Hemker Park and Zoo Set to Opens with Exciting New Residents

FREEPORT (WJON News) -- A popular Central Minnesota attraction is set to open this week. Hemker Park and Zoo in Freeport will open for the season on Friday. Fan favorite events like their Zoo Camps and Boo at the Zoo in October will be back. The zoo also has some new residents in Koshka, the Amur Leopard, and Piper and Angel, their new tigers.

Boo Fest is back on October 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th.

Co-Owner Joan Hemker says it took three years of research and planning in order to add the big cats:

"We will visit other AZA Zoos. We will work with other programs, big cat programs, to make sure that they have a facility that is very conducive to them and very pleasing to what they need to live in."

Hemker says they learned a lot in the planning, like specifics on the type of waterfall and the noise it makes in the enclosure for each type of cat.

Registration for Hemker Park's Zoo Camps is open now.

Co-Owner Jackie Poepping says it is an invigorating time of year for them as they get everything ready. She says it is fun to see people get excited for the zoo to open, and how all of the off-season work pays off:

"We put our heart and soul into everything that we do out here, thinking about how this will help with welfare, how well this gives our community some fun things that they can take home that will leave a lasting impression on them, so I, that is truly what I love."

Poepping says the majority of the behind-the-scenes work is done in-house, and it brings them a lot of joy to see everything come to life. Hemker Park and Zoo is open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily from May 1st through October 31st.

Hemker Park and Zoo

Get our free mobile app

LOOK: Stunning animal photos from around the world

From grazing Tibetan antelope to migrating monarch butterflies, these 50 photos of wildlife around the world capture the staggering grace of the animal kingdom. The forthcoming gallery runs sequentially from air to land to water, and focuses on birds, land mammals, aquatic life, and insects as they work in pairs or groups, or sometimes all on their own.

Gallery Credit: Nicole Caldwell

Why do giraffes have long necks? Answers to 25 animal evolution questions:

Stacker curated a list of 25 animal evolution questions and answers to explain some scientific mysteries, from why giraffes have such long necks to how ants can carry 50 times their body weight.