Little Ponderosa busy with babies
$5 entry this Friday
Oswald, the rare albino raccoon that was rescued as a baby and hand-fed by staff at the Little Ponderosa Zoo and Wildlife Rescue near Clinton in 2021, was pictured here last weekend getting ready to do some “spring cleaning” in his enclosure at the zoo. He is one of the many animals on display at the zoo and rescue. He was never released into the wild because he is hearing and vision impaired, and would not have been able to survive on his own. As a result, he lives a pampered life at The Little Ponderosa.
To help everyone get to see the spring crop of babies, the zoo will drop its admission price to $5 this Friday (March 8) for the day, with operating hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Little Ponderosa also offers special group access to play with some of the baby goats, which requires scheduling in advance, Bell said.
“We pick out eight to 10 of the friendliest and most-cuddly babies, and people get to sit in a pen with them,” she said. The price is $50 for a group of up to six people, or $100 for more than six people.
“When they get a little older, around the end of March, the babies will be allowed to free-roam throughout the zoo and interact with our guests,” Bell said.
Also on Friday, Little Ponderosa’s senior zookeeper, Jordan White, who is the author of the book “Gunther Loses a Whisker,” will be at a booth outside the enclosure of zoo favorite Gunther the tiger, selling copies of her book for $15 (Friday only).
“These will be signed copies, and can be personalized,” Bell said.
Plasters of Gunther’s paw, whisker frames, and more will also be available for sale while supplies last.
The Little Ponderosa is at 629 Granite Road, in the Dutch Valley community near Clinton.
Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
For more information, call 865-457-5536, or visit the website littleponderosazoo.com.