Bandon, Oregon has been home to a very unique animal park since around 1978 and we’ve been coming here for over 25 years. They’re just south of Bandon right on Highway 101 and you can’t miss them. They started out as a breeding facility for endangered animals and from there added animals over the years and now include breeding for zoos as well as exchanges. The unique aspect of this park is their Nursery department of calm & young animals when they’re young, such as this skunk, ground hog, fox and possum to whatever animals that were born that spring such as the bear cubs, tigers, lions, Russian Lynx and the sable cat. These young are socialized to humans by both the handlers who take them home at night for feeding when they need it, to the public themselves, who are allowed into an enclosed area to put hands on the animals. I don’t know of any other place in the country that does this, and it’s always been such an incredible treat for us, and later on, for our grandchildren.
In addition to that, there are lots of free roaming donkeys, goats, llamas, deer and sheep that you can feed by hand from treats offered for sale inside the facility. Be warned though, once you start feeding one, they all know it and you’re suddenly surrounded by cute animals all looking for a handout!
Modeling Head Shot-right side
Modeling head shot-Left Side
Modeling head shot-Front View
Surprisingly, the admission fees have managed to stay pretty reasonable over the years, nothing like the big parks in California and Florida, and you can get in for a very reasonable price.
It’s open year round except for Xmas and Thanksgiving Day, with reduced hours in the winter.
When you leave, they’ve installed a nice washing facility for both your hands and shoes.
Incidentally, there is a review online from someone professing to be a travel writer calling herself “Anna B. who was annoyed at the facility for not getting with her for an interview, so she wrote a childish and scathing report about the place, ending her rant with the fact that the cages were too small, she noticed, while driving past. So not only is she unprofessional and immature, she’s also a liar because there is an 8 foot high fence completely around the facility and you can’t see anything from the road.
I can’t recommend this place enough if you like animals.
Russian Serval Cat- 7 months old-That focus of hers is on a goat that was wandering around outside the enclosed area.
Princess Peach-She is about 2 years old. I didn’t realize this, but a possum’s life span is very short, about 4 years. And apparently when they do get older than this, they age very rapidly. So Princess Peach here was already considered fairly middle aged. Never have I held a sweeter animal. She’s here sharing her secrets and staring into the human’s eyes just before snuggling in under the chin for snuggles.
Holding Princess Peach
This cub was about 4 months old.
bigpurplebus 