Zootastic Park - Troutman NC

SwampDonkey

SwampDonkey

In the Swamp
Premium Member
5+ year member
Have any zoochatters been to this roadside safari/zoo? From reviews online it rates from "this place is amazing" to "this place is trash"...with not a lot in between. Some very concerning issues in a USDA inspection from 2018.

Zootastic Park
448 Pilch Rd, Troutman, NC 28166
ZOOTASTIC PARK
 
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It's on my list of places I'm trying to get to, mostly because they now have cheetahs. They've a high rate of species turn over the last couple of years. They did pass a bunch of inspections last year, at least.
 
TinoPup said:
It's on my list of places I'm trying to get to, mostly because they now have cheetahs. They've a high rate of species turn over the last couple of years. They did pass a bunch of inspections last year, at least.
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So perhaps they are improving, the vios were from 2018, so there was time to make changes. It is in my "range" when I go to NC, so I may be able to stop later this year sometime.
 
Quite the species list from this year (August). I am really surprised to see (4) giraffe, a guar, sloth bear and Syrian brown bear on the list.

000004 Varecia variegata BLACK-AND-WHITE RUFFED LEMUR
000002 Ateles chamek BLACK SPIDER MONKEY
000004 Hylobates lar LAR GIBBON
000044 Bos taurus CATTLE / COW / OX / WATUSI
000044 Capra hircus DOMESTIC GOAT
000005 Sus scrofa domestica DOMESTIC PIG / POTBELLY PIG / MICRO PIG
000004 Ovis aries aries SHEEP INCLUDING ALL DOMESTIC BREEDS
000004 Vulpes zerda FENNEC FOX
000002 Canis lupus GRAY WOLF / GREY WOLF / TIMBER WOLF
000002 Panthera pardus LEOPARD
000005 Panthera leo LION
000003 Puma concolor PUMA / MOUNTAIN LION / COUGAR
000003 Leptailurus serval SERVAL
000003 Lynx lynx NORTHERN/EURASIAN LYNX
000004 Panthera tigris TIGER
000003 Dolichotis patagonum PATAGONIAN CAVY / MARA
000004 Cynomys ludovicianus BLACK-TAILED PRAIRIE DOG
000032 Antilope cervicapra BLACKBUCK
000004 Kobus ellipsiprymnus COMMON WATERBUCK
000009 Oryx dammah SCIMITAR-HORNED ORYX
000002 Oryx gazella GEMSBOK
000007 Taurotragus oryx COMMON ELAND
000001 Camelus bactrianus BACTRIAN CAMEL
000002 Camelus dromedarius DROMEDARY CAMEL
000011 Axis axis AXIS DEER / SPOTTED DEER / CHITAL
000110 Dama dama FALLOW DEER
000009 Elaphurus davidianus PERE DAVID'S DEER
000002 Odocoileus virginianus WHITE-TAILED DEER
000016 Equus quagga BURCHELL’S / GRANT’S / CHAPMAN’S / PLAINS ZEBRA
000024 Ammotragus lervia BARBARY SHEEP
000003 Bos grunniens YAK
000013 Boselaphus tragocamelus NILGAI
000008 Bubalus bubalis ASIATIC WATER BUFFALO
000027 Bison bison AMERICAN BISON
000038 Lama glama LLAMA
000015 Lama pacos ALPACA
000002 Arctictis binturong BINTURONG
000004 Giraffa camelopardalis GIRAFFE
000003 Crocuta crocuta SPOTTED HYENA
000011 Osphranter rufus RED KANGAROO
000006 Choloepus hoffmanni HOFFMANN'S TWO-TOED SLOTH
000016 Bos primigenuis indicus ZEBU
000009 Varecia rubra RED RUFFED LEMUR
000007 Cervus canadensis ELK / WAPITI
000001 Ursus arctos syriacus SYRIAN BROWN BEAR
000021 Lemur catta RING-TAILED LEMUR
000003 Panthera leo X P. tigris LION X TIGER HYBRID / LIGER / TIGON
000002 Caracal caracal CARACAL
000001 Symphalangus syndactylus SIAMANG
000004 Hystrix cristata AFRICAN CRESTED PORCUPINE
000002 Tolypeutes tricinctus BRAZILIAN THREE-BANDED ARMADILLO
000034 Cervus nippon SIKA DEER
000003 Myrmecophaga tridactyla GIANT ANTEATER
000004 Sapajus appella BROWN CAPUCHIN / TUFTED CAPUCHIN
000002 Cercopithecus neglectus DE BRAZZA'S MONKEY
000002 Aonyx cinereus ORIENTAL SMALL-CLAWED OTTER
000003 Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris CAPYBARA
000002 Tapirus terrestris SOUTH AMERICAN TAPIR
000005 Connochaetes taurinus BRINDLED WILDEBEEST
000018 Saimiri sciureus COMMON SQUIRREL MONKEY
000001 Melursus ursinus SLOTH BEAR
000004 Nasuella olivacea MOUNTAIN COATI
000001 Aepyceros melampus IMPALA
000002 Potos flavus KINKAJOU
000001 Alouatta caraya BLACK HOWLER
000001 Procyon lotor RACCOON
000001 Tamandua tetradactyla SOUTHERN TAMANDUA
000001 Potamochoerus porcus RED RIVER HOG
000001 Bos frontalis GAYAL/GAUR
000004 Bos javanicus BANTENG
000001 Kobus leche RED LECHWE / SOUTHERN LECHWE
000002 Tragelaphus imberbis LESSER KUDU
000001 Genetta genetta SMALL SPOTTED GENET
000001 Nanger dama ADDRA GAZELLE
 
SwampDonkey said:
Quite the species list from this year (August). I am really surprised to see (4) giraffe, a guar, sloth bear and Syrian brown bear on the list.

000004 Varecia variegata BLACK-AND-WHITE RUFFED LEMUR
000002 Ateles chamek BLACK SPIDER MONKEY
000004 Hylobates lar LAR GIBBON
000044 Bos taurus CATTLE / COW / OX / WATUSI
000044 Capra hircus DOMESTIC GOAT
000005 Sus scrofa domestica DOMESTIC PIG / POTBELLY PIG / MICRO PIG
000004 Ovis aries aries SHEEP INCLUDING ALL DOMESTIC BREEDS
000004 Vulpes zerda FENNEC FOX
000002 Canis lupus GRAY WOLF / GREY WOLF / TIMBER WOLF
000002 Panthera pardus LEOPARD
000005 Panthera leo LION
000003 Puma concolor PUMA / MOUNTAIN LION / COUGAR
000003 Leptailurus serval SERVAL
000003 Lynx lynx NORTHERN/EURASIAN LYNX
000004 Panthera tigris TIGER
000003 Dolichotis patagonum PATAGONIAN CAVY / MARA
000004 Cynomys ludovicianus BLACK-TAILED PRAIRIE DOG
000032 Antilope cervicapra BLACKBUCK
000004 Kobus ellipsiprymnus COMMON WATERBUCK
000009 Oryx dammah SCIMITAR-HORNED ORYX
000002 Oryx gazella GEMSBOK
000007 Taurotragus oryx COMMON ELAND
000001 Camelus bactrianus BACTRIAN CAMEL
000002 Camelus dromedarius DROMEDARY CAMEL
000011 Axis axis AXIS DEER / SPOTTED DEER / CHITAL
000110 Dama dama FALLOW DEER
000009 Elaphurus davidianus PERE DAVID'S DEER
000002 Odocoileus virginianus WHITE-TAILED DEER
000016 Equus quagga BURCHELL’S / GRANT’S / CHAPMAN’S / PLAINS ZEBRA
000024 Ammotragus lervia BARBARY SHEEP
000003 Bos grunniens YAK
000013 Boselaphus tragocamelus NILGAI
000008 Bubalus bubalis ASIATIC WATER BUFFALO
000027 Bison bison AMERICAN BISON
000038 Lama glama LLAMA
000015 Lama pacos ALPACA
000002 Arctictis binturong BINTURONG
000004 Giraffa camelopardalis GIRAFFE
000003 Crocuta crocuta SPOTTED HYENA
000011 Osphranter rufus RED KANGAROO
000006 Choloepus hoffmanni HOFFMANN'S TWO-TOED SLOTH
000016 Bos primigenuis indicus ZEBU
000009 Varecia rubra RED RUFFED LEMUR
000007 Cervus canadensis ELK / WAPITI
000001 Ursus arctos syriacus SYRIAN BROWN BEAR
000021 Lemur catta RING-TAILED LEMUR
000003 Panthera leo X P. tigris LION X TIGER HYBRID / LIGER / TIGON
000002 Caracal caracal CARACAL
000001 Symphalangus syndactylus SIAMANG
000004 Hystrix cristata AFRICAN CRESTED PORCUPINE
000002 Tolypeutes tricinctus BRAZILIAN THREE-BANDED ARMADILLO
000034 Cervus nippon SIKA DEER
000003 Myrmecophaga tridactyla GIANT ANTEATER
000004 Sapajus appella BROWN CAPUCHIN / TUFTED CAPUCHIN
000002 Cercopithecus neglectus DE BRAZZA'S MONKEY
000002 Aonyx cinereus ORIENTAL SMALL-CLAWED OTTER
000003 Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris CAPYBARA
000002 Tapirus terrestris SOUTH AMERICAN TAPIR
000005 Connochaetes taurinus BRINDLED WILDEBEEST
000018 Saimiri sciureus COMMON SQUIRREL MONKEY
000001 Melursus ursinus SLOTH BEAR
000004 Nasuella olivacea MOUNTAIN COATI
000001 Aepyceros melampus IMPALA
000002 Potos flavus KINKAJOU
000001 Alouatta caraya BLACK HOWLER
000001 Procyon lotor RACCOON
000001 Tamandua tetradactyla SOUTHERN TAMANDUA
000001 Potamochoerus porcus RED RIVER HOG
000001 Bos frontalis GAYAL/GAUR
000004 Bos javanicus BANTENG
000001 Kobus leche RED LECHWE / SOUTHERN LECHWE
000002 Tragelaphus imberbis LESSER KUDU
000001 Genetta genetta SMALL SPOTTED GENET
000001 Nanger dama ADDRA GAZELLE
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The gaur doesn't appear pure. I saw the sloth bear on my visit, and several giraffe; for giraffes it's just what you can afford, really. Syrian brown bears are around in in a few places similar to this one.

I did visit earlier this year, and have a full album of photos (350+) of every exhibit, etc. I don't want to overload the "other" media gallery and new galleries aren't coming any time soon, so anyone is welcome to PM me if they want to see photos, or ask here if it's just one or two.
 
TinoPup said:
The gaur doesn't appear pure. I saw the sloth bear on my visit, and several giraffe; for giraffes it's just what you can afford, really. Syrian brown bears are around in in a few places similar to this one.

I did visit earlier this year, and have a full album of photos (350+) of every exhibit, etc. I don't want to overload the "other" media gallery and new galleries aren't coming any time soon, so anyone is welcome to PM me if they want to see photos, or ask here if it's just one or two.
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Thanks for that information! I actually would very much like to see photos of this place, thanks for the offer. I will PM you.
 
Zootastic park is for sale, animals, land and all for $16M.
https://www.qcnews.com/news/u-s/nor...gers-bison-oh-my-zoo-in-troutman-up-for-sale/

Of interest is that the same person owns Aloha Safari Park, also in NC. It is also for sale, price not stated.

The reason given for the sale of both properties is that he is 63 and getting to old to continue owning both parks actively. Part of the deal can include the owner staying on for up to 2 years to assist in the transition.
 
SwampDonkey said:
Zootastic park is for sale, animals, land and all for $16M.
https://www.qcnews.com/news/u-s/nor...gers-bison-oh-my-zoo-in-troutman-up-for-sale/

Of interest is that the same person owns Aloha Safari Park, also in NC. It is also for sale, price not stated.

The reason given for the sale of both properties is that he is 63 and getting to old to continue owning both parks actively. Part of the deal can include the owner staying on for up to 2 years to assist in the transition.
Click to expand...

I remember when I was at a small Wisconsin facility called Animal Haven Zoo in 2018, and the elderly owners were looking to sell for around two million dollars. It was a junky roadside zoo that attracted approximately 25,000 annual visitors, so I'm a bit surprised that the asking price for Zootastic is so high. That's a LOT of money for an obscure place and I'd be intrigued to know how many visitors they get each year.
 
I never visited this place myself but knowing that it was where Waccatee offloaded most of their animals to just before they got shut down pretty much told me all I needed to know. I hope whatever comes from this potential sale ends up with the animals benefitting from it above all else.

Kicking myself for not buying a lottery ticket the other day now...
 
snowleopard said:
I remember when I was at a small Wisconsin facility called Animal Haven Zoo in 2018, and the elderly owners were looking to sell for around two million dollars. It was a junky roadside zoo that attracted approximately 25,000 annual visitors, so I'm a bit surprised that the asking price for Zootastic is so high. That's a LOT of money for an obscure place and I'd be intrigued to know how many visitors they get each year.
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It is expensive, but considering it is 186 acres in a fairly desirable area with a turn key business I can see how they get to that price. But then, I am not really familiar with real estate in that area other than a very high level.

I found another article that says the 66 acre Aloha Safari Park is going for $4.5M, so much more accessible! But that is a much smaller city than metro Charlotte.
 
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looking at images from tripadvisor and yelp this seems to be an animal petting ring. I saw a person with a sloth bear cub and it was posted in 2021
zootastic-park.jpg
 
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