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Hemker Park & Zoo

Coordinates: 44°46′07″N 93°11′56″W / 44.76861°N 93.19889°W / 44.76861; -93.19889
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Hemker Park & Zoo
Map
44°46′07″N 93°11′56″W / 44.76861°N 93.19889°W / 44.76861; -93.19889
Date opened1977[1]
LocationFreeport, Minnesota, USA
No. of species51[2]
Websitehemkerzoo.com

The Hemker Park & Zoo is a family owned zoo founded in 1977 in Freeport, Minnesota. The zoo was founded by Mark and Joan Hemker

History

The Hemker Park and Zoo was started in 1977 by Mark and Joan Hemker in Freeport, MN when the couple acquired their first collection of waterfowl. It started out as the Hemker Game Farm. In 1980 the farm acquired its first pair of White-tail Deer and a Black Bear. The expanded in 1985 when the zoo acquired a Pronghorn Antelope and a pair of reindeer. In 1992, the Hemker Game Farm became the Hemker Wildlife Park and later that same year added six Black-footed Penguins to their collection. Finally, in 1994 the Hemker Wildlife Park opened to the public for the first time. The turn of the century brought new exhibits to the Hemker Wildlife Park such as the African Safari. In 2006, beloved owner Mark Hemker passed away, but his family made the decision to keep the zoo open in his memory. In 2008, Hemker Wildlife Park became the Hemker Park & Zoo and added a new picnic area and farm petting zoo. In 2010 the penguins returned and in 2012 the zoo added two New Guinea Singing Dogs- Gus and Lucy.


Animals

MAMMALS

Red Kangaroos

Reindeer

Bacterium Camel

Miniature Horses

Big Horn Sheep

Dall Sheep

Muflon Sheep

Grant Zebra

Addax

Kudu

Sititunga

Prong Horn Antelope

Muck Ox

Domestic Sheep

Llama

Miniature Highlander Cattle

African Porcupine

Patagonian Cavy

White Tail Deer

Buffalo

Domestic Cow

Mule Deer

Black Handed Spider Monkey

North American Porcupine

Ring Tailed Lemurs

Brown Capuchin

Cotton Top Tamarin

White Throated Capuchin

New Guinea Signing Dogs

Muntjac Deer

Silver Fox

Raccoon

REPTILES

African Spurred Tortoises

Boa Constrictor

Bearded Dragons

Leopard Gecko

Green Tree Frog

Rose hair tarantula

Green Anole

Corn Snakes

Chameleon

BIRDS

African Black-Footed Penguins

Blue and Gold Macaw

Military Macaw

Double Yellow Head Amazon

Chilean Flamingo

American Flamingo

Florida Sand Hill Crane

Black Swan

Black Neck Swan

Peafowl

Variety of different Waterfowl Species

Experiences

Other experiences offered by the zoo include educational tours, reindeer sleigh rides, picnics, birthday parties, wagon rides, and a mobile petting zoo. Also offered by the zoo is the Zoo Keeper Experience Day. For this you get to spend a day with one of the zoo keepers and help with feeding, enrichment programs, educational programs, and cleaning.


See also

Notes

{{Reflist|refs=

[2]

Official website

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference zoo_history was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b "Hemker Park & Zoo". hemkerzoo.com. Hemker Park & Zoo. Retrieved 25 July 2012.