The last time I visited the Warner Park Zoo, Hank the monkey was still alive and the famed centerpiece of the Zoo. Unfortunately, Hank, the oldest resident of the Zoo at 42 years old, passed away early this year.
I found it nothing short of amazing to see the outpouring of support from the community after Hank’s death. Local papers wrote stories about the famed chimp, he was featured on the front of the Zoo’s ChattaZooga Magazine and a party was even thrown in his honor.
onths after Hank’s death, I thought the least I could do would be to return to the Warner Park Zoo and see how it was carrying on without him. There, I passed through several Zoo areas including the Gombe Forest (former home to Hank), the Himalayan Passage, the Corcovado Jungle, Misunderstood Marvels, Walkin’ the tracks, the Warner Park Ranch, and the new Dinosaurs! exhibit in the education center.
The day I visited the Zoo was hot hot hot. The weather had just made the transition from cool spring to summer, complete with muggy after tones. The animals at the Zoo and I seemed to agree that this type of weather is good for finding a shady place to sleep.
At the Himalayan Passage, a snow leopard panted in the shade atop a rock and waterfall fixture. The recent Zoo addition of the baby snow leopard was just within sight, resting its head on both paws as it attempted a catnap. The Hanuman Langurs in the same area were a bit more active. Two of these monkey-like creatures were grooming each other and devouring the spoils, while the Francois Langur leapt up right against the glass to find shade before leaping back up into the swinging hoses high above and agitating the other Langurs. The fox faced Red Pandas of the Himalayan Passage were out of sight, probably finding some place cool.
Visiting the newly remodeled Corcovado Jungle, the spider monkeys were in action as well as the macaws that were grooming themselves. Walking from exhibit to exhibit, we heard these horrible shrieking noises. We soon found the source in the male peacocks that strutted around the Zoo, free from cages, because (one sign read) these birds have made this place their home and therefore will not leave. The crows further down in cages seemed to put up a bit of fuss at this. The great horned owl and the barn owl that were there looked too sleepy to hoot about their own habitats.
Down by the “Walkin’ the Tracks” portion of the Zoo the whitetail deer were resting alongside ducks and geese that had made the deer pen their own. The prairie dogs were as cute as ever nearby. Used to the heat, they were popping in and out of their holes to grab stalks of celery and carrots to nibble. One prairie dog sat up nibbling a carrot and watching the people watching him, while another laid flat on his belly in the sun.
The raccoons lounged about like housecats, and took baths by dipping their small hands in the water and rubbing them against their face. We tried to get a resting bobcat to move up closer to us, but he only rolled over on his perch and slept on.
The “Misunderstood Marv-els” section was probably my favorite. Five huge pythons shared one large cage, all of these snakes massive and intimidating, even behind the glass. The poison dart frogs at this area were about the size of an adult thumb, but the warning of their skin coloration was clear: don’t touch. The several turtles throughout the Zoo, swimming about and sunning themselves on rocks were also neat to observe.
Another similarly fun exhibit I enjoyed was the Warner Park Ranch. This is a petting Zoo filled with sheep and goats. There is also a camel, a buffalo, pot-bellied pigs and miniature horses here too.
The final area we visited was the education center where the new Dinosaurs! exhibit was located. For $2.50 extra, this exhibit was quite a treat. This is as close to seeing “real” dinosaurs and their babies in captivity as one can come. Seeing the faces of the young children that came to this exhibit and watching their wonder at the squeaking, squawking, and roaring dinosaurs was an experience in itself. It’s worth the Zoo detour to stop and see these robotic and artistic masterpieces.
Although the merchandise in the gift shop offers sad reminders of the loss of Hank, it is safe to say that the Zoo is carrying on brilliantly after the loss of their oldest animal. From the animals currently residing at the Warner Park Zoo, there is sure to emerge a star that will recapture the hearts of Zoo visitors.
Email Erica Tuggle at reporter@hamiltoncountyherald.com.