Black Pine Animal Park

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The Black Pine Animal Park is an 18-acre exotic animal sanctuary located in Albion, Indiana.

The sanctuary provides permanent refuge to displaced exotic animals kept as "pets" or retired from performance. The population typically ranges from 75 to 100 animals representing between 40 and 50 species some of which are endangered. Various educational programs provide funding to care for the animals, including guided tours, summer camps for children, school field trips, and special events. Animals are housed in natural habitats scattered throughout a partially wooded site, and in buildings. Visitors view them from behind protective barriers much like they would in a traditional U.S. zoo. The sanctuary is a federally licensed 501c3 non-profit organization. The sanctuary relocated to this site from a location nearby in 2006 and was still under construction in 2007.

[edit] Exhibits

A walking tour of the sanctuary will take visitors through six areas: pasture animals, primates, commissary, reptile house, the woods, and the large animal holding area.

Pasture animals include a camel, llamas, goats, sheep, equine, a pig, ostrich, emu, rhea, fallow deer, and other animals. Visitors to this area can enjoy petting and feeding the animals under a shelter canopy. The primate house is home to macaques, chimpanzees, baboon, and bush baby, as well as several other non-primate mammals. Optional tours of the commissary, where food is stored and diets are prepared daily, are available. The reptile house, still under construction in 2007, is expected to open to the public in early 2008 and will house snakes, iguana, bearded dragon, and more. The woods include a number of individual habitats for big and small cats, as does the large animal holding area. Residents include Bengal tigers, African lions, puma, bobcats, caracal, leopards, and black bears.

[edit] History

Black Pine Animal Park began operating in 1994 as a privately owned for-profit corporation. The earliest educational programming offered was to local pre-schools and primary schools who took field trips to see the animals and learn about them. In the mid-90's the park added a gift shop and established a regular tour schedule during the summer season for the general public.

In 1998 following the launch of the park's first web site visitor attendance began a steady increase. In 2004 over 17,000 visitors from all over the U.S. and several other countries visited. In 2003 the sanctuary reorganized and began operating under Professional Animal Retirement Center (PARC), Inc., a 501c3 tax exempt non-profit corporation.

In December 2006 the sanctuary completed a relocation to its current site. The sanctuary is managed by a volunteer board of directors and a paid staff of three employees. Additionally, a volunteer program and student internship program provide additional labor to carry out the non-profit mission.