It's A Zoo Life

About It's A Zoo Life

It's A Zoo Life is an interactive zoo at 4313 NC-42, Macclesfield, North Carolina 27852. According to the zoo's About Us page, its mission is to provide a fun and educational experience that cannot be found just anywhere, with guests visiting animals within their habitats and touching and interacting with them. The page describes the zoo as the owners' own backyard and the animals as their pets, and its Meet Our Team section lists BJ Abrams, Caethe Rose and Kasi Lane. A 2022 WITN report quoted Bobbie Jo Abrams, who referred to It's A Zoo Life as her zoo. The zoo is not an AZA-accredited facility.

The About Us page says the animals were selected and conditioned for interaction with people, especially children, and that most of them have been with the owners since they were babies and started out living in their home. The zoo's website says it has more than 100 animals, and the WITN report in October 2022 put the total at approximately 120.

History

In an October 2022 WITN report, Abrams said that hand-raising animals makes them docile so that guests can enter the kangaroo pen. The report said the zoo then had six male kangaroos and that a kangaroo named Alice Grace was its first female. Abrams said she carried the animals on her for their first eight months and bottle-fed them every four hours. She also told WITN that the zoo does many field trips and takes animals to birthday parties and other family events.

Exhibits and habitats

Visits at It's A Zoo Life are guided. The Meet Our Animals page lists zebra, lemurs, alpacas, a llama, kangaroos, a sloth, a Patagonian cavy, a camel, a coatimundi, porcupines, a capybara, a wolf, a cockatoo and tortoises, along with various farm animals. The About Us page adds wallabies, hedgehogs, ferrets, mini horses and peacocks, and mentions a reptile house.

According to the About Us page, a trained guide shares facts about the animals' native environments and care, along with stories about daily life with them, while guests have one-on-one encounters. The guided tours page says tours are led by a staff member and include hands-on encounters with many of the animals, and that all of the animals are outside. A tented area with tables and chairs is available for groups bringing a picnic lunch.

Conservation and programs

The zoo's home page lists wildlife conservation, recreation, interactive experience, engagement with nature and safe viewing of wildlife among its aims, and describes its mission in terms of connection between families, nature and wildlife. The About Us page also mentions a summer Zoo Camp for children.

The Special Encounters page lists a 30-minute encounter with a capybara named Henry and a 45-minute encounter in the reptile house. It also lists private encounter request options with a capybara, a Patagonian cavy, ruffed lemurs, a coatimundi, a sloth and reptiles. Prices and booking are on the zoo's website.

For schools and groups, the guided tours page says the zoo prefers field trip groups to arrive for the 10 a.m. tour, prefers groups of 100 or fewer, and requires a minimum of 15 students for homeschool groups. It says teachers are admitted free with ID at one teacher per 15 students, and that a deposit is required to reserve a date and an accurate headcount is needed one week before the visit. Optional add-ons listed include pony or horse rides, kids meals and a bounce house rental.

The Parties and Events page lists kids birthday parties, school and daycare field trips, corporate picnics and grand openings. Events can be held at the zoo or through the zoo's mobile zoo service, which travels to the customer's location. Activities listed include an exotic animal petting zoo, pony rides, bounce houses and games. For on-site parties, the zoo says a barn is available in case of inclement weather. The page says the zoo partners with Abrams BBQ and ASAP Party and Tent Rentals for on-site events, providing meals, inflatables, rides and tents. The zoo also offers an Airbnb rental, and its website has pages to sponsor an animal and support its animals.

Planning your visit

As listed on the zoo's website, guided tours run Tuesday through Saturday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., and the zoo is closed Mondays. Visits are by guided tour only, booked online through the zoo's Bookings page, and the website has a safety waiver page. The website recommends closed-toe shoes, though they are not required, and advises dressing for the weather because all of the animals are outside. Tour prices and age categories are on the zoo's website.

The zoo's phone number is 252-266-7974 and its email is Itsazoolife@yahoo.com. The zoo is also on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.