Wild About The Wilds

“In the last few years things have really been changing at the Wilds,” said Troy Burch to the Cambridge Lions Club. “We want people to be able to get up close and personal with the animals.” Burch is the conservation education specialist at the Wilds in Cumberland.

Photo: Left to rigth - Troy Burch, Conservation Education Specialist at the Wilds in Cumberland, Ohio and Bryce Simmons of the Cambridge Lions Club.

“The new carnivore center gives people a chance to see the cheetahs, African dogs, and dholes,” Burch said. “Dholes would remind you of a red fox.” Dholes are an endangered species of dog found in Southeast Asia.

“We have had the first ever in North America fourth-generation birth of a rhino in a breeding program,” Burch said. “If you’ve never petted a rhino, you should try it.”

“We have different buses for tours. They are open-air buses. Think of a school bus with all the windows cut out so you just have the top over your head to protect you from the sun.”

“If you want to ride on the wild side, you can ride in the back of a pickup truck. We have seats in the back. This way you can get even closer to the big animals.”

“We are looking for interpretive guides to drive the buses,” Burch said. “If you know someone looking for a summer job, this would be a great opportunity.”

“You can come out to the Wilds and stay overnight in one of our yurts,” Burch said. “A yurt is a large tent with wood lattice sides. We have a special deal for two person stays. You get dinner and breakfast. You wake up to a tremendous view of the Wilds.”

 “We have family camps and workshops. We have a fall nature photography workshop. A professional photographer will help you get photos of the animals. We have a birding event to take avian photographs.”

“We have summer camping experiences for kids of all different ages,” Burch said. “We have camps for kids 8-9 years old where they can spend five days exploring the Wilds. They get to visit the rhino and the giraffe barn. They can stay in the bunkhouse or in a yurt.”

“Our camp for kids 10-12 focuses on skills. It sometimes takes a lot of patience to get kids to go rappelling over a cliff on a rope.”

“Kids 13-16 can go on a backpacking camp. We teach them how to prepare for their camping experience then they take everything they need with them. We do provide water drops, but everything else they need they have to take with them.”

“We have a special camp for kids who want to pursue careers in animal management, habitat management, or who want to become a veterinarian.”

“We have two full-time veterinarians and on full time veterinary technician on staff,” Butch said. “We also have veterinary interns every year.”

“We have winter safaris on Saturdays,” Burch said. “The safaris are two and a half hours and include lunch.”

For more information about the Wilds visit the web site at www.thewilds.org.