Very Beary Fun Facts

Did you know that not all Black Bears are actually black; some of them are blue-black, brown, cinnamon, blonde, dark brown or even white.

Black Bears are known for their swimming capabilities: they can swim for about 1-1/2 miles in fresh water.

Just because a Black Bear is standing on its hind legs does not necessarily mean it is about to charge. Sometimes the bear is making an attempt to smell and see whatever it is that has made it curious.

Black Bears compensate for their poor eyesight with very developed senses of hearing and smell.

The adult Black Bear can weigh between 90 and 880 pounds: the females are smaller than the males. Did you know the cubs of the Black Bear only weigh between 1/2 and 1 pound when they are born?

Black Bears are generally very shy and can be easily frightened. The Black Bear is very quick and can run as fast as 35-miles an hour!

Some people believe Black Bears are a threat. they are actually tolerant and gentle animals that can be very playful and social. 

Do you know how the Teddy Bear got its name? Post your answer in the comment section or on our Facebook page. It will be fun to see how many people know the story behind the favorite toy to children (and grown ups!) everywhere!

Have You Seen The Weather Forecast For Opening of the 2012 Season?

We might be stretching the lounging in the sun just a bit - after all, this is northern Wisconsin.


However ... Mother Nature is promising to give us abundant sunshine and temperatures in the 50's. While it's not the dog days of summer, it is perfect going to the zoo weather.




Everyone has been busy getting ready for opening day - we can't wait to see you!

Calling All Volunteers: Bring a Rake and Join Us For Our Annual Spring Raking Clean Up At The Park

An annual event that everyone looks forward to! Bring a rake and your garden/work gloves and spend a day at the wildest place in town!

Easter Delivery: Wildwood Wildlife Park Style!

Springtime is one of our favorite times of the year and not just because it means a return to longer days and the absence of substantial snow pack in Wisconsin's north woods.

A special delivery was made to the park on Easter Sunday with the arrival of baby Aoudad's. We were able to take a few photographs of the babies outside shortly after their birth but then we relocated them indoors due to the extreme night time temperatures.

Aoudads, the only wild sheep indigenous to Africa, were originally native to the Barbary coast including the areas of Morocco, the Western Sahara, Egypt, and Sudan. These beautiful animals have been vulnerable to extinction in their native land but are making a remarkable comeback.

Aoudads have tan-colored thick, shaggy coats with a hint of red that become darker as the Aoudads grow older. They can grow to a height of 2-12/ to 3 feet at the shoulder and generally are 4-12/ to 5 feet in length. Aoudads can weigh anywhere from 150 to 300 pounds.

Mating takes place throughout the year but generally will occur from September through November so the babies will arrive in the months of March through May: the gestation period is approximately 155-160 days.

Fun Facts

Aoudads are grazers, chewing their cud. They have a four-chambered stomach that allows them to ruminate. 

Can you name another animal at the zoo that has a four-chambered stomach?

A male Aoudad is called a ram.

A female Aoudad is called a ewe. 

Opening for the 2012 Season on Saturday, April 28th!

Although it has been warm outside we are in the process of acclimating Wildwood Wildlife Park animal residence. We gradually change the environment temperature, humidity, and photoperiod so all the animals will adjust to temperature fluxuation from morning to peak day to evening temperatures. The majority of our animals have been in consistent heated temperature buildings, so acclimation occurs by lowering the ambient temperature 5 degrees every week until the temperature in the building is similar to the outside temperature. Then our animals will be ready to transfer to their outside exhibits.

Our black bears woke up one week ago: Buddy (seen in the photo on the right) is wide-awake, Candy is half awake, Honey did not want to wake up she opened her eyes licked her toes and fell back to sleep!

Candy and Honey have been sleeping most of the days even though the weather is nice.  

Spring has sprung Wildwood Wildlife Park has some babies born already including:

Baby Cavy

Baby Chicks

Baby Bunnies

Baby Chinchilla

Angel on My Shoulder on January 20, 2012 at Camp Manito-wish YMCA in Boulder Junction, WI

We enjoyed an evening with young people experiencing cancer through loved ones.

Angel on My Shoulder opens its arms with compassion and kindness to these remarkable campers who join us for Camp Angel.  Lolly Rose Founder/Executive Director called and invited us to come to camp to present with Wildwood Wildlife Educational Animals.  We were very delighted to be asked.


Representing the staff at Wildwood Wildlife Park were Zookeepers Jen/Brooke/Beth and Zoo Directors Judy/Duane. 


We've posted photographs of our time with the campers on Flickr, which you can access here.


Angel On My Shoulder is blessed to be able to provide these campers the opportunity to meet others experiencing cancer through loved ones in a well-supervised atmosphere of love and understanding and lift them up in a positive way.


We want to Thank Lolly Rose and the entire camp staff for allowing us to share a memorable and joyous evening with the campers.

Thank You From Wildwood Residents and Staff!

While our residents may be spending the winter slumbering away, we hope you will continue to follow us on our blog, Facebook and Twitter. We look forward to sharing stories and photographs with you over the next few months! But until then our residents say ...