Family Fun
written by maggie matsko
Photo by Oglebay Resort & Conference Center.
W
ith West Virginia’s rugged
and rural terrain, there’s
an expectation for the
Mountain State to be rich with wildlife.
While spectators visiting the state
can easily study all kinds of species
common to the area, three zoos in
West Virginia give the term wildlife
a whole new meaning.
Hovatter’s Wildlife Zoo
lemurs, Himalayan bears, Japanese
macaques, aoudads, spotted and
black leopards, African pygmy goats,
miniature donkeys, olive baboons,
buffalo, bobcats, camels and spider,
grivet and capuchin monkeys, as well
as various reptiles. Oglebay Good Zoo
Upon admission, guests can purchase
animal food packages to hand-feed
the giraffes, goats, llamas, deer and
other hoofstock animals. Hovatter’s
also has an enclosed exhibit with more
than 400 parakeets where families can
go in and feed the birds. Located in Wheeling on the property of
Oglebay Resort & Conference Center,
the zoo is home to more than 60 species,
including the hellbender salamander,
Burmese python, meerkat, ring-tailed
lemur, mongoose lemur, cotton-top
tamarin, golden lion tamarin, two-toed
sloth, Andean bear, Grevy’s zebra, red-
necked wallaby, cheetah, bald eagle,
red panda, Chinese goral and reindeer,
as well as a variety of domestic animals.
“We love for our visitors to get the rare
opportunity to get close to our furry
friends and experience their kind and
friendly behavior,” says Darby Grimm,
a gift shop manager at Hovatter’s.
Photo by Hovatter’s Wildlife Zoo.
Since 1992, Hovatter’s Wildlife Zoo has
been captivating families in Kingwood
with its large collection of wildlife. The
family-owned and operated zoo, which
will celebrate 26 years in April 2018, is
home to about 400 animals, including
giraffes, chimpanzees, grizzly bears,
African lions, white and orange Bengal
tigers, Russian wild boar, ringtail
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2 0 1 8 D i sc o v e r Wes t V i rg i n i a
Hovatter’s hosts several events
throughout the year for the public,
including a back-to-school event and
Boo at the Zoo, for which children can
dress up and go trick-or-treating on
the zoo’s grounds.
Hovatter’s Wildlife Zoo is open
seven days a week from 10:00 a.m.
to 6:00 p.m., April to October. For
more information, visit www.
westvirginiazoo.com.
In 1977, the Oglebay Good Zoo was
dedicated in memory of 7-year-old
Philip Mayer Good so families could
find happiness through a renewed
appreciation of the world’s creatures.
The zoo offers animal encounter
programs through which guests can
accompany animal keepers to learn
about the care of a variety of the zoo’s
species while assisting the keeper
with feeding and training. The Keeper
for a Day program is offered for
younger guests who are interested in
becoming zookeepers or conservation
biologists. Guests are also able to
experience the interactive, experiential
enclosures that include the lorikeet
feeding aviary, goat contact area and
walk-through kangaroo exhibit.