Lupa Zoo

Lupa Zoo is an 18-acre (7.3 ha) privately owned and operated zoo located in Ludlow, Massachusetts, United States.

Lupa Zoo
Lupa Zoo
42°11′44.34″N 72°29′21.31″W
Date opened1996
LocationLudlow, Massachusetts, United States
Land area18 acres (7.3 ha)[1]
No. of animals500[1]
Websitewww.lupazoo.org

History

The zoo was created by Henry and Joan Lupa, who emigrated from Poland in the 1960s. They purchased a farm in Ludlow, and housed a small collection of animals. Originally, Henry Lupa started a landscaping company and then a construction company, but eventually decided to open a zoo, as local families would often come visit the animals on their farm. The Lupa Zoo officially opened in 1996, and gained a license from the USDA in 2002. [2] Joan Lupa became the sole owner of the zoo after the death of her husband in 2013. [3] [4]

In 2018, there was an incident in which a capybara escaped from its enclosure after heavy rains damaged it. It was recaptured by USDA Wildlife Services and returned to the zoo. [5]

Exhibits

Exhibits include Indian peafowl, fennec fox, coati, pot-bellied pig, Aldabra giant tortoise, goat and pygmy goat, oryx, muntjac, collared peccary, wallaby, prairie dog, binturong, serval, bobcat, otter, bat, alpaca, zedonk, elk, American bison, donkey, tapir, Bactrian camel, nilgai, zebra, Himalayan black bear, common ostrich, emu, cow, porcupine, deer, macaw, and fox.

Controversy

The zoo has received criticism for its repeated USDA violations. [6]

An endangered African antelope escaped the Lupa Zoo in Massachusetts in April 2023 when a storm damaged her enclosure. She was caught five weeks later.[7]

Notes
  1. Flynn, Anne-Gerard (June 3, 2009). "Favorite Places: Lupa Zoo in Ludlow". masslive.com. MassLive LLC. Retrieved June 30, 2012.
  2. "Tall Tails". Business West. 2 October 2006. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  3. Heropoulos, Staasi (12 April 2022). "Lupa Zoo welcomes everyone from people to primates". The Reminder. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  4. "Family-Owned Lupa Zoo Offers Exhibits, Education". Business West. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  5. Cozine, Tim (10 December 2018). "Corralling a capybara – in Massachusetts?". The Wildlife Society. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  6. Jodidio, Rebecca L. (July 2020). "THE ANIMAL WELFARE ACT IS LACKING: HOW TO UPDATE THE FEDERAL STATUTE TO IMPROVE ZOO ANIMAL WELFARE". Golden Gate University Environmental Law Journal. 12 (1): 58. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  7. "Ludlow zoo director lived in his truck for five weeks while trying to rescue an escaped antelope". Retrieved 23 May 2023.



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