Chahinkapa Zoo

FAMILY FUN IS CALLING YOU

Chahinkapa Zoo a must-see attraction

By James Allen

If you’re looking for an excellent family-oriented destination to kick spring into gear, look no further than the Chahinkapa Zoo in Wahpeton, North Dakota.

Just a short drive of only about 35 miles due west of Fergus Falls, Chahinkapa Zoo has lots of new surprises and animals galore this year. The zoo officially opened for the season recently and zoo director Kathy Diekman says they had fantastic attendance saying it's never been a better time to visit.

“We are looking forward to building a new tiger building this season, where the cheetahs are now. Also we are expanding the ‘Plight of Africa’ exhibit, so you’ll be seeing us bringing back aoudads, which are native to North Africa. They are involved in the species survival plan.”

The zoo will be getting three of the aoudads, also referred to as barbary sheep from the San Diego Wildlife Park soon. They previously had these animals a few years ago, but are excited to bring them back to Chahinkapa.

Diekman says they still have the southern white rhinos, along with zebras, and Tal, the orangutan, part of the largest of

FOR THE RESORTER

UP CLOSE: Chahinkapa Zoo in Wahpeton is not only a great place to see various animals, but also a place that family and friends can gather.

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the arboreal mammals. She says they also have some new otters.

“They’re one-year-old sisters and they are very playful, and I encourage people to come and meet them,” she added.

Diekman says they have a bigger troop of ringtail lemurs now, with a total of five. Also, the ever-popular bison exhibit will be exciting for visitors to see at the zoo as well.

Planning ahead will enhance a visit to the zoo, as there are “behind the scenes” tours available to reserve from the Chahinkapa Zoo website. Diekman says a really good “behind the scenes” tour features the kangaroo exhibit.

“We have a big kangaroo troop, and we’ll continue with our “walkabouts,” which are one of the optional ‘behind the scenes’ tours we offer, which offer visitors the chance to feed the kangaroos,” Diekman said.

Diekman added visitors can still do the “behind the scenes” tour with the “African Encounter” exhibit. They will get to meet the rhinos, zebras, cheetahs and honey badgers. She says visitors can even customize a “behind the scenes” tour for a specific animal or exhibit, if a visitor is bringing someone special or they just want to focus on a certain kind of animal. Diekman added that this would need to be scheduled ahead of time on the website or call ahead.

Chahinkapa Zoo also offers around 200 different classes every year from preschool age to adults, and they also host events called “Campfire Talks'' which visitors can attend. and register for online at chahinkapazoo. org.

Diekman gave a brief outlook on the upcoming season. “It’s just going to be a great spring and summer, we still have some spring work to do because it's been so wet, but it’s looking pretty fabulous,” she said.

The Chahinkapa Zoo in Wahpeton spans 29-acres and was opened in 1933.

FOR THE RESORTER AND BEARS, OH MY: A variety of animals including bears (top) and orangutans (below) are showcased at Chahinkapa Zoo. While visiting the zoo can allow community members to see diffferent animals, there are additional options including “behind the scenes” tours that are available as added bounuses.

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306 N. Tower Road Fergus Falls, MN 56537

218-998-3373

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1225 North Tower Road Fergus Falls, MN 56537 218-998-3002 Fax 218-998-3007 Toll Free 866-998-3002