This thread is to give a little detail on The Wild Animal Park found in Chittenango NY which is about 20 minutes from Syracuse and the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. I live very close and have had a season pass for the past three seasons and have been able to watch the facility grow into a fine establishment. From the outside it doesn't look like much and it's not the largest zoo ever but they do pack a lot in while keeping the exhibits nice and appropriate for the animals they are housing.
The zoo is primarily a large loop with a stretch in front with farm yard animals that can be pet and fed. You enter through a large entry building that holds some small animal exhibits and a gift shop/restrooms. They have housed Squirrel Monkeys, Tegu, Carpet Pythons and a fennec fox at one point.
The entry way outside has several farm yards with goats and sheep along with cows, Asian water buffalo and a yard of Emus. From there the loop starts with most going clock wise around to the parks unofficial African Section.
The park is currently updating its original bobcat exhibit and also has an American Badger nearby. In 2016 the zoo opened a new Ring Tailed Lemur exhibit and is quite large and nice. Next to them is a Warthog exhibit and a smaller Crowned Crane exhibit. The real stars of the zoo are the zoo's two Giraffes Jase and Jasmine. Visitors can feed them carrots from an elevated deck and viewing area. After that they can view Giant Eland and Ostriches, and an exhibit for an African Leopard.
Along the trail on the forested side are N.A. Black Bears, Gray Wolves, Watusi Cattle, Fallow Deer, a Eurasian Eagle Owl, Silver Fox and African Crested Porcupines in some of the zoos original exhibits.
One of the newest exhibits is one of the best and that is Brown Bear Falls, a large forested yard with climbing branches for a pair of young Brown Bears. A large pond sits on the far end of the zoo along with a small snack bar and an inflatable bounce house area. Along this path is the Red Kangaroos and across from them the Bengal Tiger and African Lions exhibits. Further down are yards for Dromedary Camels, Grevys Zebras, and exhibits for Coatimundi, some Macaws and Tortoises. New for 2016 was an addition that was billed as a new Primate House and was home to the zoo's Olive Baboons and their Clouded Leopards.
The zoo says big changes are being made for the upcoming 2017 season so once I visit in the spring I will be able to report more on that and I hope to get some photos posted. If anyone is ever in the are I recommend a visit, it is no San Diego or Bronx Zoo but its much better than some of the publicly funded zoos out there.
The zoo is primarily a large loop with a stretch in front with farm yard animals that can be pet and fed. You enter through a large entry building that holds some small animal exhibits and a gift shop/restrooms. They have housed Squirrel Monkeys, Tegu, Carpet Pythons and a fennec fox at one point.
The entry way outside has several farm yards with goats and sheep along with cows, Asian water buffalo and a yard of Emus. From there the loop starts with most going clock wise around to the parks unofficial African Section.
The park is currently updating its original bobcat exhibit and also has an American Badger nearby. In 2016 the zoo opened a new Ring Tailed Lemur exhibit and is quite large and nice. Next to them is a Warthog exhibit and a smaller Crowned Crane exhibit. The real stars of the zoo are the zoo's two Giraffes Jase and Jasmine. Visitors can feed them carrots from an elevated deck and viewing area. After that they can view Giant Eland and Ostriches, and an exhibit for an African Leopard.
Along the trail on the forested side are N.A. Black Bears, Gray Wolves, Watusi Cattle, Fallow Deer, a Eurasian Eagle Owl, Silver Fox and African Crested Porcupines in some of the zoos original exhibits.
One of the newest exhibits is one of the best and that is Brown Bear Falls, a large forested yard with climbing branches for a pair of young Brown Bears. A large pond sits on the far end of the zoo along with a small snack bar and an inflatable bounce house area. Along this path is the Red Kangaroos and across from them the Bengal Tiger and African Lions exhibits. Further down are yards for Dromedary Camels, Grevys Zebras, and exhibits for Coatimundi, some Macaws and Tortoises. New for 2016 was an addition that was billed as a new Primate House and was home to the zoo's Olive Baboons and their Clouded Leopards.
The zoo says big changes are being made for the upcoming 2017 season so once I visit in the spring I will be able to report more on that and I hope to get some photos posted. If anyone is ever in the are I recommend a visit, it is no San Diego or Bronx Zoo but its much better than some of the publicly funded zoos out there.