Zoo Life

Zoo life

Text by CARRIE M. MINER
Photographs by KERRICK JAMES

EIGHT-YEAR-OLD Brian Vignetti stood frozen, his outstretched arms adorned with five lories. The nectar-feeding South Pacific parrots, sporting brilliant plumage in rainbow colors, greedily devoured the juice from the cut apples cradled in Brian’s stiff hands. A tremulous smile wavered on his lips. Not too certain of his success, he slightly shook his arms. “It’s time to get off me,” he said. “Fly away! Fly away!”

As one of several young participants at the Wildlife World Zoo’s most popular feeding exhibit, Brian got a bird’s-eye view of these tree-dwelling parrots and other animals found in the zoo’s unique displays.

Nestled amid farmland, an Air Force base and suburban development, this small paradise invites exploration. Mickey Ollson, a collector of rare and exotic birds, created the lush haven in the town of Litchfield Park (20 miles west of Phoenix) in 1974 and began building an impressive roster of resident birds, mammals and amphibians. Now more than 275,000 people a year visit the zoo to explore its naturalistic habitats and learn about its residents through interactive exhibits.

“It used to be that children grew up on farms,” said Ollson. “Now that they’re growing up in cities, zoos are the one place in our society where they can come face to face with wildlife.”

Following the success of the lory-feeding, Ollson added another feeding exhibit featuring touracos, African birds distantly related to cuckoos and roadrunners. “These are our escape artists of the zoo,” said education specialist Robyn Howard as she introduced visitors to the touracos. Although not as social or as brightly colored as the lories, the green and white touracos flashed red stripes under their wings as they flew from one tree branch to another. They perched on a rope and gobbled up grapes and chunks of apples and melons. However, these birds fill up fast, and before long they retreated to the safety of olive and acacia trees while spectators lingered in the enclosure asking questions of the specialist.

Nearby, children and adults alike tarried at the petting zoo with its goats, deer and pot-bellied pigs. A sign at the entrance warns of the dangers inherent to any petting zoo’s mainstay. “Goats eat everything,” it cautions, “including zoo maps, airline tickets, dollar bills, purses, strollers, etc.” A woman tried to protect her purse from an inquisitive kid. A man sat scratching the belly of a pig, while a frisky goat attempted to eat the shirt off his back, and a young boy called to his mother, “The black one is trying to eat my pants!”

Visitors see more than 300 different species while strolling the zoo’s paths. Endangered hoofed animals roam grassy pastures, rare birds fly freely through the lush walk-through aviaries and exotic fish swim in a large aquarium. Spider monkeys explore their islands, dipping their agile fingers into the surrounding lagoon for feathers and other floating tidbits. And black jaguars lounge just above the path in a wire walkway. Those who want to get even closer to the wildlife can travel through African habitats occupied by free-roaming ostriches, antelope and water buffalo on the Safari Train, or take a boat ride to explore the Australian Outback and its emus, wallabies and kangaroos.

Back along the zoo's gravel paths, visitors encountered another favorite feeding exhibit where a towering wooden platform makes it possible to feed the long-necked giraffes at eye-level. Children clamored to reach their hands across the railing. Loud shrieks and giggles filled the air as the giraffes' long, purple tongues curled around the pellets held in outstretched palms.

Several times during the day, visitors gathered to learn more about the animals at the Wildlife Encounters Show. Pigeons showed off their aerobatics. Macaws flew to the bleachers, making themselves comfortable next to surprised audience members. Other regulars to the educational excursion include Farrah Foxit, a North African fennic fox; Al, a young American alligator; and Edgar Allen Crow, a northern raven. The show promotes ecological awareness and delights audiences with a variety of animal sounds, including those of a camel, hyena and lion.

“It's what we can see and touch that we remember,” said zoo owner Ollson. “That's what's going to make an impression.” AH