Southwick's Zoo

The Southwick homestead (which the zoo now occupies) dates back to 1803 when it was a working dairy farm. In the 1930s, Justin F. Southwick started collecting exotic poultry. His son, Justin A. Southwick, shared his father's love of birds, and became a leading authority on migratory waterfowl. In 1953, he sold the dairy herd to concentrate on birds. In 1956, he placed a donation box at the barn where he kept his birds. These donations allowed him to purchase more birds for his collection.[1]

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. Dan passed away in 1977 and with his death, the zoo suffered for a while until the Brewer family moved back and took over operations[1] in 1981. 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 and her son, Dr. Peter Brewer, became president.

The zoo currently comprises more than 250 acres and houses more than 750 animals. It has six mechanical rides, a park, and a petting zoo that includes African pygmy goats and sheep. Southwick's Zoo also offers giraffe and rhinoceros encounters. Proceeds from rhinoceros encounters are donated to the International Rhino Foundation to support rhinoceros conservation.[4] In the past few years, new shows have been introduced to provide family entertainment and education, including Bird Shows and Training and Earth Educational presentations.

The zoo is open to the public mid-April through October.

Other attractions at the zoo include:[12]

• a petting zoo, pony rides, camel rides, and a play area for children;
• the 15-minute-long 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;[13][14]
• the 12-minute-long Woodland Express 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.[15] The Elkhorn Livery Stables and pony rides are located next to the mine;

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.

The 15-minute-long Skyfari Skyride was added in 2008.

Southwick's Zoo began offering giraffe encounters on weekends in 2010.[16]

The zoo opened a larger, updated giraffe exhibit in 2011.

A new, much larger prairie dog exhibit opened in 2013. It can be seen from the Woodland Express Train Station. Scimitar-horned oryxes were added to the Savannah Exhibit. There is a two-toed sloth exhibit by the chimpanzee exhibit.

A new cheetah exhibit opened in June 2013.

In 2014, EARTH Ltd. and Southwick's Zoo began offering Rhinoceros Encounters to help promote rhino conservation. These encounters help educate the participants on the current rhino poaching crisis, and they give participants the opportunity to get close to and touch the zoo's two white rhinos named Thelma and Louise.[4]

Other new additions for 2014 included cotton-top tamarins and Wolf's guenons.

Vicunas were added in 2015.

In 2016, Southwick's Zoo opened a new reptile and insect walk-through building that houses more than 20 species.

Red River Hogs and all new Bird Shows debuted in 2016.

In July of each year, the zoo celebrates Zoobabies Day to highlight the many births at the zoo throughout the year.

In 2017, a new restaurant and event building opened to the public and zoo guests.

In 2021, the Festival of Illumination: World of Lights! was organized at Southwick's Zoo by Zigong Lantern Group.[17]

EARTH Ltd provides Southwick's Zoo with assorted education programs. EARTH performs live animal presentations at the EARTH Discovery Center, which cover topics including ecology and animal adaptations. EARTH also offers ZooMobiles. This outreach program involves an educator and about 8 animals traveling to a school, library, or other facility to perform an educational presentation. EARTH also operates the Wild Adventure spring and summer programs for children grades k-8. The interns and docents working at the zoo are trained by this non-profit as well.[6]

Media related to Southwick's Zoo at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website