It’s A Jungle In Here ...

New River Zoo Is Home To Exotic Animals

FLEETWOOD, N.C. – As the ostrich eats, food bulges in one spot on its long slender neck, forcing the animal to raise its head periodically so that gravity will help it swallow the lump.
“It looks just like something in a ‘Bugs Bunny’ cartoon,” said Keith Stroud, owner of the New River Zoo near Deep Gap, about 40 minutes south of Boone, N.C.
Another little-known fact he likes to point out is that the tail of the dominant wolf in the pack curves up and over the animal’s back, while a submissive wolf’s tail angles downward to the ground. You might want to check your own dog to see where it ranks in your household’s social hierarchy.
There is much to be learned at this small, private zoo, and don’t be surprised to meet up with animals you’ve never even heard of. Stroud has a breeding pair of coati (pronounced koh-wah-tee), a member of the raccoon family that actually looks more like an anteater. It sleeps in trees from Arizona to the Amazon rain forest.
Stroud has collected his menagerie – more than 70 species of birds, reptiles and mammals – from a number of sources. Some are rescued, and many have proven themselves to be a poor choice of domestic pet.
“Someone didn’t do their research,” he said, pointing at his pair of Fennec foxes, meaning someone didn’t know these little furry creatures with the bright eyes and the big ears might have a certain tendency to burrow down deep into carpets and furniture.
Other animals were acquired from small zoos shutting down all across the country. There’s a lot of that going around. Spiraling food costs and other economic pressure are putting small operations out of business.
An absence of asphalt at the New River Zoo – none, actually, unless you count the parking lot – is a big part of the ambiance. Winding gravel paths through the woods run a circuitous route from the birds (including a pair of extremely conversational cockatiels) past the emus to the macaques (otherwise known as snow monkeys) Tiki and Meeka. Prone to hysteria, and with wide, tragic eyes, these two are often the hit of the show.
But who could choose a favorite among fierce competition like this?
And speaking of fierce, just around the next bend are two leopards, one of them an African spotted leopard named Loki, and the other, Sue, a black leopard.
A bobcat native to this part of the world is called Bubba, and nearby is Dippy, an aged New Guinea Singing Dog who doesn’t do quite so much vocalizing anymore.
Dippy was one of Stroud’s first exotic animal acquisitions, and he has a place to stay no matter how old he gets. Stroud said there is a tendency among zoos to euthanize animals of a certain age in order to bring in a younger specimen, but that’s not something that will ever happen here.
His devotion to these animals, and theirs to him, is evident at every stop along the way.
There are informational signs on each exhibit, but you’ll get a lot more out of your visit if you schedule a conducted tour, and watch this guy interact with his pet collection, talking to them as much as he talks to his guests, all the while tossing out fascinating items of interest not included on the signs.
Ostriches, a llama and an alpaca are adjacent to the goats, ducks and geese clustered around a pond. Reptiles are in the basement of Stroud’s house, and the wolf pack is behind the house.
Stroud earned a biology degree at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, N.C., did some graduate work at UNC-Charlotte and worked as a zookeeper at the Concord Zoo in Charlotte. He started building animal pens around his rural house in 1997, and the zoo opened in 2001.
“I wasn’t really intending for it to be a zoo,” he said. “I just wanted a place to have my own animals. But to have the animals I had as pets, I had to have a USDA license.”
The zoo is supported through private donations, proceeds from admission charges and assistance from sources like Stroud’s alma mater – students from Lees-McRae who help out on weekends. He’d have to make some administrative changes to be eligible for state or federal funding.
“From what I’ve found out, I’d have to go nonprofit to do that. And I’m still kind of in limbo on whether to go nonprofit, because I know a lot of different zoos that have gone nonprofit. Some it’s worked out well for them, and some it has not worked out,” he said.
The zoo occupies only seven of his 22 acres, leaving a lot of open space for future expansion. He’d like to create an amphitheater on the mountainside for animal shows, and he’s giving some thought to creating a wild bird sanctuary.
Of course, more animals will be more than likely.

YOU SHOULD KNOW
Admission to the zoo is $8 for adults and $6 for children. Weather permitting – Stroud said he doesn’t close down in the winter unless there has been some sort of weather emergency – hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sundays. Call (336) 877-9219 or visit http://www.newriverzoo.com.

LOIS CAROL WHEATLEY is a freelance writer. Contact her at .