Feeding the animals at Tanganyika Wildlife Park

June 29, 11:17 AMWichita Parenting ExaminersTodd & Jennifer Marsha

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Mama Roo feeding her joey

Stand within feet of a kangaroo as it nurses its joey. Feel a tortoise’s shell as you feed it romaine lettuce. Marvel at the softness of a ring-tailed lemur’s hand as it takes a snack from your palm.

 These are just some some of things we did during our visit to Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Goddard, KS, just 20 minutes west of Downtown Wichita. What started as a zoo supply business in 1985, developed into the Tanganyika Wildlife Foundation in 2001 with a mission “to educate the public about endangered species while increasing the population of certain species through quality breeding programs.”

Jim Fouts started out as a zookeeper at the Sedgwick County Zoo, then opened his Goddard facility as a breeding and holding facility, helping to distribute animals to zoos all over the world. His wife Sherri is no stranger to wildlife, either. Some of her animals have been seen in the movies and television, as well as at popular zoos across the globe. Sherri has raised more than fifty species, among them some of the world’s most endangered.

"Here's lookin' at you, Lorakeet!"

We found Tanganyika Wildlife Park on the web one day, while looking for some family friendly activities to enjoy during Todd’s recent vacation. While it’s a bit off the beaten path (a dirt road will be involved), the directions we got from the website brought us there with no problem.

With an easy to navigate list of exhibits in hand we toured the facility’s habitats in numerical order. Our first big surprise came in the form of an unexpected “landing”. A brightly-colored lorakeet landed on Todd’s shoulder causing the hair to stand on the back of his neck.

 From there, we enjoyed feeding rabbits and tortoises, took a stroll with the red kangaroos, watched the clouded leopards have a rest, and ended with giving a fun filled snack to the ring-tailed lemurs. The most fun, though, came from watching Jack’s reactions to the many different species. He waved and blew kisses to the giraffes while pointing quizzically at the white-handed gibbons and colobus monkeys. The highlight of his day was definitely feeding the bunnies and Africa spur-thighed tortoises. He was fascinated with how both groups would swarm around a leaf of lettuce once he held it out to be eaten. Watching both the rabbits’ and tortoises’ “pack mentality”, along with Jack’s ecstatic jumping and clapping was quality entertainment

Todd helps Jack feed a ring-tailed lemur

 Once you’re done feeding the animals, you can watch the zookeepers feed them as Tanganyika Wildlife Park has an active breeding program. Babies expected in 2009 include black and white ruffed lemurs, kookaburras, snow leopards, and reticulated giraffes. Viewing windows at the park entrance allow visitors to watch the babies sleep in their cages and be bottle fed several times a day by the park’s outstanding staff.

As parents of an active toddler, we’re very committed to finding new and different ways to stimulate his development and get him in touch with the natural world. This setting was small enough for a toddler to enjoy without getting too tired out, yet still brimming with activity. We felt close to the animals and we could tell the focus was definitely on interaction. Even with the closeness, we still felt very safe. Most park personnel were very engaged and very friendly. Our only criticism is that we would like to see a sign with age and size requirements for the camel ride. The guide wasn’t very approachable (partly because she getting another ride started) and we left not being sure if Jack was big enough to go for a spin around the park.

Still, we whole-heartedly recommend Tanganyika Wildlife Park at 1000 S. Hawkins Ln. in Goddard, KS to parents looking for a safe, fun and educational experience for children of all ages. 

For more info: Tanganyika Wildlife Park  Ring-tailed Lemur, Red Kangaroo