DeYoung Family Zoo facts for kids
| Date opened | 1990 |
|---|---|
| Location | Wallace, Michigan |
| Coordinates | 45°18′29″N 87°38′42″W / 45.30793°N 87.644913°W |
| No. of animals | 450 |
| No. of species | 125 |
The DeYoung Family Zoo is a fun place to visit that first opened its doors in 1990. You can visit the zoo every year from May until the end of October. It's located in a town called Wallace, in the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This zoo is about 15 miles north of Menominee.
The zoo is owned by Bud DeYoung and Carrie Cramer. They have many amazing animals, especially big cats! Visitors can even have special experiences, like petting and bottle-feeding baby animals.
Contents
Meet the Amazing Animals at DeYoung Family Zoo
The DeYoung Family Zoo is home to over 400 animals from all around the world. You'll find many different species here, from tiny creatures to giant ones.
Big Cats and Other Predators
Some of the most popular animals at the zoo are the big cats. You can see powerful tigers, graceful leopards, and majestic lions. There's even a liger, which is a mix between a lion and a tiger!
Other exciting predators include:
- Russian grizzly bears
- mountain lions
- wolves
- Coyotes
- Spotted hyenas and striped hyenas
- Black-backed jackals
- Bobcats and lynx
- Arctic foxes and red foxes
- Fennec foxes
- Pine martens
Unique and Exotic Animals
Beyond the big cats, the zoo has many other interesting animals. You might be surprised by some of the creatures you meet!
- A large hippopotamus
- Cute Bennett wallabies
- Playful ring-tailed lemurs
- White Bengal tigers
- Wild mustang horses
- Curious coatis
- Friendly camels and yak
- Smart white-fronted capuchin monkeys
- Mysterious binturongs
- Clever chimpanzees
- New Guinea singing dogs
- Loud olive baboons
- Sleek palm civets
- Albino raccoons
Reptiles and More
The zoo also has a variety of reptiles and other animals:
- Large snakes like boa constrictors, Burmese pythons, and anacondas
- Many different kinds of lizards
- Alligators (the owners sometimes swim with them in the summer!)
- Mouflon sheep, like Petunia
- Crested porcupines
- Black bears
- Spider monkeys
- Badgers
- Emus
- Red kangaroos
- Ducks, geese, chickens, and rabbits
- Tortoises
Animal Rescue and Conservation
The owners, Bud DeYoung and Carrie Cramer, also help local animals that need care. They rescue and rehabilitate animals like white-tailed deer and raccoons. In 2008, the zoo even had a success story when two endangered Siberian tigers bred and had four cubs! This helps protect these rare animals.
Fun Things to Do at the Zoo
The DeYoung Family Zoo offers many ways to get close to animals and learn about them.
Hands-On Experiences
One of the most popular attractions is the petting zoo. Here, you can meet and feed many domestic animals. It's a great chance to interact with friendly creatures. You can also watch special animal programs and see the animals being fed.
Learning About Animals
The zoo focuses on teaching visitors about animals. They offer educational programs that help people understand:
- Important animal issues
- Why conservation is needed to protect species
- How to properly care for animals
My Life is a Zoo TV Show
The DeYoung Family Zoo was featured on a television show called My Life is a Zoo. This show was filmed at the zoo and aired on the National Geographic Wild cable channel. It gave viewers a peek into the daily lives of Bud DeYoung, Carrie Cramer, and all the animals they care for. The show highlighted their passion for rescuing exotic animals and their great enthusiasm for their work.
