Bearizona is a drive-through safari park near Williams, Arizona, on Historic Route 66. It contains a variety of animals that visitors can see up close from their car or shuttle.[4] It was founded in 2010 and is known for its black bear cubs.
| Bearizona | |
|---|---|
The park's entrance | |
 | |
| 35°15′06″N 112°08′52″W / 35.2518°N 112.1477°W | |
| Date opened | May 22, 2010 |
| Location | 1500 E Hist. Rte 66, Williams, AZ 86046 |
| Land area | 158 acres (64 ha) |
| No. of species | ~23[1] |
| Annual visitors | 300,000 (2015)[2] |
| Memberships | AAZK, ZAA[1] |
| Owner | Sean Casey[3] |
| Website | bearizona |
History
editThe park was started by Sean and Dennis Casey, whose parents had founded Bear Country USA. another drive-through safari park, in Rapid City, South Dakota.[5] They chose Williams as the location for their own park as they hoped it would have high traffic as it is located near the intersection of I-40 and SR 64, which leads to Grand Canyon National Park.[3] The park also had a suitable climate.[6] It cost $15 million to create.[7]
The zoo's concept was approved by the city in July 2009 and the Caseys bought the property in August.[6] Roads began construction in October.[8] The park's grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on May 22, 2010. It was attended by the Williams-Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce and the Mayor of Williams, John Moore.[9] A jaguar exhibit opened in 2016.[2] In March 2017, the park had to go on lockdown due to an armed suspect coming near the park. No one was injured.[10] The Canyonlands restaurant opened in May of the same year.[11][12] In 2018, an otter exhibit opened.[13] During the COVID-19 pandemic, the park remained open with additional preventative measures for visitors in order to avoid contracting the virus. It reported increased numbers during the first month of the pandemic.[14]
Description
editThe park is 158 acres (64 ha) in size, containing three miles (4.8 km) of roads.[15][16] The majority of the zoo is covered by a ponderosa pine forest.[1] It is closed from December 31 to March 1.[17]
Most of the animals can be found in Fort Bearizona, a 20-acre (8.1 ha) section of the park that is set up more like a traditional zoo.[1][18] It contains many black bear cubs, which are one of the zoo's main attractions.[17][19] The park also contains a 6,000 square feet (560 m2) sit-down restaurant, Canyonlands, and a 12,000 square feet (1,100 m2) gift shop.[11][15] During the winter season, Bearizona has a Wild Wonderland festival where 400,000 lights synchronized with Christmas music are placed on the trees along with winter-themed events.[20]
Animals
editAnimals that can be found at the zoo include:[1]
Harris's hawk, Livingstone's turaco, black vulture, red-legged seriema, fennec fox, crested porcupine, striped skunk, Argentine black and white tegu, milk snake, mountain coati, and three-banded armadillo are animals that can be seen through shows and presentations.[1]
Animal conservation
editThe park contains a pond with captured northern leopard frogs, which was created in partnership with federal and state agencies to provide a safe habitat for the recovering populations of the species. The zoo also rehabilitates and provides a habitat for animals that are unable to be re-released into the wild. Half of the animals are rescues.[6] Water is reused often to conserve resources in the dry climate and scrap metal is repurposed into many structures.[1] Some metal, especially shipping containers and RVs, came from the aftermath of the October 2010 Arizona tornado outbreak and hailstorm in Bellemont.[3]
Controversies
editIn 2014, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) reported that Bearizona was transferring some of its bear cubs to Oswald's Bear Ranch in Michigan, which has been known to violate animal welfare laws.[21] Documents from the Arizona Game and Fish Department also revealed that the zoo had previously sent bears to similar, United States Department of Agriculture-cited, facilities in Minnesota and Texas.[22][23]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g "Official website". Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ a b Vanek, Corina (August 11, 2016). "Bearizona jaguar exhibit to open Sunday". Arizona Daily Sun. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ a b c Bruner, Betsey (October 10, 2011). "Up Close: Keeper of the bears". Arizona Daily Sun. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ "Bearizona Wildlife Park". Experience Williams. Archived from the original on July 7, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ Soderlin, Barbara (May 23, 2012). "Casey brothers find success with Bearizona". Rapid City Journal. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ a b c Craven, Scott (September 7, 2015). "Bearizona: Where bear, buffalo and other wild creatures roam". The Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ Cowan, Emery (March 21, 2015). "Bearizona gets new batch of tiny cubs". Arizona Daily Sun. Archived from the original on July 7, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ "Bearizona celebrates 8th anniversary May 22". AZ Big Media. May 18, 2018. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ Williams, Ryan (June 2, 2010). "Bearizona wildlife park opens doors". Navajo-Hopi Observer. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ "Bearizona wildlife park in Arizona on lockdown due to armed suspect". Fox News. March 27, 2017. Archived from the original on July 7, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ a b Walton, Elizabeth (May 18, 2017). "Grand opening of Canyonlands Restaurant at Bearizona". KOLD-TV. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ "Canyonlands Restaurant at Bearizona officially opens". Williams-Grand Canyon News. May 23, 2017. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ James, Loretta (June 19, 2018). "New otter exhibit opens at Bearizona". Williams-Grand Canyon News. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ "Bearizona Provides Refuge for Tourists Avoiding Crowds, Reports Surprising Surge of Visitors in February" (Press release). March 16, 2020. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024 – via PRWeb.
- ^ a b "Bearizona Wildlife Park". Arizona Attractions. July 12, 2019. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ "Black bear triplets debut at Bearizona Wildlife Park". KABC-TV. March 17, 2015. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ a b Webb, Janet (July 31, 2011). "Drive-through Bearizona offers close-up look at wildlife". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ Molen, Jan (December 14, 2019). "Go wild at three of Arizona's best animal parks". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ Lacey, Mark (August 2, 2011). "Keep the Windows and Sunroofs Closed in Bearizona". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
- ^ "Bearizona kicks off Wild Wonderland holiday attraction Dec. 6". KOLD-TV. December 4, 2019. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ Winders, Delcianna (October 8, 2014). "Bearizona Offloading Bears to Abusive Outfits". People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ Heinsius, Ryan (October 9, 2014). "Wildlife Advocates Urge Bearizona to Sever Ties with Questionable Bear Facilities". KNAU. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ Edsitty, Charly (October 14, 2014). "PETA asks Bearizona to change animal-transfer policy". The Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.