Compared to other states around the country, New York has quite the abundance of zoos and animal parks that you can visit. By now, you've heard of popular places like the Bronx Zoo that many of us visited on class field trips or the historic Binghamton Zoo that dates back to 1875. But there's one zoo out in Central New York that's been open for less than 10 years and has quite the heartwarming story behind its opening.

After growing up on a dairy farm and spending his free periods in school mapping out different designs for zoos, resident Jeff Taylor made his longtime dreams come true when he first began welcoming visitors to The Wild Animal Park back in 2011. Eight years later, Taylor's zoo has expanded and welcomed more and more visitors each year who love to get an up-close look at all the animals that call this place home. Ready to see why we're so smitten with this little-known zoo? We're excited to show you.

In New York's small town of Chittenango out in Madison County, The Wild Animal Park adds an extra touch of charm to an already wonderful destination.

You can see over 60 different kinds of animals here at the park, but what would this zoo in a Wizard of Oz-themed town be without...

Lions...

Tigers...

And Bears... oh my!

One of our favorite parts about this zoo is that you have the chance to get a close view of all the animals that are here in their enclosures.

And we can't help but be grateful for the fact that the entire zoo is wheelchair-accessible, equipped with paved pathways all throughout the place that allows all of our New York residents to come and visit here.

If you happened to notice the water in that last shot, you'll see that the 12-acre zoo actually features its own little lake that you can hang out by - with plenty of seats, tables, and a pavilion right along the shore.

And they even have a designated area that's filled with bounce houses that our smaller visitors can enjoy during the day. There's something for everyone!

Friendly, and slightly furry, faces are everywhere you turn - happy and ready to greet you.

Specializing in big cats, you'll find everything from Snow Leopards and Mountain Lions to African Lions and Bengal Tigers at this zoo.

Another exciting thing about the park is that twice a day they host all sorts of educational and interesting animal shows.

Generally scheduled for 11:45 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day, the zoo hosts a Gator Show, Cheetah Talk, Tiger Experience, and Lion Encounter. Wowza!

Focused on giving you an unforgettable day and educating you on the amazing animals that are here at the zoo, once you visit you'll be wishing you had known about this place sooner.

Open every day of the week, you can visit The Wild Animal Park in Chittenango from now until the end of October.

To find out more about all the different animals that are here at The Wild Animal Park and for more information, click here.

How to get here:

7621 Lakeport Road,
Chittenango, NY 13037

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