Let's Discover Some Exotic Wild Animals - TribPapers
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Let’s Discover Some Exotic Wild Animals

The Orangutans are quick to entertain visitors at the Greenville Zoo. Photo courtesy of the Greenville Zoo.

Greenville – Western North Carolina is home to many wild animals. Bears, deer, elk, foxes, bobcats, river otters, and groundhogs can be seen regularly—sometimes even walking near your house, in your driveway, or along the road. The Western North Carolina Nature Center in Asheville offers a home to many Appalachian species where one can learn more about their habitat. An ambitious and exciting Gateway to the Southern Appalachians project broke ground in late May 2024 with an expected completion in spring 2025. The Nature Center is embarking on a considerable expansion with a butterfly garden, a renovated barn and farmyard space, and an expanded Gift Shop.

However to find more exotic wildlife, whose native habitats are continents in countries further afield, one must take to the road. Wouldn’t it be fun to show the children and grandchildren some of these animals in real life?

One of the endangered species being care for at the Greenville Zoo is the Amur leopard. Photo courtesy of the Greenville Zool.
One of the endangered species being care for at the Greenville Zoo is the Amur leopard. Photo courtesy of the Greenville Zool.

The North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro near Raleigh, is one of the largest in the world but alas a bit of a drive. It takes just over 3 hours from Asheville. The Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, S.C., with 170 acres is home to more than 2,000 animals, which is a bit closer, taking maybe 2 and 1/2 hours plus. So here’s an idea: take the youngsters to the Greenville Zoo which is just over an hour’s drive away. It is a smaller zoo, where you can introduce the youngsters to giraffes, leopards, orangutans, flamingos, alligators, a variety of snakes and birds. The zoo covers 14 acres in downtown Greenville and is home to more than 200 animals representing 90 species and is owned by the City of Greenville. According to an online review, it is “manageable and compact.” and a delightful place to visit. If you buy your ticket online, there is a $2 savings—from $15 to $13 with children 3 -12 from $12 to $10, and children under 2 free. Members of the NC Nature Center can have a reciprocal admittance fee.

The Greenville Zoo opened to the public in the 1960s with a small collection of native animals. Over the decades it has made numerous expansions which include exhibits of leopards, orangutans, and giraffes. In 2016 nearly one million people watched a live feed of the giraffe birth. In 2020 the animal hospital and primate exhibits were renovated. In 2023 a new giraffe feeding platform opened and the zoo added 15 Chilean flamingos to its collection. In 2024 the zoo broke ground on a new African Plaza exhibit.

Species Survival Plan

Greenville Zoo Administrator Bill Cooper mentioned that the Zoo is accredited with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. An important part of their program is their Species Survival Plan, which serves as a breeding program for selected endangered or threatened species. A goal of the Greenville Zoo is to help maintain a healthy and genetically diverse population for these animals. Several animals seen in Greenville that are in this program are Amur leopards, the Masai giraffes and orangutans. Amur leopards are native to southeastern Russia and northwestern China and are critically endangered — only about 100 are in the wild and fewer than 300 remain, so there is one at Greenville Zoo to represent a vital link in the species’ survival.

Masai giraffes were declared endangered in 2019. They are native to southern Kenya and Tanzania; there are less than 35,000 left in the wild. Greenville’s giraffes are something of internet celebrities, thanks to the zoo’s live camera feeds of their living areas via EarthCam. The birth in February 2021 of a healthy female calf, Providence, drew avid followers from around the world with a particular concentration of fans in Germany. Considered one of the world’s 25 most endangered primates, Sumatran orangutans are found only on the island of Sumatra. The orangutan lives among the trees of tropical rainforest, and scientists worry that they will soon be extinct.

Programs and Events

The Greenville Zoo has a variety of educational programs. This includes summer camp—half and full-day camps— homeschool programs with one scheduled for August 14th for $8 for homeschoolers and their families, community outreach, distance learning, birthday parties, field trips, and career day.

A variety of events will be taking place in the second half of the year. Sippin’ Safari is the annual wine-tasting event that is scheduled for Friday, September 6th. Sippin’ Safari provides guests with an all-inclusive evening of delicious food samples, wine, beer and entertainment. Live music will be provided by The Shady Recruits!

Boo in the Zoo is the annual trick-or-treating event and is the largest event of the year. This event takes place in October with a Halloween decorated Zoo. A walk-through lights event is scheduled for December for the Christmas holidays. Visit www.greenvillezoo.com to learn more about all these events.