as Wisconsin roadside facilities go. The whole area is adorned with very large model viking and pirate ships. The enclosures start out with an average paddock for Domestic Camel and Domestic Horse, and a very nice large paddock for a herd of American Bison. After this, a pleasant walk-through exhibit for a pair of African Spurred Tortoise, as well as an average yard for three adult American Alligators. Unfortunately, the alligators have an atrocious indoor barn with no water whatsoever. I feel so sorry for those alligators in the winter. A large chicken coop and run is provided for 2 Indian Peafowl and a male Golden Pheasant. After this, you have a while past a "viking ship stage" and some cheap inflatable palm trees (as you do in Norway). When you finally get to the next part of the facility, it just goes on as if you hadn't seen the Norse vessels. Literally no explanation or theming is given to them. Here is another view of the bison yard (you can now a large pink peace sign) and an average and very insecure looking yard for a pair of Emu. Behind the Emu is by far the most interesting animal at the zoo - a paddock for a female Dromedary x Bactrian Camel hybrid, though oddly the zoo does not acknowledge that the animal is a hybrid. Small but adequate cages are given to Domestic Rabbit and the world's friendliest African Crested Porcupine. There is also an average yard for a Domestic Pig. The last three yards here are all very large: one for Red Kangaroos, one for a Domestic Goat, and one for an Alpaca.
The Motorcycle Dealer
Luckily I had the foresight to come on Sunday, so no vehicles were being sold. A keeper told me animals were in here, but it took me forever to find them. After walking past maybe a million Harleys for sale, I finally found it! It a small corner, 3 terrariums and a bird sitting on top of a cage. A desert themed exhibit for Central Bearded Dragon and Sudan Plated Lizard, a very large indoor pond for juvenile American Alligators as well as an Alligator Snapping Turtle, and a large terrarium for Coastal Carpet Python. An African Gray Parrot named Echo was sitting on a play area on top of his cage. I have no idea if he can fly and choose to be there, or if he has his wings clipped. A door leads you to a room with more terrariums, tanks, and some mammal cages. Here there are exhibits for: Ball Python, Argentine Boa, African Pygmy Hedgehog, Domestic Rat, Common Box Turtle, Central Bearded Dragon, Green Spot Puffer, White's Tree Frog, Domestic Guinea Pig, Western Hognose, Red-eared Slider, Common Leopard Gecko, California Kingsnake, Russian Tortoise, Corn Snake, and Sugar Glider.
There are four species of free-flight birds here: Yellow-headed Amazon, two unidentified amazons, and some unidentified small brown passerine (I will upload photos of all the unidentified birds). A Domestic Rabbit also freely roams this room. To top it all off, an open-air enclosure is all the way at the end of this room, featuring Blue-and-yellow Macaw (I assume the wings are clipped) and some baby African Spurred Tortoise. There is also an atrocious bin for a baby American Alligator in here.
The other random stuff
There is also a "museum of cars and motorcycles" which features: vintage motor vehicles, animal teeth, fossils, mounted insects, random books, neon signs, statues of female figures (all with, well, you know), animal statues, and other assorted random stuff. The antique shop shells antiques (duh!) many of which are toys so horrifying I can't believe kids ever played with them. The BBQ restaurant has some mounted crustaceans on the walls, as well as bicycles with stuffed versions of cartoon characters riding them. There is also a random T. Rex statue in the parking lot, as well as other nonsensical statues throughout the entire facility.
New Stuff
This "zoo" is working on a new exhibit for it's donkeys called (I kid you not) "Jackass Flats". The donkeys will have two average paddocks, and their indoor area will be themed like a bar. I also saw a new building being built next to Jackass Flats, but I have no idea what will be done with it.
The Zoo
First things first, how was the zoo? It was about average as far as Wisconsin roadside facilities go. The whole area is adorned with very large model viking and pirate ships. The enclosures start out with an average paddock for Domestic Camel and Domestic Horse, and a very nice large paddock for a herd of American Bison. After this, a pleasant walk-through exhibit for a pair of African Spurred Tortoise, as well as an average yard for three adult American Alligators. Unfortunately, the alligators have an atrocious indoor barn with no water whatsoever. I feel so sorry for those alligators in the winter. A large chicken coop and run is provided for 2 Indian Peafowl and a male Golden Pheasant. After this, you have a while past a "viking ship stage" and some cheap inflatable palm trees (as you do in Norway). When you finally get to the next part of the facility, it just goes on as if you hadn't seen the Norse vessels. Literally no explanation or theming is given to them. Here is another view of the bison yard (you can now a large pink peace sign) and an average and very insecure looking yard for a pair of Emu. Behind the Emu is by far the most interesting animal at the zoo - a paddock for a female Dromedary x Bactrian Camel hybrid, though oddly the zoo does not acknowledge that the animal is a hybrid. Small but adequate cages are given to Domestic Rabbit and the world's friendliest African Crested Porcupine. There is also an average yard for a Domestic Pig. The last three yards here are all very large: one for Red Kangaroos, one for a Domestic Goat, and one for an Alpaca.
The Motorcycle Dealer
Luckily I had the foresight to come on Sunday, so no vehicles were being sold. A keeper told me animals were in here, but it took me forever to find them. After walking past maybe a million Harleys for sale, I finally found it! It a small corner, 3 terrariums and a bird sitting on top of a cage. A desert themed exhibit for Central Bearded Dragon and Sudan Plated Lizard, a very large indoor pond for juvenile American Alligators as well as an Alligator Snapping Turtle, and a large terrarium for Coastal Carpet Python. An African Gray Parrot named Echo was sitting on a play area on top of his cage. I have no idea if he can fly and choose to be there, or if he has his wings clipped. A door leads you to a room with more terrariums, tanks, and some mammal cages. Here there are exhibits for: Ball Python, Argentine Boa, African Pygmy Hedgehog, Domestic Rat, Common Box Turtle, Central Bearded Dragon, Green Spot Puffer, White's Tree Frog, Domestic Guinea Pig, Western Hognose, Red-eared Slider, Common Leopard Gecko, California Kingsnake, Russian Tortoise, Corn Snake, and Sugar Glider.
There are four species of free-flight birds here: Yellow-headed Amazon, two unidentified amazons, and some unidentified small brown passerine (I will upload photos of all the unidentified birds). A Domestic Rabbit also freely roams this room. To top it all off, an open-air enclosure is all the way at the end of this room, featuring Blue-and-yellow Macaw (I assume the wings are clipped) and some baby African Spurred Tortoise. There is also an atrocious bin for a baby American Alligator in here.
The other random stuff
There is also a "museum of cars and motorcycles" which features: vintage motor vehicles, animal teeth, fossils, mounted insects, random books, neon signs, statues of female figures (all with, well, you know), animal statues, and other assorted random stuff. The antique shop shells antiques (duh!) many of which are toys so horrifying I can't believe kids ever played with them. The BBQ restaurant has some mounted crustaceans on the walls, as well as bicycles with stuffed versions of cartoon characters riding them. There is also a random T. Rex statue in the parking lot, as well as other nonsensical statues throughout the entire facility.
New Stuff
This "zoo" is working on a new exhibit for it's donkeys called (I kid you not) "Jackass Flats". The donkeys will have two average paddocks, and their indoor area will be themed like a bar. I also saw a new building being built next to Jackass Flats, but I have no idea what will be done with it.
