Oleson Park Petting Zoo - Fort Dodge, IA
72As homeschoolers, we try to get the kids out to experience new things on a regular basis. We were out and about in North Central Iowa and ran into the Oleson Park Petting Zoo at Oleson Park in Fort Dodge, IA.
This park has free admission on weekend and Thursday afternoons [edit: during the winter months, most of the animals are removed and the petting zoo is closed. You can still come visit the larger animals and feed them through the fence.]. They do accept freewill donations. They also - frustratingly - have small animals for sale. The bunnies we saw on our visit were in good health, priced at $5 a piece, but came with no instructions whatsoever. This is definitely an establishment geared toward HUMAN benefit.
Inside the petting zoo, there are llamas, muntjac (miniature) deer, miniature horses, sheep, pygmy goats, rabbits, and - if you can believe it - imus. No way would I let my kids toward those crazy-beaked creatures. Geese can hurt with their flat bills, can you imagine a peck from one of those behomeths?
The upside is that most of the animals are very friendly. The llama doesn't seem to realize it's not one of the people though. It goes around and looks in on other exhibits, and doesn't really enjoy being the center of attention. He took a pet or two before running away ... kicking.
In addition to the pets meant for petting, there are several animals on display. Bobcats, turkeys, porcupines, foxes, exotic chickens, geese and swans and a large enclosure for deer. Years ago, the deer in Oleson park were from a rehabilitation program for animals hit by cars. Today, it's anyone's guess.
Though the petting zoo can be a chance for kids to learn what animals look like, there is very little information posted on the care of these animals or our affect on their environment. However, it opens the door for more of that kind of thing around your own home.
CommentsLoading...
This editorial on the petting zoo seems geared towards the negative. I'm sorry you couldn't find more positive words for this lowly petting zoo.
I recently (September 2011) visited Oleson Park Zoo and found it ok for many of the animals (barnyard animals) but GROSSLY INADEQUATE situation for the Bobcat. You cannot leave an intelligent, sentient predatory animal that normaly maintains a range of potentially hundreds of miles to sit in a cage that is approximately 5X9 feet!!!! Especially when they are continuously surrounded by disturbances (close proximity to humans) and stress factors (close but unattainable proximity to prey species at all times, without any apparent outlet for natural predatory instincts). There was zero environmental enrichment there for the Bobcat. Cats are so intelligent and curious and NEED to exercise, explore, etc. as well as truly NEED spaces to get away from disturbance. This was undoubtedly the worst case scenario I have ever witnessed for an captive animal. The Bobcat was displaying the typical stereotypical behaviors such as pacing all the time. These types of situations can drive the animal insane and is tantamount to torture. The only way I could ever justify what I witnessed there was that if it was a rescue situation and the Bobcat was only going to be in that cage very temporarily. With what I wintessed there, I do not think this article was "too negative". The concerns expressed are legitimate. In fact, if anything, the article does not really stress such legitimate concerns enough. If it is a wild Bobcat, it should (and could) be set free - there are many areas in the US where that could be a real possibility (many wildlife preserves or national forest areas) and since it is a native species, there is no "exotic wildlife" issue. If it was a rescue situation (someone's "pet") then it will likely have to remain captive. If this is the case, PLEASE TELL ME THAT OLESON PARK WILL MAKE ANY AND ALL EFFORTS POSSIBLE TO IMPROVE THE AREA FOR THE BOBCAT. Yes it is important for humans to be educated about animals and yes, zoos can be a big part of that ... but ... not if they are failing to provide adequate space and basic environmental enrichment for highly intelligent species. I was so shocked and saddened by what I saw with regard to the Bobcat. PLEASE try and improve the care for this amazing animal.
I'm sorry if any were offended, but it was negative for a reason. This organization needs to do a better job of caring for the animals they put on display. I don't want my children - or any children - to think that we have a right to torture and abuse animals for our own amusement, and that is what the treatment of some of the animals was in reality.
They used to keep bear cubs. For a few months, children would have a cute tiny bear to see. Of course, the teeth were removed, and the claws, and after it was 3 months or so they sold them at an auction for exotic animals because at that point they were too big to be safe. That is deplorable, and I'm very happy to say that it's stopped. For now, anyway.
Alice, I agree with you wholeheartedly, and hopefully people will continue to speak up about the treatment of the animals there. That's the only way things change for the better.
mckayla 2 years ago
do u have any lop eared bunnies