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Man and Bird and Beast
He prayeth well who loveth well ... Man and bird and beast: Animal Park owners take Coleridge's 'Mariner' seriously - and add fish to the listThe carp are a greedy lot, attempting to ambush every wagon that passes their pond and demanding its passengers feed them.
The gibbons, Alf and Candy, swing from the rafters, their white hands and masked faces providing an endless supply of mystery and mischief.
The bunnies are hopping and popping up all over the field, as one very large rabbit keeps hiding golden eggs in the most unexpected of places.
And one of the three zebras is pregnant.
These are party animals at their best, and Bob and Shirley Johnson, owners of Leesburg Animal Park, wouldn't have it any other way.
This Saturday, March 15, the park on U.S. 15 south of Leesburg opens for the season, and the Johnsons, their staff, and the creatures great and small are ready.
The people
Animals have been the focus of the Johnsons’ lives since 1980, when they started the Reston Animal Park, also known as the Pet-a-Pet Farm. During the 19 years they were there, more than a few commuters along the Route 7 corridor did a double take when they spied herds of buffalo roaming a field in the heart of upscale suburbia.
When the Johnsons left Reston in 1999 and opened the Leesburg Animal Park in 2000, they not only relocated themselves and the animals, they added to the mix in terms of programs and activities as well as species.
Shirley Johnson was especially excited, not only about the arrival of the gibbons, but also the birds.
“We will have this new aviary with free-flying birds in June,” Shirley said. “It will be really neat. People can have birds actually land on them.”
The Johnsons also have developed a symbiotic relationship with Pioneer Garden, which leases the landscaping and garden center part of the property.
“We help their business and they help ours,” Shirley said.
The two companies host a joint project together as well ?Pumpkinville, in October.
“The only time it’s a little noisier than usual is when we have Pumpkinville,” Shirley said. “They have slides and hay mazes and kids’ entertainment. It’s an annual staple.” She said that despite the extra noise, as far as she knows, there have been no complaints from the residential area nearby.
Shirley said she has always worked with animals and enjoyed being with them. This appreciation is something she wants to share with others.
“I think just that it’s very important that people, as safely as possible, have interaction with the animals,” Shirley said. “And we try to do that as much as we can.”
The animals
The animals -- surrounded by a wealth of expertise and nurturing -- are friendly. Visitors to this park, on occasion, have unexpectedly found themselves staring into the eyes of a curious emu or realized they were being followed by a friendly calf.
The white-handed gibbons are the new kids on the block, and, in June, there will be the walk-through aviary Shirley mentioned earlier.
There are three varieties of macaws: Military, green-wing and blue-and-gold.
There are peafowl and chickens, Holstein and Guernsey calves, a Sicilian donkey and fallow deer.
For Trekkies, there is kinkajou, a species that bears an undeniable resemblance to Yoda.
There is the serval kitten named Nairobi, a name that was chosen as part of a contest, garnering the winner a free pass to the park. Nairobi’s mother, Savannah, is close by, as is another serval cat named Kenya.
Along the same line of thinking, the Johnsons have not named the three Grant zebras. They are asking for suggestions from the public, suggestions that must bear the names of a famous trio. (Two of the zebras are female and one is male.) This winner also will receive a free pass.
There are Jade and Jethro, giant tortoises who -- at 80 years old -- are being introduced to the children of those former children who met them at the Reston facility.
Rounding out the list of denizens are ferrets, hedgehogs and ring-tailed lemur.
There are white doves, but these are working doves, doves that the Johnsons will bring to special occasions to be released at the same time in joyous ascendancy. Following their release, these doves, in the way of all doves, return to their home cote.
The programs
Peggy Coleman of Coleman Associates is the public-relations point person for the Leesburg Animal Park. She said many programs are available, both at the park and outside of it.
“There is the Keeper's Corner Zoo which will have an educational animal show on the hour. With this season’s weather, we do encourage people to call. But usually they are held between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.”
There are the special Zoo to You and the Learning Safari outreach programs.
There are programs ready to be presented to groups, whether for learning purposes or to entertain at birthday parties, sports team celebrations or school groups.
The park also accommodates family picnics, family reunions and adult birthday parties.
A group coordinator, Coleman said, is available to help plan an event. Packages range from cost-effective do-it-yourself parties to turnkey events with hassle-free planning and an on-site
hostess to care for every detail.
“This is a great place for people who want family activities, who don't want to do the restaurant sit-down thing,” Coleman said. “[The Johnsons] are trying to partner with local caterers to help you choose the menu.”
The Safari Wagon Ride is a tour of the entire 21 acres. The drive will stop to give the participants the opportunity to check out the animals in their paddocks.
“With the one being pregnant, the zebras are territorial, so you can only observe them,” Coleman said.
Pony rides are a given, and so are the fish.
When the fish threaten to overpopulate the pond, the Johnsons, Coleman said, host fishing derbies.
The Johnsons, Coleman continued, also are in partnership with several area zoos for breeding and conservation programs.
There are plans under way to host an annual fundraiser for the homeless shelter.
In short, there is something for everybody to do -- and to learn.
“Children learn about animals by touching,” Shirley said. “... We let kids learn about animals firsthand.”
Contact the writer at ecarlton@timespapers.com
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