A huge thank you to Habersham EMC for going above and beyond to help NGWP during a difficult time. It all started when a limb dropped on the electrical line running though the zoo compound and started smoking. Upon further investigation we discovered the tree was not only cracked and leaning, but also being held up by only a small secondary tree. This posed a threat not only to the power line but to several habitats including Mattie the Gibbon ape and her basset hound best friend. This was no ordinary tree drop, this tree had to be taken down limb by limb so as to not take out the exhibits or power line. The EMC could have cleared the limbs 15 ft from the electrical line and left the rest for us to deal with but they instead choose to help NGWP in our time of need and continued to clear the tree down to the trunk, this helped save the gibbon habitat, which would have needed to be completely rebuilt if that tree could not be removed. Thank you to Habersham EMC and the crew that came out.

Hope Bennett, co-owner/director of North Georgia Wildlife Park has long had a dream of opening a new Sloth House for the Park’s sloths, and now that dream has become a reality. Join us on August 1, 5:30pm – 6:30pm as we celebrate the grand opening of our new Sloth House.
Completing the sloth habitat was no easy task. Many friends became financial sponsors to help fund the project. The house had to meet specific guidelines to ensure the health and happiness of the new “homeowners”. It required extensive testing to make sure that our sloths will be healthy and happy in their new home.

The new sloth house is home to three sloths – Jolly, Jovial and Jubilee. All are two-toed sloths, native to the tropical rainforests of South America and Central America. Sloths spend most of their lives hanging upside down from tree limbs. They are perhaps best known for how slowly they move, which is VERY slowly. They are fascinating animals that most people find enchanting.

Guests will have the opportunity to see the new habitat and its inhabitants, as well as meet some of the people who love and take care of them. There will be light refreshments served at the event as well.

As a special treat, guests will also get to meet and interact with Noelle, our youngest sloth. Noelle is only one and a half years old. She was acquired from another zoo, where she had  gotten off to a rough start because her mother had not produced enough milk for her. Fortunately, Hope Bennett, the co-owner/director of North Georgia Wildlife Park, has had years of experience with nursing baby animals to health. She teamed with the Windward Veterinary Hospital and together they were able to see Noelle not only survive but thrive. In fact, Noelle  may even be a little bit spoiled!
To purchase a ticket to this event click here

  North Georgia Wildlife Park (formerly North Georgia Zoo) has announced the dates of the July Children’s Day Camps and the Creation Encounters Teen Overnight Camp. Children’s Day Camps will be offered Monday – Wednesday, July 6th-8th and July 20th-22nnd. Teen Overnight Camp will be offered Wednesday-Saturday, July 22nd-25th.

  The first two weeks of day camps were a huge success. Campers toured the zoo, interacted with all sorts of animals, did crafts, and made new friends. Gabe, one of the campers, said, “I’ve had fun! My favorite thing was meeting Matrix, the wolf puppy.” Izzy says, “My favorite thing was meeting and holding Coco, the baby goat.” Tenley enjoyed the llamas and kangaroos the most. Harper was a big fan of the baby goats and Anabell enjoyed interacting with the animals and making enrichment items for them.

  Day Camp is a STEAM-oriented experience (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math), led by Mary Ellen Powell, who has been a professional teacher for over 20 years. Day Camps are divided into two sessions each day. Children may attend for a half day, 9:00am – 12:pm or 1:00pm-4:00pm, or they may attend for the full day. Half days are $50/half day, and full days are $100/day.

  Children rising 1st through 6th grade are invited to Day Camp. Day camps are limited to 10 children, so make your reservations as soon as possible.  Teen Overnight Camp is for kids 12-16 years old. As the name suggests, campers will spend the night at the Wildlife Park on Wednesday – Friday and return home on Saturday. The goal of Teen Camp is to provide a Christ-centered hands-on learning experience through animal encounters and age-appropriate Bible Study. There will be plenty of hands-on experiences with all sorts of animals each day. Campers will grow physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually!

  The North Georgia Wildlife Park is following COVID-19 protocols in all its activities, including social distancing, enhanced cleaning practices, and multiple hand sanitizing stations. Each camper’s temperature is checked at the beginning of each day. No one displaying any symptoms of COVID-19 will be admitted.

For more info or to apply, click here.
North Georgia Wildlife Park is located at 2912 Paradise Valley Road, Cleveland, GA.

North Georgia Wildlife Park has a new experience for you -the Safari Sunset Experience! As the name suggests it’s a walking safari that takes place at sunset. Small groups of guests will be led on a tour of some of our most exotic animals, including camels, water buffalo, wildebeests, emus, ostrich, zebras, warthogs, and more. These tours will be led by the co-owner/director of North Georgia Wildlife Park, Hope Bennett.
 
Hope has well over twenty years of experience with animals, and she will teach you so many interesting facts. You will also be able to feed and even touch some of these animals! The safari is approximately .5 miles long on a gravel road, so wear your walking shoes. There will be light refreshments served as a part of this experience. Safari Sunset Experiences will be offered on Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30pm –9:00pm.
 Click here for more information

Wolves and otters and sloths, oh my! Those are just a few of the animals that you can see AND interact with at the North Georgia Wildlife Park and Zoo in Cleveland. The zoo is home to around 400 animals from over 80 species, ranging from recognizable farm animals to exotic animals from all over the world.

For the full article-Click here

During the COVID-19 outbreak, North Georgia Wildlife Park & Zoo worked hard to provide programming that was fun, interesting and still followed the guidelines set out by the CDC and the governor’s office. Now that those guidelines are loosening a bit, we are shifting back to more onsite experiences, including Wildlife Walks and Hands-On Animal Experiences. For this reason we will be discontinuing our weekly Wildlife Wonders at 1:00 virtual experiences. Thanks so much to all of you who have watched & commented on them every week. If you enjoyed them virtually, then imagine how much you will enjoy them by visiting the Wildlife Park and interacting with them in real life! So visit our website, www.ngwpark.com, and reserve your animal experience today. You can also catch up on past videos by visiting https://www.youtube.com/user/NorthGeorgiaZoo

 Due to the enormous popularity of the North Georgia Wildlife Park “Social Distancing Drive Thru Zoo”, the Wildlife Park will continue to offer this unique animal encounter, along with a few upgrades to the experience. First, the experience will now be named “North Georgia Safari Drive Thru”. As you drive through the park, it will have the look and “feel” of an African safari. New animals have been added to the route, which includes zebras, ostrich, water buffalo, hornbills, camels, emus and warthogs. Take your time driving through the safari and snap all the photos you like!
 
Cost for the Safari Drive Thru is only $5/person. You can add on a “Camel Experience” for an additional $10/person. This allows you to stop midway through the drive thru and feed and pet our camels! For an additional cost of $40/car with up to 4 passengers (plus $10/person for each additional passenger), you can add on a “Small Animal Experience”, where an animal educator will bring three small animals (such as a chinchilla, hedgehog or snake) right to your car so that you can view them up close. Also, add on a “Sloth Meet & Greet” for $200/car with up to two passengers (plus $100/person for each additional passenger), and Hope Bennett, co-owner and director of North Georgia Wildlife Park will personally introduce you to Noelle, our youngest sloth. You will quickly fall in love with this wonderful animal and learn all about sloths.
 
You can reserve your North Georgia Safari Drive Thru experience at https://www.northgeorgiazoo.com/safari-drive-thru.html , or you can pay in person at the entrance of the drive thru (cash only). North Georgia Safari Drive Thru is a part of North Georgia Wildlife Park & Zoo. It is located at 2912 Paradise Valley Road Cleveland, GA.

It’s almost summer children’s camp time, and North Georgia Wildlife Park and Zoo is here to help! The zoo will be offering four summer camps during the month of June.
• Monday-Thursday, June 1-4
• Monday-Thursday, June 8-11
• Monday-Thursday, June 15-18
• Monday-Thursday, June 22-25

There are two half-day options, that cost $50/day: • 9:00am-12:00pm, • 1:00pm-4:00pm
Or kids can attend for the full day, which costs $100/day. • 9:00am-4:00pm

Zoo Camp is a STEAM-oriented experience (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) that features:
• Hands-on activities with animals
• Science learning activities
• Hands-on engineering/building experiences
• Art projects
• Active play

Themes for camp will include:
• Animals Around the World--each day will feature a different continent and the animals
who live there; art activities will be connected to the day’s continent
• Animal Adaptations
• Zoo Escape Room Activities
• Endangered Animals

Children rising 1st through 6th grade are invited to Zoo Camp. Reservations can be made on the website at https://www.northgeorgiazoo.com/zoo-day-camp.html Day camps are limited to 10 children, so make your reservations as soon as possible.

COVID-19 safety guidelines will be strictly adhered to during Zoo Camp, including:
• Social distancing
• Limited group size
• Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting practices
• Temperature checks will be administered to each child before he/she is admitted
 
• Please do not bring children who are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms or have been exposed to someone who has tested positive with COVID-19 in the last two weeks.

North Georgia Wildlife Park and Zoo is now open to the public! All tours, animal experiences, and activities are now available. Plus, there are new features and new animals on display! Reservations are recommended but are not required for tours. All animal experiences will still require prior reservations.

Even though COVID-19 restrictions have loosened, the zoo will continue to abide by government-recommended safety guidelines, including:
• Limited group size for tours and animal experiences
• Social distancing
• Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting practices
• Guests may bring and wear masks if they desire
• People who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 will not be admitted

The zoo will also continue to offer experiences that are designed especially for social distancing, such as:
• Drive Thru Zoo (You never leave your auto)
• Virtual Zookeeper Chats (Online)
• Virtual Animal Birthday Parties (Online)
• Virtual Educational Programs (Online)

North Georgia Wildlife Park and Zoo is located at 2912 Paradise Valley Road in Cleveland, GA. To make reservations, or if you have questions, please call 706-348-7279, or visit the website at www.northgeorgiazoo.com.