Action Wildlife

We have a place here in town that was the vision of one of our residents. It's called Action Wildlife. http://www.actionwildlife.org/index.htm It's really like a zoo, but owned by one individual--his dream is to show people animals from around the world--from their website--
"Formerly a dairy farm set on 116 acres of land, the transformation into Action Wildlife is the result of one man’s impetus and entrepreneurial spirit - Jim Mazzarelli. Mr. Mazzarelli began preparing the land about 8 years ago so that exotic animals from around the world could survive and prosper in Goshen, Connecticut. The animals that are selected to join the cast at AW easily adapt to varying extremes in climate and landscape. Several breeds of animals have the capability to develop thicker coats during the colder months and then revert to thinner coats during the warmer months. Those animals with thinner coats are sheltered in a barn throughout the colder New England winter months.
From a roadside view it is apparent the amount of time, planning, money and sweat that has gone into the development of the facility. As a non-profit organization all fees charged for admission, hayrides, pumpkin sales and petting zoo visits are applied to the overall costs incurred, which when estimated covers only 25 percent of our total cost to feed and maintain the animals, including veterinary fees and farm equipment costs. "

The calf at the top was a new born when I took the photos & the goats above are part of the petting zoo, housed in a separate building--used to be one of the cow barns.

Has a pair of beautiful black swans!

And different animals with unusal horns--some are supposed to look like this and the next one is an abberation! There is also a large museum of taxidermied ( is that a word?) animals that Mr. Mazzarelli has hunted all over the world & brought home to share--animals that you would never get to see otherwise. I'm not real big on big game hunting, but he has them set up in dioramas that are spectacular! I try to go once a year because there are always new animals & I especially love to see the baby ones--west highland calves are adorable!

My other favoite animal is a Poitou Donkey. The Poitou Donkey (Baudet du Poitou), while arguably the most recognizable donkey in the world, is the least known and most endangered. From an inventoried 44 animals (worldwide) in 1977, there are now an estimated 400 pure and part-bred animals in the world today. The Poitou is instantly recognizable for a number of characteristics. Most notable is the long shaggy coat; always dark brown or black, with no cross or stripe, but hanging in long cords or shaggy hanks. Surprising enough, 2 places here in Goshen have these donkeys. I have a photo of one of R.W. Commerford's & I will find & post later.

PS--I just adjusted my font size--made it a little bigger & easier to read...what do you think?