Tanganyika Wildlife Park: Animal Lovers Paradise

Have you ever wanted to swim with penguins? Pet a sloth? Hold a lemur? Believe it or not, there is a magical zoo right in the heart of Kansas (near Wichita) where you can do all that and more!

Our family LOVES zoos! We've visited over twenty traditional zoos and over twenty more animal attractions (farms, aquariums, wildlife safaris, etc) with our children over the years. Our hometown zoo, the Kansas City Zoo, is home to many of our fondest memories (overnight with polar bears, zookeeper for a day, tons of picnics with friends). At least one of my daughters dreams of being a zookeeper when she grows up, and another wants to design zoos with sustainable animal habitats that are wonderful for the animal and educational for visitors. Last summer, the girls designed their dream zoo as a fun school project.

Knowing our fond affection for zoos and learning about zoo animals, you can only begin to imagine our family's overwhelming delight when we took a 3-hour trip to Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Goddard, KS where, as they say in their tagline, "Forget We Bought A Zoo!  The Fouts family built one from the ground up!" 

Tip: Enter to win FREE Tickets to Tanganyika in our latest giveaway!

Tanganyika Wildlife Park is unlike any other zoo we've ever visited - this privately owned zoo is small and intimate, but every exhibit is beautiful, immaculate, spacious, and offers the most natural habitat possible for the animals. The entire experience felt like a boutique zoo, truly connecting guests with nature, as our family experienced all they have to offer through their Ultimate Weekend Experience package.

So many family outings are geared toward children (adults watch kids play) or entertainment (everyone watches a show), this getaway was  incredible for all ages including grandparents, parents, teens, and kids! For two and a half days our multi-generational family participated in, what our kids came to call, "Zookeeper Boot Camp" or, "Zookeeper Crash Course University."  During our visit, we SWAM with penguins, FED sloths, PLAYED with lemurs, PARTICIPATED in training for otters... and so much more!

This was the ultimate bucket list getaway for animal lovers! When I asked my youngest daughter to rank it from 1-10, she gave it a BILLION stars and said that her time there was truly, to quote Rapunzel, "The BEST Day Ever!"

Of all our family adventures, and we've been on many, this one will always hold a very special place in our hearts. Spending three days together as a family learning about animals through unique experiences, meeting wonderful zookeepers - all of whom have a contagious passion for animals, and making unforgettable memories was truly the experience of a lifetime. 

Tip: Enter to win FREE Tickets to Tanganyika in our latest giveaway!

Guests to the Tanganyika Wildlife Park may choose to participate in all of their "Wildly Different Experiences," or you may purchase the opportunities a la carte. Each experience includes digital photos of your experience (some of the photos in this article are this resource, others we took personally). You may choose from over 15 experiences hand-crafted by Tanganyika keepers. They are committed to the best care for the animals and the safest opportunities for visitors. Each animal encounter deepened our understanding and appreciation for the animals and how to care for them. Our entire family left inspired to learn more about animals and our youngest daughter's interest in zookeeping only grew while we were there! 

This is what we experienced (in the order we experienced it) - you may be inspired to try one or ALL of these outstanding animal adventures:

Tip: We enjoyed fourteen animal encounters. I wrote about each one with a heading, so you may read about the ones that interest you. This story is multiple pages long - and swimming with penguins was our GRAND finale (so it's near the end of the article), but we had a TON of fun leading up to that... so check it out:

Otter Meet & Greet

Our first stop was the Otter Meet & Greet. Kiana, the zookeeper, introduced us to three Asian small-clawed otters, two-year-old brothers: Shrimp, Wonton, and Wasabi. Their father came from the Singapore Zoo and now they are here in the United States as animal ambassadors. We observed that their name "small-claw" is derived from their webbed feet. They use their sense of touch to find food, primarily crustaceans. Native to Southeast Asia, living mostly near rivers and freshwater rice paddies, they typically weigh 7-10 pounds when fully grown. As we observed their playful nature it was easy to see their similarities to their relatives the ferret, weasel, or mink. We were told that while similar to ferrets, they do not make good pets as they use biting to express all of their emotions (including joy) and they mark their territory throughout their spaces. I was surprised at their squealing sound as they played. Kiana passed around a resin footprint of the otter, these and other animal footprints are available in their Gift Shop. 

During this, our first animal encounter, and repeated and demonstrated at all subsequent animal encounters, we learned that they only use positive reinforcement training. The animals are never forced to do anything they do not want to do and they are rewarded when they do participate in demonstrating or learning a new skill. With the otters, the keepers use stations and targets to train them to go from place to place, stand, go in circles, rise up, lay down, hold hands, or roll over. Each member of our group had a chance to use the target with the otter.  The training also helps keepers when it is time for medical exams as the animals will know how to cooperate with physicians. 

At the end of this presentation, as well as other animal encounters, the keepers also shared how we can continue to support the species and organizations that help their native country and the animals.

Giraffe & Friends

During this experience, Carolyn, a hoofstock keeper, gave us a tour of the African/Asian barn. The giraffe exhibit at Tanganyika Wildlife Park is especially beautiful. The zoo uses as many natural barriers as possible to create the best habitat for its animals and the best viewing space for visitors. We then met the giraffe herd, including baby giraffe Zipper (a fan favorite), named for his playful "zipping" about. We also met Alice, a one-year-old giraffe, standing 9-feet tall. She was about 150 pounds and 6-feet tall at birth!

Each member of our family participated in target training (the giraffes touch the target to their nose) and fed lettuce to the very happy reticulated giraffes. The magnificence and height of these incredible animals were not lost on us. As these gentle giants, each 12-16 feet tall, grabbed lettuce with their 18-inch long tongues, we were impressed by their agility (their necks move and bend easily, and amazingly having seven vertebrae the same as a human neck), and beauty. Tanganyika Wildlife Park is a giraffe breeding facility. They typically keep mothers and daughters together when they can, noting that giraffes are known for a special mother/daughter bond (as a mom of four girls, I can relate to this!). 

After "playing with giraffes," we toured the barn where we met Okapi and Red River Hogs. 

Okapi is a particularly unusual species looking like an unusual mix of donkeys, zebras, and bongos, but they are actually the only relative to the giraffe. The African animal chews the cud and we fed it from a bucket after petting the velvety fur. Tanganyika Wildlife Park is home to two males and one female. Similar to giraffes, the okapi has ossicones on their heads. Ossicones are not antlers as they are permanently covered with skin and fur. 

The Red River Hogs are from the Congo Rainforest of Africa, and they enjoyed chowing down as the girls fed them from a bucket. We met three adults and two piglets (Tater and Tot). They were very social and intelligent animals who use their long snout to root around in the sand for food, typically living near rivers. 

You never know who you might meet in the barn. A rhino? An okapi? Red river hog or a herd of bongos? Spend some quality time with our hoofstock keepers.

Small Cat - Meet & Greet

The Small Cat Meet & Greet was a favorite for our teen girls! Keepers Kiana, Stacy, and Phoebe introduced us to two of Tanganyika's small cat ambassadors - Jade, an African serval, and Hazel, a Eurasian lynx. During this encounter, we "played with the cats" throwing them toys, taking photos, and helping train them with... you guessed it... target training. 

We learned that 90% of Eurasian lynxes come from Russia where their giant paws work like snowshoes helping them navigate the frosty tundra. Typically weighing about 35 pounds, the small cat played as we tossed toys. The tufts on the ears help Hazel to navigate her environment and filter sounds. They, along with her distinctive markings, are also great camouflage. The short tail can be tucked under her body to keep her warm. As a carnivore, Hazel primarily eats rodents and some hoofstock. She can take down prey up to four times her size. 

Jade, the African Serval, was quite a contrast to Hazel with tiny paws convenient for the hot sand where she'd live in Africa. The black marks under her eyes help block the reflection of the sun and make it easier to see, similar to the black paint baseball players wear on summer days. The coloring on the back of her ears also looks like eyes which may help scare predators on the savannah or remind her cubs to follow her as they are also known as "follow me" spots. Rodents are her primary prey and her large ears help her to hear them, even when they are burrowing underground. Jade can jump 10-12 feet in height (which we observed, but the speed was difficult to capture on camera), enabling to catch birds, a favorite food. The serval also has a very short attention span, so her training is short and to the point. The most interesting aspect of her training involved finding sounds around the room. Various boxes were hidden around the room and the trainer would use a remote to play the sound for specific boxes. Jade would find the box by following the sound. Jade also participated in target training and was rewarded with fresh meat for her hard work. The small cats start training as young as five-six weeks old and quickly learn the benefit of rewards.

Pygmy Hippo Feeding

During our visit, we fed Pluto the pygmy hippo. The girls enjoyed tossing carrots into his mouth where he chomped away. The 9-year-old hippo weighs just under 500 pounds. Native to Liberia, his habitat would include wooded areas and vegetation. Hippos often root up veggies from the ground. 

Note: Visitors may participate in five Feeding Stations with an All-Day Admission Pass or Unlimited Feedings with the Unlimited Pass. Reservations are required for Pygmy Hippo feeding due to the intimate nature/popularity of these experiences. This experience is offered once a day on the weekends during Spring and Fall hours and twice every day during the summer.

Sloth - Behind the Scenes

This was one of the biggest highlights of our trip! My youngest, Lucy, has been in love with sloths at least since her first viewing of Zootopia. I've found myself wondering when I first learned about sloths. The now popular animal can be found on everything from socks to lunch bags, and with their slow-moving demeanor, adorable faces, and thick fur, these lovable animals are definitely a favorite for visitors of all ages. Lucy was very excited to feed sloths as a way to celebrate her birthday this month.

We all fell in love with Chewbacca and Molasses (what perfect names for sloths!), and Sydney and Oscar. Sloths are native to Central and South America and their diet consists mostly of veggies, with some additional insects and lizards for flavor. As sloths do move very slowly, they are only able to eat the prey they can catch, which is a big factor in their primarily vegetarian diet. We fed Chewbacca a delicious salad of yummy fresh fruits. They like a warm climate and their habitat was the toastiest we experienced at Tanganyika Wildlife Park. The sloths have eighteen teeth each, but only four are really visible to guests. Fun facts we learned included: they do have a very slow metabolism, they swim faster than they climb, the baby nurses from teets under the mother's armpits, and they also participate in some target training and painting. Sloth paintings have limited availability in their gift shop. The biggest threat to the sloth population is deforestation, so we were encouraged to buy sustainable coffee and chocolate with Rainforest Alliance labeling. Endangered Species Chocolate, in particular, donates a portion of its profits back to animals they sponsor.

For this experience, the maximum capacity is four visitors and the zookeeper, so our group split (with the other four members meeting an Owl Monkey at this time) and we switched encounters the next day.

Owl Monkey Meet and Greet

Confession... we don't have as many photos of Dexter, the Owl Monkey, because half of our group visited him while the other half visited sloths and our family holds a very special place in our hearts for sloths... so the camera went to sloths.

That said, Dexter was still an AMAZING and fun animal to visit. Keeper Kendra taught us about the twelve-year-old Owl Monkey. He is nocturnal and has big eyes like an owl. Native to Central and South America, his diet consists primarily of fruit, seeds, insects, and leaves. Male owl monkeys do most of the caretaking for babies. During our visit, we fed him papaya with an open hand and participated in target training.  We enjoyed watching his fun antics as he played with toys.

Red-Ruffed Lemur - Meet & Greet

Emerald, the red-ruffed lemur, a native to Madagascar, is one of the most playful and loveable animals at the zoo. During our encounter, we learned that there are over 100 species of lemurs on Madagascar and this breed is one that is endangered. Zookeepers Jessica and Kendra shared many fun facts about Emerald including the fur forming a head collar is the reason for the ruff in her name, they are the largest animal that pollinates, and they are primitive primates - not quite as smart as other species of primate. We watched as jumped from perches, ait and played. Emerald weighs about 5 pounds, has green eyes, and most interestingly have two tongues - a regular tongue and a sublingual tongue with a toothcomb on the bottom of her jaw for grooming. We fed Emerald some fruit, participated in target training, and for the grand finale of our meet and greet she walked across our backs. There are currently four red-reffed lemurs at Tanganyika Wildlife Park, with new babies having been born last spring.

Origins - Behind the Scenes

The Origins Tour was one of my favorite experiences at Tanganyika Wildlife Park. This interactive Behind the Scenes tour gave us the history of the Tanganyika Wildlife Park, and the chance to see many wonderful animals in person (including Amur Leopards), and lions! This was truly a magnificent experience.

Our tour guide Rachel shared the history of Tanganyika with us from Jim Fouts' early beginnings as an employee at Sedgewick County Zoo (nearby in Wichita), to his work at the LA Zoo. With a strong love for birds, he worked for the USDA in Bolivia learning all about South American Zoos. He then purchased a USDA facility in California with the goal of breeding birds. When that endeavor failed, he and his wife moved back to Goddard, Kansas, where she was from, where they were gifted their first five acres of land from family. From that, they began acquiring animals and started operating as a breeding facility. Originally, they did not want to be open to the public as a traditional zoo, only offering tours for special groups. As interest grew over the years, their vision grew and eventually they opened to the public in 2008 as the ever-improving seventy-acre Wildlife Park we see today. We learned about many animals that have been born at the facility over the years.

On the tour, we visited animal barns and saw many beautiful animals, but the most interesting to me was the Amur Leopards, the rarest of big cats. Two live at Tanganyika, one with visible spots and the other appearing to be entirely black (though it also does have spots, they just blend in quite well - you see them when sunlight hits the fur). Mystique, the female leopard, is melanistic (the opposite of albino) and is one of only a few melanistic Amur Leopards in the world. Dima, the male, has visible spots. They recently had a litter at Tanganyika and all three babies are melanistic females. We also learned that leopards do not purr, they roar (though to me their gentle roar sounded like an excited purr). Each species of cat either roars or purrs, they don't do both. We watched as Ben, the keeper, fed Dima and Mystique and demonstrated some of their training including a side or hip present. The training especially helps with medical treatments. 

Finally, we met the lions, Ellie and Valkyrie (females), and Nemean (the male). The lions came from a breeding facility in Africa. We first met the girls, weighing 350-400 pounds each, and then the male.  

Porcupine - Meet & Greet

Meeting, Quilliam, the 26-pound African crested porcupine, was quite interesting. Cassiday, the keeper, told us that this species is the second-largest rodent in the world. Despite what we've seen in cartoons, porcupines do not shoot their quills. They eat vegetables, burrow, and have a strong sense of smell. The quills are made of carotin like our hair and fingernails. We were given food, wrapped in newspaper, to feed to Quilliam. He sniffed it out and tore it open to eat and enjoy. Baby porcupines are called porcupettes and their family group is a prickle. We were also able to touch some quills that he'd shed over time and learned about the different types of quills including one that shakes like a rattle.

Penguin - Meet & Greet and Feeding

We were all looking forward to our GRAND FINALE... the penguin swim! But first, we experienced the Penguin Meet and Greet. Sam, the keeper, introduced us to Miss Nugget, one of the African penguins at the zoo. This species is native to South Africa and Nambia. Out of eighteen penguin species, only four live in cold arctic climates. 

We learned about the down feathers under their waterproof feathers that help to keep them warm. Penguins can swim up depths of up to 300 feet at up to 12 mph. They can only hold their breath for a few minutes, so they often use the technique of proposing, diving in and out while hunting for fish to eat. One of their most unique features is their nictitating membrane, also referred to as a third eyelid. This extra membrane helps keep debris from contaminating their eyes. This works similar to "built-in goggles" to help them to see underwater. 

Tanganyika Wildlife Park is currently home to over fifty penguins, including many penguin chicks. Nugget, the star of our meet and greet, was from the last clutch of the season. Her parents weren't caring for her egg properly so keepers carefully incubated her egg, turning it seven times a day, and it hatched in September. Nugget has been hand-fed since birth. We played with Nugget with a peacock feather, and pet her using two fingers. Her feathers are quite silky. 

Sam shared more educational information about penguins in general, and the penguins at Tanganyika... which helped build up the excitement for the penguin swim!

Then, we fed fresh fish to the penguins who eagerly nipped it from our hands while keepers recorded their diet in a logbook. 

Swimming with Penguins

Swimming with penguins was, without a doubt, an absolutely unforgettable AMAZING experience! Keepers Kiana and Sam gave us clear instructions for safety and told us exactly how to enter the pool and interact safely with penguins. Tanganyika Wildlife Park provided wet suit rental and towels (and clean bathrooms with showers for changing). We spent about thirty minutes in the water playing with penguins, including Nugget who we met earlier. My girls learned the names of many of the penguins and fell in love with these beautiful birds. This was truly an incredible family bucket list experience and all eight of us had a blast.

Feeding Stations at Tanganyika Wildlife Park

In addition to all of the wild encounters, our girls LOVED the Feeding Stations (5 Feeding Stations are included with your All-Day Admission Pass. Unlimited Feedings are included with your Unlimited Pass). Lucy especially loved feeding bunnies. Visitors may feed Ring-tailed lemurs (my teens' favorite), giraffes, pygmy hippos, Indian Rhino, lorikeets (my husband's favorite), African tortoises, bunnies, and guinea pigs.

Bunnies, Tortoises, and Guinea Pigs:

Lucy fell in love with the bunnies, spending quite a bit of time with them every day we were at Tanganyika Wildlife Park. Their soft fur and sweet spirit make them a favorite for children.

Ring-Tail Lemurs:

This exhibit is part of the experience for all visitors to Tanganyika. I think it was my favorite exhibit there (but then, the giraffe exhibit was pretty incredible too). We hand feed ring-tail lemurs cranberries and they climbed on our laps!

Lorikeets:

My husband especially enjoyed feeding the lorikeets. We were given small cups with nectar and they flocked to the sweet treat. Many of us had multiple birds on us at once - with multiple birds choosing the top of heads as their favorite perch.

Indian Rhino:

We fed Monica, the seven-year-old Indian Rhino, and we were even able to pet her nose. Her skin is rough and leathery. Weighing 4,500 pounds this herbivore eats 50 pounds of food per day. Her mate weighs 6,500 pounds. We were able to toss carrots into her mouth and watch her chow down.

Giraffes:

The giraffe feeding station is open to guests. The girls enjoyed feeding lettuce to these long-necked friends.

Camel Rides

Camel Rides are offered on weekends. There are two species of camel, the Dromedary and the Bactrian. We learned that 90% of the camels alive today are Dromedary camels, like our friends Charlie and Meshak. Charlie gave us a very bumpy and fun ride at Tanganyika.

Kangaroos

Petting the kangaroos is a fun experience that all visitors are able to enjoy. We especially enjoyed seeing mothers with joeys in their pouches.

Hawkins Estate at Tanganyika

During our stay, we spent two nights at the luxurious Hawkins Estate. This beautiful 5 BR home is in the very heart of Tanganyika Wildlife Park. The most magnificent part of the house was watching cheetahs run and play as we ate breakfast on the back deck! 

The girls enjoyed the movie room, pickleball courts, pool, pool table, game room, and comfy bedrooms. My youngest, who loves Hallmark movies, especially Love on Safari, said that the entire experience felt like a magical movie vacation!

Thank you for the memories Tanganyika Team! - and I think I have to agree with my daughter... a BILLION stars it is!

Tip: Enter to win FREE Tickets to Tanganyika in our latest giveaway!

Book the getaway of your WILDEST dreams today!

More fun in Wichita:

• Tanganyika Wildlife Park
• Kansas Aviation Museum
• Riverfront Stadium
• Old Cowtown Museum
• Botanical Garden
• Museum of World Treasures
• Keeper of the Plains
• Wichita Art Museum
• The Ulrich Museum of Art
• The Pizza Hut Museum
• Sedgwick County Park
• Sedgwick County Zoo