Hershey, Pa., calls to mind chocolate Kisses and chocolate bars and more chocolate treats. So it should. Hershey Park fills the mind with visions of amusements and rides galore. And so it continues.
But Washingtonians know that among the attractions Milton Hershey added to the town now dubbed “The Sweetest Place on Earth” was Hershey Zoo, re-named ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park in 1978.
The park (originally established in 1910 with residents that included angora goats, peacocks and black bears) is now an 11-acre, walk- through zoo. Here, more than 200 animals comprise more than 60 species from five regions of North America. These are found in exhibits titled Southern Swamps, the Great Southwest, Eastern Woodlands, Big Sky Country and Northlands.
“Milton Hershey’s vision when he started the zoo back in 1910 was to give his employees and townspeople something that they could enjoy and learn from,” said Rachel Dinbokowitz, Hershey’s public relations coordinator. “ZooAmerica continues that vision by educating visitors year-round about different North American species and spreading conservation messages.”
ZooAmerica’s dedicated staff has had a long history of employment there — some for more than 30 years. And while it is impossible to give a complete listing of the animals they care for, some residents today include American alligators and crocodiles, dusky pygmy rattlesnakes and tree frogs, all found in the Southern Swamp Region. The Eastern Woodlands Exhibit is home to American black bears, barn owls and white-tailed deer.
Conservation awareness and species protection is the hallmark of the zoo’s education department.
“We hatched baby golden eagles here at ZooAmerica and helped to release them back into the wild,” said zoo naturalist Tal Wenrich. “Eagles began coming back to areas where they were missing for many decades. We released upwards of a dozen eagles back into the wild.”
This year, as the zoo celebrates its 100th birthday, a Founders Day fest will take place on May 2, 2010. Events will include highlighting the zoo’s illustrious history.
“The most exciting news is that our centennial year will bring a new species to Hershey,” Dinbokowitz continued. “Guests will be able to spot this exotic new addition in the nocturnal wing of the Great Southwest Region.”
In the wild, this endangered species can be found in one of the few locations where cocoa beans are harvested. And though Rachel Dinbokowitz would not name the animal yet, she did give a hint.
“It’s a perfect tribute to Mr. Hershey,” she said.
