Wright Park Zoo Wright Park Zoo News

This small Kansas zoo is seeking public output for its master plan:

Wright Park Zoo master plan's Phase 2 seeks public input

 

I visited spring break of last year. Would be interesting to see if they can even generate revenue. Dodge city isn’t a major tourist attraction, and when I visited I was the only one in the zoo. Didn’t even see an employee till I had already walked out

 

I hear its pretty mediocre, though its tiger exhibit doesn't look half-bad.

EDIT: Its tiger exhibit really bad. Twice as bad in fact.

 

I just posted pictures in the media. The main viewing portion is very bad. My profile picture is a picture of the tiger.

 

To be fair, I remember there being a back portion of the exhibit, which was a more natural, and maybe 3-4x the size of the main viewing. I’m not sure if the tiger had access to this portion at the time and I can’t find a good picture of it. Still was below average.

 

You probably mean this. It found it in Google Images. Also, you can indeed the enclosure in the photos in the back.

 

Any species of interest?

 

They do or did have Black-capped capuchins and (generic) tigers.

 

Nothing immediately stands out for anyone whose been to many other zoos

 

The zoo has released details of its 10-year master plan, including two specific themed zones:

Wright Park Zoo Master Plan goes forward

 

The zoo's master plan is up:
Master Plan PDF
Master Plan's Map

On a personal note, i'm not a fan of the Pioneers of the Prairie's theme, since it was pioneers who pretty much destroyed the native ecosystem. Why not go with a first nations them instead? Otherwise, I like the master plan, and as long as they get rid of the godawful tiger and wolf exhibits i'm good with it.

 

Interesting how the biggest "like" from visitors are primates, yet they plan on getting rid of their primate collection...

 

Perhaps they could place monkeys in their Viva Kansas! exhibit like Geoffrey's Spider Monkey.

 

Does the State of Kansas harbour any primates? That is probably anathema to the strived for reality.

 

Viva Kansas! is ostensibly themed around monarch butterfly migration from the Midwest to central Mexico.

 

In that case, a spp of spider monkey does fit!

 

A black-capped capuchin monkey named Pickett escaped before police found it.

Monkey caught wandering in Kansas after zoo escape

 

It’s most likely a break in. Nothing suggests the monkey got out on its own, let alone made it to the other side of town.

 

Tragic news: One of the monkeys, Vern, died while protecting its offspring from a robber who had broken in, believed to be linked with the monkey escape earlier, just as @Remi Blackwing suggested.

Zoo monkey dies after protecting its baby from intruder
Original Facebook Announcement

 

On December 31st, 2020, it was reported that the zoo acquired an unnamed (0.1) Linneaus's two-toed sloth from Barn Hill Preserve in Ethel, Louisiana.

Wright Park Zoo adds sloth