Oleson Park Zoo (Closed) Exotics to be removed from zoo

Unfortunately I could only read a couple of sentences before it told me I'd have to sign up to finish it. Uh...no.
 
see this short article: Exotic animals leaving zoo in Fort Dodge park | Local News - KCCI Home
Under a plan approved Wednesday by the city's Parks, Recreation and Forestry Commission, the Oleson Park Zoo in Fort Dodge would again become a petting zoo of barnyard animals, deer and geese.

The commission also decided against renewing its agreement with the Friends of the Oleson Park Zoo, a volunteer group that manages the animal attraction.

The plan calls for the removal of pens containing small exotic animals and birds once new homes are found for them.

Commission chairman Steve Daniel says maintaining the zoo as is wouldn't be feasible. Susan Collins, a volunteer group member, says the move is "disheartening."

The City Council will review the proposal April 27.
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and a Facebook page about animal treatment there: https://www.facebook.com/OlesonParkZooConcerns
 
The volunteer group that has been running the zoo for the past 15 years (Friends of the Oleson Park Zoo) has dissolved and at the moment there is only a handful of deer in the park. In light of recent developments it seems natural to conclude that the establishment is no longer an actual "zoo" as there are no longer any other exotics at the location and a tiny herd of deer does not seem adequate enough for full "zoo" status. The state of Iowa is left with a couple of zoological attractions. Blank Park Zoo (small but worth visiting) and the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium (an underrated gem). Since Iowa has 3 million inhabitants, the lack of zoos is a bit disappointing.
 
Dassie rat said:
Aren't the barnyard animals technically exotic to the USA?
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You can count them if you like but then things just get ridiculous. I have a master list of approximately 710 zoos in the United States and all of those establishments are open to the public and feature exotic animals. In America there are over 2 million farms and thousands of petting zoos with horses, cows, chickens, pigs, rabbits, geese, ducks, etc. Where I live in the lower mainland of British Columbia, Canada, I could probably name 20 local farms that allow the public an opportunity to see, feed and pet animals. However, those places are most definitely FARMS and not ZOOS by any stretch of the imagination. Barnyard critters don't count. :) There would be millions of zoos worldwide if you counted goats and sheep and every other domestic animal known to humankind.
 
Dassie rat said:
Aren't the barnyard animals technically exotic to the USA?
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Many 'barnyard' animals ARE exotic to the US. Cats, pigs, chickens, cattle, sheep, goats, rabbits to name a few. Horses evolved in North America, not sure about donkeys. Camels evolved here as well but get considered as exotic. So horses aren't truely exotic. Neither are camels,
 
It would be great if Oleson Park Zoo had prehistoric North American horses and camels. It would make a change to zoos having animatronic dinosaurs.
 
snowleopard said:
The volunteer group that has been running the zoo for the past 15 years (Friends of the Oleson Park Zoo) has dissolved and at the moment there is only a handful of deer in the park. In light of recent developments it seems natural to conclude that the establishment is no longer an actual "zoo" as there are no longer any other exotics at the location and a tiny herd of deer does not seem adequate enough for full "zoo" status. The state of Iowa is left with a couple of zoological attractions. Blank Park Zoo (small but worth visiting) and the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium (an underrated gem). Since Iowa has 3 million inhabitants, the lack of zoos is a bit disappointing.
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The recently opened Mississippi River Eco Tourism Center might also fit your criteria.
 
snowleopard said:
Since Iowa has 3 million inhabitants, the lack of zoos is a bit disappointing.
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I think something that has to be considered though with Iowa is the neighboring states. Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines is essentially in the middle of the state. Although yes it is the only zoo I'm the state, roughly 1/5 of the state's population lives in the metro area.

Then on the western border you have two zoos right across the border. The Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska and the Bramble Park Zoo in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The only cities on that side of the state with a population over 50,000 people are Sioux City and Council Bluffs. Council Bluffs is right across the river from Omaha, while Sioux City is about an hour and a half from either. I would say Sioux City may be a good fit, but I don't think many zoogoers that live outside of a half hour of it would choose it over Omaha of they are between the two.

On the other side of the state you then have the aformentioned National Mississippi River Aquarium in Dubuque, IA. In addition to this, you also have a zoo right across the border in East Moline, Illinois, the Niabi Zoo. Although not a spectacular zoo, it serves a purpose. East Moline is part of the Quad Cities with Davenport, Iowa's third largest city.

In my mind, the only place to put a zoo in the state is in Cedar Rapids, Iowa's second largest city. The city is an hour and a half from Niabi and a hour and twenty minutes from the Nat. Mississippi River Musuem, but it sits in the middle of Iowa City and Waterloo, which are also in the state's top ten largest. There I think is a largest population to support one. Iowa City is about an hour from Niabi and Waterloo has nothing for 2 hours. It would be the best place in my mind.
 
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