It would appear that there is no one currently active on the site able to provide frequent updates on the Good Zoo, so I figured I would take up that responsibility. It looks like the last user of the description, "Mr Okapi" was actually an employee, but he seems to be inactive as of right now. Although this thread won't likely be very active, due to the zoo's general inactivity in making significant changes or new additions. Not bashing, just speaking from a realistic standpoint. Not a problem with me Now, I'll just lay down some information about the zoo, to start. For whoever is interested. The zoo is currently located on 30 acres on Oglebay Park, in Wheeling, West Virginia. It is the only AZA accredited zoological establishment in the state. It was opened in 1977 and named in memory of Phillip Mayer Good. The zoo features a main, multi-level entrance building, containing the Benedum Planetarium, as well as admission, offices, a gift shop, concessions, a model train exhibition, and the zoo's introductory exhibit. The outdoor portion is a loop with several series of exhibits on either side, as well as a playground, a lorikeet landing building, and a barn. The zoo has 57 species on exhibit, as well as several education animals, and several off-exhibit species. They are listed by exhibit here. Red or blue indicates a mixed exhibit. Discovery Center Meerkat Egyptian Tortoise Medicinal Leech Hellbender Spotted Turtle Eastern Tiger Salamander Dyed Poison Dart Frog Blue Poison Dart Frog False Tomato Frog Scarlet Macaw Golden Lion Tamarin Brazilian Three Banded Armadillo Naked Mole Rat Blotched Blue Tongue Skink Tentacle Snake Panther Chameleon Gouldian Finch Burmese Python California Kingsnake Jade Headed Buffalo Beetle Cotton Top Tamarin Red Footed Tortoise Panamanian Golden Frog Mossy Frog Green Tree Python Eastern Milk Snake Sinaloan Milk Snake Komodo Dragon Bear and Otter Andean Bear Northern River Otter African Plains Grevy Zebra Common Ostrich Australian Adventure Rainbow Lorikeet Goldie Lorikeet Victoria Crowned Pigeon Red Kangaroo Western Grey Kangaroo Red Necked Wallaby Painted Dog African Painted Dog Lemurs Mongoose Lemur Ring Tailed Lemur Radiated Tortoise Wetlands Bald Eagle Black Swan Pond Slider Painted Turtle Northern Map Turtle Barn Area Red Panda Chinese Goral Goat Llama Chicken Donkey Western Honeybee Barn Owl Virginia Opossum I will continue to update the thread when I receive word of any news of current events or future developments. If anybody has any questions about the zoo, feel free to ask.
Welcome to ZooChat Lukose, and thanks for posting the basic info for this backwater zoo that, as far as I know, gets zero publicity on here. I appreciate the species list, and especially like how the mixed-species exhibits are identified through color coding. Medicinal leech and jade-headed buffalo beetle are interesting invertebrate choices; goral and mongoose lemur are other near-rarities. The rest seems pretty standard for a small zoo.
Thanks, I appreciate it! Anyway, I've taken a look at the old master plan for the zoo. It's details are a bit outdated, but the actual changes and additions could still be in effect. Two parts of the master plan have already been completed; the Australian Adventure exhibit and the Veterinary Hospital. Does this entail the other parts will eventually be completed as well? I'm not sure. One event described was the development of the Lemur and Wild Dog exhibits into a rainforest themed area, by the looks. The first step would be the renovation by enlargement of the lemur enclosures. Across from them, there will be a boardwalk loop going past an exhibit for gibbons. Farther up the path, the painted dogs would be relocated to another zoo to make room for a renovation of their enclosure, featuring a mixed-species selection of spider monkeys, capybaras, and agoutis. This was actually started, but cancelled/delayed due to the painted dogs continuing to breed. I think they may have been going to The Wilds. Another addition is an exhibit in the Barn Area for a colony of either prairie dogs, or pikas. Additionally, there are plans for an African exhibit, featuring at least two pens for hoofstock, Aldabra tortoises, or ground birds, as well as a separate enclosure for colobus monkeys. The river otter exhibit is due to be expanded, and the otters replaced with Humboldt penguins, to fit in geographically with the Andean bears. The otters will be moved to a new exhibit in the Wetlands that retains the underwater viewing, but adds natural substrate and plenty of enrichment logs similar to Pittsburgh. The last mention is of an elevated boardwalk trailing by treetop monkey exhibits, and ending with a trip through a walk-thru aviary. There's also plans for an extension of the playground, with something called a "Discovery Garden" but pffffft, that's not too important.
