A Day At York’s Wild Kingdom

It’s no secret that I love animals.  I grew up with dogs and guinea pigs, and I’m a sort uncle to my roommate’s cat.  So after my trip to The Maine Wildlife Park, I decided to visit York’s Wild Kingdom.  Their website boasts that they are New England’s only zoo and amusement park, and I wasn’t disappointed.

 

York’s Wild Kingdom is open from late May to mid-September.  The zoo opens at 10am and the amusement park opens at 11am.  During peak summer months, admissions will close at 4pm, but much like The Maine Wildlife Park, visitors can stay until 6pm, while the amusement park closes at 8pm.  I pulled into the compound at 11am, and I discovered that the main parking lot was already full.  However York’s Wild Kingdom has a contingency plan for such an event, and they have secondary lots were people can park, along with transportation to and from the park. The ride to the park was enjoyable and lined with trees, making for a smooth trip.

 

After disembarking from the shuttle, I decided to tour the amusement park.  The rides were varied, ranging from the tame for little one’s, to a ride that spins on its axis.  Watching some of the more intense rides turned my stomach, but much like my trip to the pier in June, I could see the popularity of such rides.  There were batting cages with varying speeds, fun houses and haunted houses, and there were carnival games galore.  There were even games that were “play-till-you-win,” which was a nice touch.  There is a stall that does temporary tattoos as well bumper cars, go karts, and there’s even a ride that can be described as bumper boats.

 

Furthermore, an amusement park is not complete without food.  There are a couple of food establishments that serve a selection of lunch and dinner options, like burgers and chicken tenders, as well as food stands that serve ice cream, fried dough and other such goodies.  While there are picnic tables scattered around the park, some of the restaurants provide a deck of sorts with a whole slew of picnic tables.  The park even provides umbrellas to shield patrons from the sun.

 

After I finished lunch, I made my way to the zoo.  The first thing I noticed was that there were camel and pony rides.  It looked like a lot of fun, and it provided parents with a photo opportunity.  After some exploring, I found myself at a pond full of ducks.  There were food dispensers that for a quarter you could feed the ducks.  As the park had much to offer, I ventured deeper into the zoo.  As I walked by the swan enclosure and the aoudad exhibit, I found myself amongst a herd of goat.

 

As with the ducks, there were food dispensaries present so that the guests could feed the goats. There were goats of different sizes, and I had a lot of fun feeding them.  Some of the bigger goats could stand on their hind legs and prop themselves on the fence in such a way that their heads could clear the top of the fence. There’s even an area where guests can enter an enclosure and mingle with some of the goats.

 

Being a zoo, York’s Wild Kingdom doesn’t disappoint when it comes to exotic animals.  I found a Bengal Tiger napping in the sun, and as I watched, he got up and began to walk about the enclosure.  I was so taken aback by such a creature, that I almost missed the white tiger sleeping in the next pen.  There were zebras, a vast variety of monkeys, emus, and a lion.

 

As my day was coming to a close, I happened across a small theatre facing two enclosures.  A sign told me that in ten minutes a presentation on animals from different habitats would begin.  The women who made the presentation was knowledgeable and was able to engage the crowed, which was a mix of children and adults.  As the woman spoke about different animals, the subject of her presentation would enter one of pen as a way to provide a visual for the guests.  Visitors can catch presentations at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm, and it takes about fifteen minutes for the show to run its course.

 

Like in any other park, York’s Wild Kingdom has much to offer.  While I mentioned some of the highlights of my trip, there is still a lot to explore.  I do want to mention that weather can affect how long the park stays open, so if the weather is not ideal, make sure that the park’s hours haven’t changed. Visitors can find York’s Wild Kingdom can be found herewhile pricingand hourscan be found on their respective words.  The pricing and hours and operation mentioned are for the 2018 season; so if you’re looking to visit in later years, make sure to check back for updated information.  So once again, I ask, where should I go next?

A Wild Time at The Maine Wildlife Park

When people ask me about the different things to do in Maine, my response is quick and the list is tailored to the person I’m speaking to. However, when someone with small children approaches me, I draw a blank.  After asking a co-worker with a small son, I found myself with a variety of new adventures to pick from.  I decided to go to The Maine Wildlife Park, located in the town of Gray.  The park, which was only a half-hour drive from Portland, happens to be run by The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.  This government agency provides a number of different services and functions. People can get hunting and fishing licenses, register their snowmobiles and ATVs. The agency also offers other programs as well. If you’re curious about The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, the link is included.

 

The Maine Wildlife Park has ample parking- I had no problem finding space, mid-day, on a Tuesday in August. Walking up to the booth to pay admission was a pretty standard experience, but once I stepped inside the experience wasn’t standard at all. I had left the world behind and entered a heavily wooded area. The first thing that caught my eye was the crest for the Main Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.  The crest provides a photo opportunity, as it’s the size of a small house, and is, effectively, a 3-D model of the crest.  As I made my way through the trees and picnic tables, a burst of color caught my attention.  A beautiful garden greeted visitors to the park as well as to the visitor center.

 

As I entered the Visitor Center, the snake and turtle tanks caught my eye. I made a beeline for them.  After getting my fill of the amphibians, I turned my attention to the rest of the Visitor Center.  There is a moose cutout that provides facts about moose as well as a square foot of fur you can touch.  Posters about different fish and wild life also adorned the walls.  As I headed out to explore the rest of the park, I found an exhibit full of sand with molds of different animal paw prints.  I spent a few joyous minutes making prints in the sand before leaving for MaryAnn’s Snack Shack.  Small, beverages, ice cream, and other goodies are available for purchase. It’s definitely worth a visit if one needs something to snack on.

 

My journey took me to two hiking trails that provided more than just a brisk walk.  These trails are far from strenuous, so children and adults alike can enjoy their time in the woods.  Furthermore, each path provides something entirely unique.  While walking down one trail, I found myself reading the plaques that identified different trees, and listed uses for their wood.  If you venture a bit deeper, you will find trees that have been impacted by different animals.  There was a tree with holes made by woodpeckers, trees hollowed out by opossums, and trees stripped of their bark by moose.

 

As I continued through the woods, I started to encounter different animal exhibits.  My first stop was the colossal moose enclosure.  Anyone who has seen a moose will understand the need for such a massive enclosure. After a bit of searching I was able to find a bull and cow.  Both were enjoying some time in the shade, giving me an opportunity to snap a few photos and to see the moose from a short distance away.

 

The second trail has two distinct features.  The first is that there are cutouts of different animals hidden along the path.  The second is a series of plaques found along the footpath.  Each plaque contains a clue about an animal or tree.  The answers are in a broacher.

 

A wildlife park located in Maine has plenty of woodland creatures to see. I happened across a bear exhibit that included facts about bears, including tips about what to do when you’re face to face with a bear.  People can feed the bears via a contraption that provides the bears with a snack.  The park has another feeding area by a pond that houses a number of ducks. An added bonus is that the park provides a couple of benches where a family can sit and feed the ducks and chipmunks in comfort.

 

Probably one of the biggest exhibits in the park was the deer enclosure.  As I walk the path along the enclosure, hoping to catch sight of a deer, something unusual caught my eye.  A deer that was almost entirely white was enjoying some shade provided by of one of the many trees.  The deer was not an albino, but a piebald deer.  These deer possesses a genetic variance that causes a their fur to suffer from a lack of pigmentation.  This causes their fur to have to have a multitude of different patterns, ranging from white spots, to being almost completely white.  People may wonder what makes a deer an albino or piebald, and the answer lies with their hooves and eyes.  Albino deer will be completely white with pink hooves and eyes, while those who are piebald will have normal pigmentation in their eyes and hooves.

 

The Maine Wildlife Park knows that no park is complete without a bird exhibit, and I wasn’t disappointed.  There is quite large variety of fowl, ranging from exotic birds like peacocks, to the bald eagle.  Another bird worth mentioning is the turkey vulture.  While driving through Maine, these birds can be seen circling roads and forests in hopes of finding their next meal.  However, what made one of these turkey vultures special is that at forty years of age, it is the oldest animal in the park.

 

One of my last stops of the day was the hatchery.  It’s here that The Maine Wildlife Park breeds fish.  While most of the buildings are off limits, there are windows where visitors can witness the inner workings, as well as information about the hatchery. The last pool in this part of the park is one area where guests can actually approach.  A sign hanging above the pool tells me that there are an estimated six thousand yearling brook trout.  A look into the pool made me a believer, as there were fish practically bumping into each other.

 

My final stop was the Ted Morse building.  It’s here that two fawns and a moose calf are fed at Twelve-Thirty and Five-Thirty.  Although the feeding takes place behind a fence, it’s well worth a visit, as seeing a fawn or a calf in the wild is quite rare.

 

While I provided a sampling of things to do at The Maine Wildlife Park, there is so much left to do.  There are cougars, porcupines, raccoons, and other animals commonly found in the forest. There’s the Warden Museum, which gives a brief history of the wardens, as well as their duties.  An amphitheater can also be found in the park.  It’s here where wild life talks are held at 10am and 1am, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during the months of July and August. Stories and crafts are held here as well on Thursdays at 1030am, also during July and August.

 

The park is located at 56 Game Farm Road, in the town of Gray.  The reserve is open from 9:30am to 4:30pm, but guests who are already in the park can stay until 6pm.  Entrances fees can be found here, while the parks address and additional park information can be found here.  If a trip here is in your future, don’t forget to bring quarters, as the feeding stations within the park only take quarters.

 

The Maine Wildlife Park is in the town of Gray, but once you enter the park, you’ll be hard pressed to remember you’re so close to civilization. The smell of the woods will transport anyone away from the stress of everyday life.  It’s the light breeze, the sounds of nature, and the stillness of the trees that reminds you to stop, breath, and participate in what life has to offer.