Chehaw Park facts for kids
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| Location | 105 Chehaw Park Road Albany, Georgia, United States |
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| Land area | 800 acres (320 ha) (Zoo portion is 100 acres (40 ha) only) |
| Coordinates | 31°37′03″N 84°08′17″W / 31.6176238°N 84.1381014°W |
| No. of animals | 212 |
| No. of species | 55 |
Chehaw Park is a cool park and zoo located in Albany, Georgia. It first opened as Chehaw State Park in 1937. Today, the park covers a huge 800 acres!
The Wild Animal Park part of Chehaw was designed by a famous naturalist named Jim Fowler. You might know him from the TV show Wild Kingdom. Jim Fowler is actually from Albany, Georgia. The animal park opened in 1997. It has special boardwalks that take you through cypress swamps to see animals in their natural homes.
Chehaw was once a special member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). This means it met very high standards for caring for its animals. It was one of only two zoos in Georgia with this special accreditation for many years.
Contents
Exploring Chehaw Park's History
How Chehaw Park Began
Chehaw State Park first opened in 1937. The land, about 586 acres, was given to the state of Georgia by people in Albany, Georgia. The park is surrounded on two sides by a clear water area. This area is formed where the Kinchafoonee Creek and Muckalee Creeks meet. The park has grown to almost 800 acres. It includes swampy areas with moss-covered cypress trees, thick forests, and pine areas.
The Name Chehaw: A Native American Story
The park is named after the Chiha, or Chehaw, tribe. They were a group of Creek Native Americans. They lived around this area and became friends with the early settlers. People found many old tools and items here. These included arrowheads, spearheads, and clay pipes. Different designs on these items show that different tribes used the land over hundreds of years.
Building the Wild Animal Park
In 1974, the city of Albany decided to use 100 acres of the park. They wanted to build a wild animal park. Here, animals from different places and local animals would live in natural-looking homes. The state of Georgia then gave the entire Chehaw Park to the city. This helped them develop it even more.
Albany city and the Chehaw Wildlife Society asked Jim Fowler to design the wildlife area. He also helped supervise its building. The first animals moved from another zoo in Albany to Chehaw between 1975 and 1977. The Chehaw Wild Animal Park officially opened in October 1977.
Growing and Improving the Park
In 1979, the state of Georgia created the Chehaw Park Authority. This group is in charge of managing and developing the park. Their goal is to keep it a natural place for everyone in southwest Georgia. Park leaders brought Jim Fowler back in 2004. He helped plan new developments for the Wild Animal Park. They added new homes for African black rhinoceroses in 2005. A home for African lesser flamingos opened in 2006.
Between 1997 and 2002, Chehaw added even more cool things. They built the Creekside Education Center. This center helps teach visitors about nature. They also added a Children's Play Park and a special BMX bike track. Other new buildings included an animal hospital and a restaurant called Savannah Café.
Amazing Animals and Exhibits
Chehaw is home to many animals that are rare or endangered. These include the red wolf, black rhinoceros, and cheetah. You can also see black-and-white colobus monkeys and four types of lemurs. Other animals include bongos, duikers, Grant's zebras, and black bears. There are also American bison, bobcats, and Bactrian camels.
You'll find different kinds of antelope and unique birds too. Look for ibis, flamingos, grey crowned cranes, ostriches, bald eagles, and turacos. You can see many of these animals from a boardwalk in the swamp area. The zoo also has animals that live in Georgia naturally. These include foxes, squirrels, beavers, and gopher tortoises.
The park also has some special attractions:
- Ben's Barnyard: This is a fun petting zoo. It has an interactive part where you can compare yourself to wild animals. You can climb into a bald eagle's "nest." You can also try to jump as far as a wild animal.
- Alligator's Outpost: A boardwalk leads you to a swamp. Here, dozens of American alligators live in their natural home. It's a challenge to spot how many eyes you can see in the water! On weekends, you can even feed the alligators.
- Wiregrass Express: This is the zoo's train. It takes you on a 20-minute ride through the pine and wiregrass areas. You can ride this train from March through December.
- African Veldt: This attraction runs from March through November. Guests ride in a covered trailer on a safari. You'll see different kinds of antelope, zebra, wildebeest, and ostrich. These animals roam freely in this large 40-acre exhibit.
Other Fun Things to Do at Chehaw
Besides the zoo, Chehaw Park has lots of other activities. You can explore nature trails or ride on BMX bike trails. There's an 18-hole disc golf course and a place for BMX bike racing. The park also has campgrounds, an RV park for campers, and a playground.
