Turtle Back Zoo: Farm, Australia Walk-about and Ambassador Animals

 The center of the zoo is home to a large barn with farm animals and goat petting.  There is also a side barn with ponies for riding.  Pressed up against this is an Australian walk-about, but your can't because it's closed due to the Avian Flu presently killing songbirds all across North America.  Across from this area are a series of habitats for some of the zoo's ambassador animals.  Some of this was closed off for the use of the zoo's CEO who was giving a press conference to announce the next renovation project at the zoo.

FARM YARD ANIMALS

Within the barn are goats, kune kune pigs, an American Donkey, a horse of indistinct breed, some chickens, likewise unidentified, the promise of an alpaca, but no one en casa.

There are 4 species of goat, this is an Anglo-Nubian, I think.  They also had West African Dwarf, Toggenburg, and another I don't recall.  Unfortunately, the animals listed on their website is quite incomplete.

Jacob's Sheep

The Pony Ride Barn

AUSTRALIA

The anchor to this area is the Budgie encounter which was closed to the public.  If it were open, I could have also had much better views of the pod of wallabies.  I could not find a sign that identified their species, but there was a large group, maybe 7 or 8 animals in a very large space.  

Sculpture of a child holding up a bird at the entrance of the Budgie Encounter.

The Wallaby Habitat

ANIMAL AMBASSADORS

Much of this area was closed, but a very nice Cheetah Habitat was viewable from the long pathway on the lower side of the Farm/Australia areas.  The Habitat was nicely deep, and impressively wide to allow the Cheetah to sprint.  The docent explained how it had been home to a trio of sibling (1 female and 2 males); however, when they reach maturity, the males had been moved.  Now, the female cheetah lives with a companion dog, a golden retriever.  I've seen the same exact set up at the Richmond Metro Zoo in Virginia.  These species seem to make excellent companions.