Veterinary Fund

 

Caring for wild animals can be an arduous task. Providing for their health care can be even more challenging. Our caregivers are trained to monitor the animals on a daily basis and report any changes in appearance, behavior, feces, etc., so at the first indication of illness we can immediately address the problem. Our vet staff does an independent weekly walk-thru to insure the overall health and welfare of our animal family. If a problem is suspected, an immediate physical, fecal sample, blood draw, x-ray can head off a serious problem and prevent more involved/extensive veterinary care later. As many pet owners know, the cost of routine veterinary care can be very costly, but in the case of an emergency or when surgery is required, it can be cost prohibitive or financially burdensome for many. Now imagine that emergency call is to treat an 800 lb tiger or a 400 lb black bear! A typical trip to the vet for a small animal averages $150 for blood workup, and an additional $150 for an x-ray! Medications can cost up to another $50! As the size of the animal increases, so does the cost of the care as additional facilities are required, and typically so is sedation which is often required in order to do certain exams/tests/procedures on zoo animals. While we maintain an overall very healthy animal family, just the cost of routine preventative care can run in the thousands each year. We also have a very large portion of our animals who are senior citizens, and just like humans, they have additional needs that just come naturally with the aging process.

On-site Clinic Fund

 

The health of our animal family is a priority here in Zooville, and something we take very seriously. One of the biggest challenges we face is the lack of being able to perform certain levels of care here on site. Thanks to some of our fantastic supporters, we are currently able to do fecals, study skin scrapings, spin blood, and incubate small animals. It’s a start! We can do in the field procedures, but would prefer that all procedures be performed in a sterile environment. We can transport to veterinary clinics, but that adds additional stress on the animal, as well as time that could be better served treating the animal - time that could amount to life saving minutes! An on-site clinic is critical to providing critical care!

Special Diets

 

Fund Used to buy vitamins, supplements, special zoo diets. Simply put, different animals have different needs! Sounds simple right? It’s anything but! All of our felines are supplemented with a special carnivore supplement made specifically for felines, the canines get their own. But, depending on the days diet, the type of calcium supplement they need might differ. Species such as lions, particularly young lions, require additional vitamins and need human vitamin supplements daily. Our primates each receive a gummy vitamin every morning, and every afternoon get a feeding of specialized primate biscuits, in addition to their fresh fruits and vegetables. We also feed specialized zoo diets to our omnivores, bears, rodents and parrots. This is just the tip of the feeding iceberg. While we are blessed with the foods we get donated, we still need to supplement our diets with all of the above to make it the healthiest diets possible.

Construction/Maintenance Fund

 

We are always striving to make our habitats not just bigger, but better. Whether it is by expanding the enclosure or adding lots of new habitat furniture (shelves, heated dens, water structures, etc), we are always looking to make our animal family as comfortable and enriched as possible. This fund also contributes towards the building and maintenance throughout the zoo property. It helps with keeping all of our fences in good repair, the construction of the gift shop, learning areas, just to name a few.

Emergency/Rehab Equipment Fund

 

To be best prepared for any emergency, having the right equipment is a necessity. It is our goal to have a travel ready transport cage attached to each habitat that we can train every animal to comfortably relax in. In this way, should an emergency arise requiring a trip to the vet, or worse - an evacuation, every animal will be trained to load quickly, quietly and without stress. These transport wagons can be quite costly for the larger animals. For anyone wanting to purchase a unit directly, CLICK HERE to go right to the manufacturer site. In some instances, capture equipment such as chemical immobilization equipment is needed, and while we have several types on property, we are always in need of darts of all sizes, as well as practice darts. When it comes to catching injured or orphaned wildlife, traps and transfer cages are always needed - in all sizes. For anyone wanting to buy direct, we love Tru-Catch traps - CLICK HERE to help us directly through them. Donating to this fund helps us be able to purchase a wide variety of vital equipment to help keep our animal family safe in the event of any emergency.

General Operating Fund

 

There are so many costs involved with running a zoo - they are too many to mention. Donating to this fund allows us to distribute the funds wherever they are most needed.