Rhino0118
Well-Known Member
Boulder Ridge is an 80-acre private zoo located in Alto, Michigan. The park's collection is largely made up of ungulates (I counted 30 species on this visit!), and birds, but there is also a nice little primate collection, a small reptile building, and a handful of other mammals. The park is split into two portions, the Walkthrough Safari, and what I have uncreatively decided to call the "Main Zoo". I have further divided the main zoo into sections for my list.
Species I did not see are in italics.
Main Zoo, Entrance Area:
African Crested Porcupine
Scarlet Macaw, Blue-and-gold Macaw
Victoria Crowned Pigeon, Great Argus
Grey Crowned Crane
Bald Eagle
Indian Peafowl
Waterfowl: Masked Lapwing, Ring-necked Duck, Cinnamon Teal, Baikal Teal, Canvasback, Mandarin Duck, Redhead, Smew, Ringed Teal, Red-breasted Goose.
American Alligator
Fennec Fox
Aldabra Giant Tortoise
Budgerigar
Reptile Building:
White-sided Brooks Kingsnake
Columbian Boa Constrictor
Argentine Black-and-white Tegu
Flat-headed Knob Scaled Lizard
Emerald Swift
Emeral Tree Skink
Leopard Gecko
Viper Gecko
Madagascar Hissing Cockroach
South American Giant Cave Cockroach
Blue Death Feigning Beetle
Poison Dart Frogs (unspecified species)
Crested Gecko
Savannah Monitor
Red Tegu
Bearded Dragon
Columbian Boa Constrictor
Blue-tongued Skink
Carpet Python
Mangrove Monitor
Red-eared Slider, American Alligator hatchlings
Alligator Snapping Turtle
Several unsigned Turtles
Star Tortoise (unsigned)
Eclectus Parrot
African Gray Parrot
Red-legged Seriema
Eastern Rosella
Caracal
Primates and surrounding Habitats:
Demoiselle Crane, Blue-throated Magpie
Red-rumped Agouti, White-cheeked Turaco
Ring-tailed Lemur
Javan Langur
Lesser Spot-nosed Guenon
White-handed Gibbon
Australian Crested Dove
Bennett’s Wallaby
Red Ruffed Lemur
Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur
Great Curassow
Elliot’s Pheasant
Helmeted Turaco
Sacred Ibis
Laughing Kookaburra
Mandrill
Red-faced Spider Monkey
Petting Zoo:
Tibetan Yak
Nilgai
African Pygmy Goat
Alpaca
Giraffe and surrounding Habitats:
Southern Ground Hornbill
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
White Indian Peafowl
Red Kangaroo
Laughing Kookaburra
Giraffe
Dromedary Camel
Hyacinth Macaw
Red Crested Turaco
Common Squirrel Monkey
Eurasian Eagle Owl
Sulcata Tortoise
Black-necked Swan
Back portions towards the Rhinos:
Patagonian Cavy
Asian Small-clawed Otter
African Grey Hornbill
Keel-billed Toucan
Channel-billed Toucan
Toco Toucan
Southern White Rhinoceros
African Penguin
Walkthrough Safari Front Portion
Grey Crowned Crane (still signed for Sarus Crane, which I saw in this habitat in August 2023)
Common Ostrich
Southern Cassowary
Lowland Nyala
Scimitar-horned Oryx
Grey Crowned Crane (still signed for Greater Rhea, which I saw in this habitat in August 2023)
Nilgai
Common Waterbuck
Common Eland
Watusi Cattle
Nile Lechwe
Roan Antelope
Addax
Himalayan Tahr
White-bearded Wildebeest
Blackbuck
Nubian Ibex
Markhor
Eastern Bongo
Red River Hog
Chilean Flamingo
Vulturine Guineafowl (unsigned)
Abdim’s Stork, Kenyan Crested Guineafowl
Walkthrough Safari Back Portion
Grant’s Zebra
American Bison
Bar-headed Goose, Australian Black Swan, Capybara
Black-necked Swan
Sitatunga
Blue-eared Pheasant
North American Porcupine
Emu
Crested Screamer
Black Wildebeest
Siberian Lynx
Bobcat
Southern Cassowary
White Stork (unsigned)
White Greater Rhea
Common Waterbuck (Same habitat from the other side)
Nilgai (Same habitat from the other side)
Impala
South American Tapir
Pygmy Hippopotamus
Linne’s Two-toed Sloth
Marabou Stork
Black Crowned Crane
Addra Gazelle
Review:
The Walkthrough Safari portion is by far the better half of the park, and also the less crowded one. I frequently find myself completely alone while wandering the Safari paths. There is no element of immersion, since there are tall fences everywhere, but the habitats themselves are quite nice. Most of them are spacious and take advantage of the existing landscape. The new Ibex and Markhor habitats for example are built on a natural hillside, rather than trying to construct a fake mountain. My few gripes with the Safari area are the North American Porcupine exhibit being small, with not much climbing opportunities, despite being built just last year, and the Flamingos could use a larger pool. Same goes for the Pygmy Hippo, another newer exhibit that is a bit small, and could use a larger pool.
The "Main Zoo" is much less appealing. A lot of it, like the Primate exhibits, and many of the bird habitats fall into the basic and okay quality for me. On the good end, Kangaroo yard is fairly large, and the Rhino yard is pretty good as well, although it's a shame they didn't receive a larger space in the Safari area. While most are okay, a few of the bird exhibits are far too small, and my personal least favorite exhibit is the Small-clawed Otters. Too small, and far too little water. I am also not personally a fan of the park's practice of moving some of their baby hoofstock to the petting zoo, although on this visit the only exotic hoofstock I saw in there were three Nilgai calves.
Overall, I would recommend Boulder Ridge to anyone interested in seeing an excellent ungulate collection, in most excellent exhibits, including many species that I at least have not seen at many or any other facilities. You're also guaranteed to see A LOT of youngsters.
Please feel free to share your own comments or questions!
Species I did not see are in italics.
Main Zoo, Entrance Area:
African Crested Porcupine
Scarlet Macaw, Blue-and-gold Macaw
Victoria Crowned Pigeon, Great Argus
Grey Crowned Crane
Bald Eagle
Indian Peafowl
Waterfowl: Masked Lapwing, Ring-necked Duck, Cinnamon Teal, Baikal Teal, Canvasback, Mandarin Duck, Redhead, Smew, Ringed Teal, Red-breasted Goose.
American Alligator
Fennec Fox
Aldabra Giant Tortoise
Budgerigar
Reptile Building:
White-sided Brooks Kingsnake
Columbian Boa Constrictor
Argentine Black-and-white Tegu
Flat-headed Knob Scaled Lizard
Emerald Swift
Emeral Tree Skink
Leopard Gecko
Viper Gecko
Madagascar Hissing Cockroach
South American Giant Cave Cockroach
Blue Death Feigning Beetle
Poison Dart Frogs (unspecified species)
Crested Gecko
Savannah Monitor
Red Tegu
Bearded Dragon
Columbian Boa Constrictor
Blue-tongued Skink
Carpet Python
Mangrove Monitor
Red-eared Slider, American Alligator hatchlings
Alligator Snapping Turtle
Several unsigned Turtles
Star Tortoise (unsigned)
Eclectus Parrot
African Gray Parrot
Red-legged Seriema
Eastern Rosella
Caracal
Primates and surrounding Habitats:
Demoiselle Crane, Blue-throated Magpie
Red-rumped Agouti, White-cheeked Turaco
Ring-tailed Lemur
Javan Langur
Lesser Spot-nosed Guenon
White-handed Gibbon
Australian Crested Dove
Bennett’s Wallaby
Red Ruffed Lemur
Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur
Great Curassow
Elliot’s Pheasant
Helmeted Turaco
Sacred Ibis
Laughing Kookaburra
Mandrill
Red-faced Spider Monkey
Petting Zoo:
Tibetan Yak
Nilgai
African Pygmy Goat
Alpaca
Giraffe and surrounding Habitats:
Southern Ground Hornbill
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
White Indian Peafowl
Red Kangaroo
Laughing Kookaburra
Giraffe
Dromedary Camel
Hyacinth Macaw
Red Crested Turaco
Common Squirrel Monkey
Eurasian Eagle Owl
Sulcata Tortoise
Black-necked Swan
Back portions towards the Rhinos:
Patagonian Cavy
Asian Small-clawed Otter
African Grey Hornbill
Keel-billed Toucan
Channel-billed Toucan
Toco Toucan
Southern White Rhinoceros
African Penguin
Walkthrough Safari Front Portion
Grey Crowned Crane (still signed for Sarus Crane, which I saw in this habitat in August 2023)
Common Ostrich
Southern Cassowary
Lowland Nyala
Scimitar-horned Oryx
Grey Crowned Crane (still signed for Greater Rhea, which I saw in this habitat in August 2023)
Nilgai
Common Waterbuck
Common Eland
Watusi Cattle
Nile Lechwe
Roan Antelope
Addax
Himalayan Tahr
White-bearded Wildebeest
Blackbuck
Nubian Ibex
Markhor
Eastern Bongo
Red River Hog
Chilean Flamingo
Vulturine Guineafowl (unsigned)
Abdim’s Stork, Kenyan Crested Guineafowl
Walkthrough Safari Back Portion
Grant’s Zebra
American Bison
Bar-headed Goose, Australian Black Swan, Capybara
Black-necked Swan
Sitatunga
Blue-eared Pheasant
North American Porcupine
Emu
Crested Screamer
Black Wildebeest
Siberian Lynx
Bobcat
Southern Cassowary
White Stork (unsigned)
White Greater Rhea
Common Waterbuck (Same habitat from the other side)
Nilgai (Same habitat from the other side)
Impala
South American Tapir
Pygmy Hippopotamus
Linne’s Two-toed Sloth
Marabou Stork
Black Crowned Crane
Addra Gazelle
Review:
The Walkthrough Safari portion is by far the better half of the park, and also the less crowded one. I frequently find myself completely alone while wandering the Safari paths. There is no element of immersion, since there are tall fences everywhere, but the habitats themselves are quite nice. Most of them are spacious and take advantage of the existing landscape. The new Ibex and Markhor habitats for example are built on a natural hillside, rather than trying to construct a fake mountain. My few gripes with the Safari area are the North American Porcupine exhibit being small, with not much climbing opportunities, despite being built just last year, and the Flamingos could use a larger pool. Same goes for the Pygmy Hippo, another newer exhibit that is a bit small, and could use a larger pool.
The "Main Zoo" is much less appealing. A lot of it, like the Primate exhibits, and many of the bird habitats fall into the basic and okay quality for me. On the good end, Kangaroo yard is fairly large, and the Rhino yard is pretty good as well, although it's a shame they didn't receive a larger space in the Safari area. While most are okay, a few of the bird exhibits are far too small, and my personal least favorite exhibit is the Small-clawed Otters. Too small, and far too little water. I am also not personally a fan of the park's practice of moving some of their baby hoofstock to the petting zoo, although on this visit the only exotic hoofstock I saw in there were three Nilgai calves.
Overall, I would recommend Boulder Ridge to anyone interested in seeing an excellent ungulate collection, in most excellent exhibits, including many species that I at least have not seen at many or any other facilities. You're also guaranteed to see A LOT of youngsters.
Please feel free to share your own comments or questions!
