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Southwick's Zoo

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Southwick's Zoo, spanning 300 acres (120 hectares), is a privately owned and seasonally operated zoological park situated in Mendon, Massachusetts, United States. The zoo was established in 1963 and has been under the management of the Southwick and Brewer families ever since its inception.[4]

Southwick's Zoo
Sign within Southwick's Zoo
Map
42°03′53″N 71°35′05″W / 42.064643°N 71.5848541°W / 42.064643; -71.5848541
Date opened1963[1]
LocationMendon, Massachusetts, United States
Land area300 acres (120 ha)[2]
No. of animals~500[1]
No. of species100+[3]
Websitesouthwickszoo.com

History

The Southwick homestead, now the site of a zoo, has its origins in 1803, originally established as a working dairy and vegetable farm. In the 1930s, the tradition of animal keeping began with Justin F. Southwick's interest in collecting exotic poultry. This passion for avian species was inherited by his son, Justin A. Southwick, who not only shared his father's enthusiasm but also became a recognized expert on migratory waterfowl. By 1953, the younger Southwick decided to shift the farm's focus entirely towards aviculture, selling the family's dairy herd to dedicate more resources to his bird collection. In a significant move in 1956, he introduced a donation box at the barn that housed his birds, a step that enabled him to expand his collection through the acquisition of more birds, thanks to the financial contributions from visitors.[4]

The Southwick family opened the zoo in 1963 under the name Southwick Wild Animal Farm. In 1965, they formed two companies: Southwick's Wild Animal Farm Inc. and Southwick's Birds and Animals Inc., with Justin A. Southwick as president of both, his son Dan as vice-president of Birds and Animals Inc. (which traded, sold, and leased animals), and his son-in-law Robert Brewer as vice-president of Wild Animal Farm Inc. In 1970, the Brewer family left the business and moved to Vermont. After the death of his father, Dan Southwick took over the businesses in 1971. When Southwick died in 1977, the Brewer family took over operations[1] in 1981 after a period of decline. Robert Brewer was president of the zoo for 14 years until his death in 1995. His wife, Justine Brewer, then took over and served as president for 20 years. She retired in 2016 with her son, Dr. Peter Brewer, taking her place.

Exhibits

North American Exhibit

An exhibit home to North American elk and a small population of wild turkey. The Woodland Express Train, a rubber tire train ride, passes through this exhibit and allows visitors to view the elk and surrounding wetlands.[5]

Deer Forest

A 35-acre (14 ha) exhibit home to fallow deer, turtles, hawks, and wild turkey.[6]

Parakeet Landing

A walk-through aviary that allows visitors to come in contact with and feed parakeets and cockatiels.

EARTH Discovery Center

Headquarters of the environmental education non-profit EARTH Ltd. The EARTH Discovery Center is home to EARTH's animal ambassadors, which include macaws, a bush baby, porcupine, turtles, snakes, bearded dragons, and other reptiles.[3] These animals are used in EARTH's education programs including live presentations at the zoo, ZooMobiles, and Wild Adventure Programs for younger students.[7] Through EARTH Ltd, the zoo offers rhino encounters in an attempt to teach visitors about and increase support for rhino conservation.

Other attractions

Other attractions at the zoo include:[8]

  • A petting zoo, pony rides, camel rides, and a play area for children.
  • The 15-minute Skyfari Sky Ride, which takes visitors over a large portion of the zoo in a triangular pattern and allows them to see the alligator, watusi cattle, camels, chimpanzees, mandrills, and fallow deer, from a two-seat chair lift.[9][10]
  • A 12-minute train ride through the North American Exhibit, which features a rubber-tired train and gives visitors a closer look at the elk as well as native wetlands with local species like herons, snakes, turtles, and waterfowl.
  • An interactive attraction called The Elkhorn Mining Company, established in 2012, featuring a walk-in mine that allows visitors to pan for gold, gems, and fossils.[11][citation needed] The Elkhorn Livery Stables and pony rides are located next to the mine.

Updates and additions

Over the last 20 years, several of the animal exhibits including the chimpanzees, lions, tigers, and giraffes, have been updated to more closely resemble the animals' natural habitat.[citation needed] Southwick's Zoo began offering giraffe encounters on weekends in 2010[12] and opened a larger, updated giraffe exhibit in 2011.[citation needed]

In 2014, EARTH Ltd. and Southwick's Zoo began offering Rhinoceros Encounters to help promote rhinoceros conservation. These encounters allow visitors to meet the zoo's two white rhinos, Thelma and Louise.[13] In 2016, Southwick's Zoo opened a new reptile and insect walk-through building that houses more than 20 species. [citation needed] In 2017, a new restaurant and event building opened to the public and zoo guests.[citation needed]

In 2021, the Festival of Illumination: World of Lights! was organized at Southwick's Zoo by Zigong Lantern Group.[14]

Animals

Southwick's Zoo is home to more than 115 species. The zoo houses four species of big cat: lions, Bengal tigers, snow leopards, and cheetahs.[15][16][17] The zoo has numerous bird species besides those at Parakeet Landing. These include macaws, cockatoos, conures, eclectus, cockatiels, ostriches, African crowned cranes, flamingos, mandarin ducks, Polish chickens, fancy pigeons, and kookaburra. There are also educational programs on birds.[18]

The zoo has the largest primate collection in New England. Species of primates found at Southwick's Zoo include chimpanzees, white-handed gibbons, siamangs, mandrills, Schmidt's guenons, Wolf's guenons, DeBrazza's monkeys, squirrel monkeys, cotton-top tamarins, ring-tailed lemurs, and red ruffed lemurs. They are the only zoo in New England with a chimpanzee exhibit.[19]

Comprehensive list of animals at Southwick's Zoo

Parakeet Landing

EARTH Discovery Center

Reptiles & Insects

Other Exhibits

Education

EARTH Ltd provides Southwick's Zoo with assorted education programs. The organization performs live animal presentations at the EARTH Discovery Center, which cover topics including ecology and animal adaptations. EARTH offers outreach programs and spring and summer programs for children grades K-8. Interns and docents working at the zoo are trained by this non-profit as well.[7]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c "The Southwick Story". southwickszoo.com. Southwick's Zoo. Archived from the original on 2012-03-26. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
  2. ^ Windler, Chikage (2005-06-22). "Great Escape: Southwick's Zoo". whdh.com. WHDH-TV. Archived from the original on 2012-02-11. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Exhibits". southwickszoo.com. Southwick's Zoo. Archived from the original on 2012-03-26. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  4. ^ a b "Our Story". Southwick's Zoo. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  5. ^ "Rides & Attractions". Southwick's Zoo. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  6. ^ "Deer Forest". Southwick's Zoo. n.d. Archived from the original on 2018-08-12. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  7. ^ a b "Earth LTD". Southwick's Zoo. n.d. Archived from the original on 2015-04-10. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  8. ^ "Southwick's Wild Animal Zoo". bostoncentral.co. Boston Central. Archived from the original on 2012-06-29. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
  9. ^ "Skyfari Sky Ride". southwickszoo.com. Southwick's Zoo. Archived from the original on 2012-03-26. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
  10. ^ "Southwick's Zoo". southwickszoo.com. Southwick's Zoo. Archived from the original on 2012-03-26. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
  11. ^ "Elkhorn Mining & Panning Co. New to Southwick's Zoo". Southwick's Zoo. Archived from the original on 2015-05-24.
  12. ^ "Giraffe Habitat & Giraffe Encounters at Southwick's Zoo in Mendon, MA". southwickszoo.com. Archived from the original on 2015-05-24.
  13. ^ "Rhino Encounters". Southwick's Zoo. n.d. Archived from the original on 2021-09-18.
  14. ^ Caushi, Toni (2021-09-27). "Chinese lantern festival illuminates the night at Southwick's Zoo". Milford Daily News. Archived from the original on 2021-12-11. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  15. ^ "African Lion at Southwick's Zoo in Mendon, MA". Southwick's Zoo. n.d. Archived from the original on 2012-04-22.
  16. ^ "Southwick's Zoo Gold Bengal Tiger and White Bengal Tiger". Southwick's Zoo. n.d. Archived from the original on 2012-04-22.
  17. ^ "Mowgli, the African Leopard at Southwick's Zoo in Mendon, MA". Southwick's Zoo. n.d. Archived from the original on 2012-04-22.
  18. ^ "Bird Talk at Southwick's Zoo". Southwick's Zoo. n.d. Archived from the original on 2015-10-11.
  19. ^ "Southwick's Zoo Exhibit List - Southwick's Zoo". www.southwickszoo.com. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14.

  Media related to Southwick's Zoo at Wikimedia Commons

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