In a time before television, radio and computers, jet travel and expensive documentaries about wildlife, zoos were an important source of information and wonder – the only place people could see exotic animals. Today, zoos have plenty of competition, but they’re adding new adventures for visitors as Sandy Hausman reports.
The Metro Richmond Zoo is home to more than 2,000 animals representing 190 species from around the world. It claims one of the largest primate collections in the United States.
There are camels and bison, ostrich, Meerkats, warthogs, komodo dragons and an extensive collection of exotic birds.
There are tiny penguins and giant hoof stock waiting to be fed by humans of all sizes.
"People love to come and hand feed the giraffes," says general manager Justin Andelin. "They like to see lions, tigers and bears."
Andelin is the son of the founder – Jim Andelin -- who set up shop in 1995. This privately owned, for-profit enterprise depends entirely on paying customers, and the Andelins work hard to keep folks coming back.
They have, for example, created a network of 16 ziplines that allow visitors to see animals from the air.
“You’ll go over the top of some rheas, lamas, alpaca, toucans," Justin Andelin says. "You’ll see a whole lot of fun animals from the tree tops.”
And this Friday, the zoo will begin offering night-time guided tours from on high – the guests wearing helmets with headlamps.
“It’s pitch black, so they may not be able to see a whole lot," he explains. "You will get close to see some animals, but mostly you’ll hear lots of fun noises.”
And by day, you may hear one very surprising sound – the bark of a dog who keeps company with a very large cat.
“Cheetahs, especially males, are really social animals,” says zookeeper Melissa Andelin, daughter of the founder. She had heard of cheetahs living happily with dogs at other zoos and was determined to find a friend for a cheetah kitten named Kumbali.
“Eventually we found Kago and we rescued him from a high kill shelter in Alabama,” she says.
Their meeting was recorded and posted to YouTube, where’s more than two million people have watched the start of something rare.
“Kumbali’s just a little bit confused," Melissa Andelin recalls. "The puppy is just so excited, loves everything. The cat kind of pats him on the head a couple of times – like, what is this? After about ten minutes, they were just best buds – playing and running around together. They hit it off.”
And they’re another big draw for the Metro Richmond Zoo which is now developing more land in Chesterfield County to give future visitors a chance to go on safari without leaving Virginia.