The wild side of Ohio

By Brianna Smith

Guests climb aboard open-top buses, binoculars and cameras in hand, as a skilled driver winds down dusty roads. Soon, rhinos come into view. Off in the distance stands a giraffe, with a herd of zebras grazing nearby. The sights, sounds, and close encounters with wildlife feel more like an African safari than a trip through rural America. Yet this experience is unfolding not halfway around the world, but in southeast Ohio.

The Wilds, based in Cumberland, Ohio, is a 10,000-acre reclaimed surface mine that has been transformed into a one-of-a-kind conservation center. What was once home to coal miners and massive equipment like the infamous Big Muskie is now home to hundreds of animals, including several threatened and endangered species.

“The Wilds is a conservation center,” said Joe Greathouse, Ph.D., Vice President of The Wilds. “We’re accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and we’re part of the Columbus Zoo Conservation Parks, along with the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.… Continue reading