Come take a walk on the wild side
Not many people know there is zoo located in Logan. It’s a small zoo, but there’s still a lot to see and do.
Surrounded by a park area with a playground and a pavilion, and a sports center, which includes basketball courts, sand volleyball courts and another playground, it is the perfect place for families or students to go and see the wildlife presented at the Willow Park Zoo.
There are more than 100 species of birds at the zoo. There are also other forms of wildlife, including monkeys, porcupines, coyotes, red foxes, bobcats, chipmunks and even pet rocks. That’s right, a pet rock exhibit.
The Willow Park Zoo boasts 21 pet rocks and even explains their diet (plows, picks, shovels, ankles and elbows), habitat (open fields, post holes, lawns), and incubation (10-20 million years, 30-9000 eggs). There are rocks of all shapes and sizes.
Another unique attraction is the golden eagle exhibit. Though most zoos have golden eagles, not many have a backdrop of Utah gold mines filled with ghosts.
Although Willow Park functions as a normal zoo, not every animal is locked up in a cage. Many of the bird exhibits are open, with various swans, ducks, pheasants, and doves located in the outdoor landscaping. There is even a “wild bird sanctuary,” with 16 birds listed on the sign by the display, and many others that like to come and enjoy the environment of the zoo.
By each display is not only the name of each animal, but also the diet and habitat for that animal, along with the history of each species. A lot can be learned by spending a relaxing 20 minutes at 419 W. 700 South in Logan.
“I think [the zoo] was a fun, relaxing place that had some fun exhibits,” said Asher Stettler, undeclared sophomore at USU. “I probably liked the bobcats most. They were all cuddled up and relaxed looking and comfortable looking, like I’d like to be doing, instead of homework or something. Except I’m not doing homework, I’m at the zoo.”
Stettler said she also enjoyed the turtles at the Willow Park Zoo.
“It was fun to watch them attempt to walk around as they bumped into each other in their habitat,” she said. “As they’re trying to move around under their heavy shell, you can just see them thinking, ‘come on, one more step, this shell is so heavy.'”
Willow Park Zoo is one Logan location that not many students know about, but most say they would like to visit.
“I didn’t know there was a zoo in Logan,” said Elise Oliphant, freshman majoring in broadcast journalism, “I like zoos. Yeah, I’d like to go.”
The Logan Park Zoo is currently undergoing construction for a new exhibit for elk, wapiti, sand hill cranes and wild turkeys.
Also coming up soon is the “Boo at the Zoo” event, featuring Horton from Horton Hears a Who. The event is on Oct. 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The cost is $5 for kids (defined as age 12 and under) and $15 for families. Group pricing is also available. The event includes candy and games. It’s also a costume party, in honor of Halloween.
For more information on the Willow Park Zoo, just go there. Daily admission is $1 for adults and 50 cents for children. The zoo is open from 9 a.m. until dusk seven days a week.
It is closed on Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. The sports center and park by the zoo is completely free and is always open to the public.
– jill.bowers@aggiemail.usu.edu