Natural Bridge Zoo

08/30/2024

Mutosh the Mountain Lion often saves her piñatas until late at night, then brings on the destruction! The whole process takes about 20 mins, and ends in passing out in the chaos of her creation.

VIEWER CAUTION: If you are sensitive to piñata violence, or unicorns losing their papery limbs this video is not for you.
However if you love cat videos with bunny leg kicking fun, please enjoy.

08/26/2024

The park will be closed tomorrow Aug 26, so we may attend court for the final decision on the park’s case. Dec 6, 2023 the animal law unit of virginia snuck behind the backs of rockbridge county judges and sheriffs dept obtaining a warrant from another county to come seize animals insisting the animals were surely at risk of immediate death if they stayed at the park. Unable to move the giraffe, they have remained under seizure. The state/county has not provided a single stalk of hay or single pellet of food. They have never raked up a single giraffe poo, or filled the propane tank to heat their barn. They have offered no guidance to care and only visited 3 times, and have never brought a vet for evaluation.
Almost 9 months since being seized for fear they may die in our care, the giraffe not only remain here but are healthy, friendly, and doing amazing:) We hope the court can see they are not now and never were in any danger.

Fingers crossed, prayers, and wishes these majestic and slobbery giants may remain in their home.

08/19/2024

At 19 years old (92 years if she was a human!) Bhuva the Bengal Tiger still has her playful kitten moments. Her keeper gave her a box stuffed with naturally dropped peacock feathers, which makes for awesome enrichment.

08/15/2024

While our visitors aren’t able to get close to the giraffe currently they are still enjoying lots of snacks throughout the day. Fresh mulberry browse and bamboo are their favorite.
Pictured: Jeffrey, Valentine, Little Girl and Wrinkles

08/10/2024

The pollinators are out enjoying our wildflower garden:)
The park is open 10am-5pm Sat, Sun, Mon, Thurs & Friday.

08/08/2024

“You cant see me!”

Due to the rain our area will be experiencing the park will be closed today. Keepers will be focusing on keeping everyone (except themselves) dry and cozy:)

Mutosh wearing the leftovers of a freshly destroyed piñata.

08/01/2024

Come take a stroll thru the park this week. We are open 10am - 5pm Thur, Fri, Sat, Sun & Mon.

07/26/2024

While going to mow a field I came upon a little female Black Chinned Hummingbird. She was in distress in one of our antelope barns, trying to fly out an opaque skylight. Exhausting herself, she kept landing on the rafters wings outstretched wobbling. With a long skinny branch and ladder, I succeeded in getting her on a limb. She was too spent to fly away. Gently carrying her cute tiny little self back with me to get sugar water. She lapped it up, gained energy and took flight. 🥰
Did not get the mowing done, but hopefully saved a little life today💗

07/22/2024

Little puff balls! Our walk thru finch aviary has babies fledging the nest. They can easily be distinguished from the adults by their puffy feathers, pale beaks and their still awkward flying skills :)

The park is open Mon, Thurs, Fri, Sat & Sun. 10am - 5pm
Closed on Tues & Wed

07/14/2024

Stay Focused!
Decide where you want to be, and don't stop until you get there.

How would you caption this photo?

The ever stunning 'Mutosh' giving the camera her beautifully intense gaze.

*As always we will remove hateful, rude comments:)

07/07/2024

The park will have reduced hours on Monday July 7th at 10am- 1:30pm. We are closed Tues & Weds. Open 10am-5pm Thurs, Fri, Sat and Sunday.

Did you see the big kittys? It’s been extra toasty outside lately, and our big cats like to keep cool in their air conditioned rooms. Like domestic cats they take several naps a day. Pictured: Mutosh getting a midday nap and looking like an adorable potato:) Security cameras allow us to monitor without disturbing beauty rest:)

06/30/2024

‘Oreo’ the mini panda cow and his post … and our post about this week the park will be open everyday except Tuesday. 10-5pm.
Misters are on in the park to cool animals and visitors in the summer heat!

06/28/2024

While visiting the park, keep an eye out for our super sharp dresser “Poppy the Porcupine.” Poppy enjoys going for walks around the grounds while checking out the other animals and human visitors. Her keeper Shelby keeps a pouch of delicious cooled treats ready if Poppy decides she needs a little extra snack while out and about.

06/13/2024

We had to share these two being so cute! A little kiss and play keeps the bond strong. These two can be visited 10-5 Thursday-Mon.

Oliver (left) and Zoey (right) are Eurasian Lynx.

06/08/2024

Putting on a show for the ladies. What woman could resist such a display!
It’s a beautiful day to get out in the fresh air and strut your stuff. The park is open from 10-5 .

06/02/2024

When TaterTot isn’t occupying herself with making new friends she likes to practice her goat balancing skills. She’s a pro:)

*Don’t forget, admission purchased right now is valid all month!*

05/30/2024

Opening Special: Admission Tickets purchased between Memorial weekend and June 30th are valid until July 1st. Come visit as many times as you like, as we progress to better the facilities.
*Already visited? * If you came opening weekend, just bring in your receipt, or the card you paid with and we can lookup your transaction. We greatly appreciate the support and hope to see you soon!

05/23/2024

The Natural Bridge Zoo will be opening for the 2024 Season this Memorial Weekend May 25th, 26th, 27th. We will be Open from 10am-5pm. We will Open daily Thursday thru Monday and Closed Tuesdays & Wednesdays.

We are pleased to announce that our beloved Asha the elephant has been retired to a sanctuary!
The park will be operating from a different approach. The facility has gone under new ownership and management. Dramatic changes have been made to introduce a more innovative and interactive experience. Keepers will be present for up close encounters with select species. Please come and join us and show your much appreciated support.

Admission will be $14 adults $12 children ages 3-12 . Children 2yrs and under free.
Discount coupons will not be accepted at this time. *Rockbridge county charges admission tax on top of general admission, this is applied at purchase time.*

01/05/2024

Some of those we loved can never be with us again:( Some were taken and need to come home, and we must fight with everything we have, emotionally, professionally and financially. Any support is incredibly appreciated. From the deepest depths of my soul ,Mutosh (pictured) and I thank you all for your kind words and support in this time.

HELP THE MOGENSEN FAMILY SAVE THEIR ANIMALS AND THEIR ZOO! The Mogensen family has ow… Colon Miller needs your support for Help Save Natural Bridge Zoo

12/16/2023

12/16/2023

Please read!

WHAT IS THE ANIMAL LAW UNIT?

Virginia is the first State in the nation to create an Animal Law Unit in the Attorney General's Office. It was established in 2015 and is led by Senior Assistant Attorney General Michelle Welch. She is connected to radical anti-ownership groups and her prosecutions demonstrate she is on a mission to destroy the animal industry within the Commonwealth.

When Jason Miyares became the Attorney General many hoped he would eradicate the unit. To the contrary, Jason doubled down. He kept Michelle and her team and has enjoyed plenty of notoriety as a result. However, the tables are starting to turn. It is becoming more and more obvious that the Animal Law Unit is driven by an extremist ideology and is severely lacking in practical experience. They are completely incompetent when it comes to exotics. This is evidenced by the trauma to Zeus and the destructive manner in which they eventually captured the primates.

As the number of raids and subsequent prosecutions increase throughout the Commonwealth, it is becoming more apparent that Jason Miyares and Michelle Welch are working together to criminalize anything short of perfection. The problem is that most animals, like most people, are not perfect. They get old, they get sick, they have parasites, they get chipped hooves, or they pull their feathers. But imperfection, disease, and parasites do not equate to abuse. These are simply signs of owning an animal.

Another sign of owning an animal is that they die. It shouldn't make you a criminal. It's part of life. If you ever experience a raid at your home or business, however, any animal dead or alive on your property can be used against you. Virginia farmers tell stories of how deceased and buried animals were used as "evidence" to portray them as animal abusers. The fact that the animals were dead and decomposing for an extended period of time DID NOT MATTER to authorities. It was all about weaving a story for the public instead of an actual search for the truth.

The Animal Law Unit wants you to believe that the owners and staff of Natural Bridge Zoo are heartless monsters, but how does this compare to the story of Zeus? Gretchen Mogensen had an amazing relationship with this tiger. She asked to be able to keep his body to bury him at home. Her request was denied. There has been no independent necropsy. What happened to his body? How will this death be used to orchestrate CRIMINAL charges?

Gretchen gave an interview to ABC 13 News regarding deceased animals:

https://wset.com/news/local/natural-bridge-zoo-representative-gretchen-mogensen-responds-to-warrants-claiming-dozens-of-dead-animals-seized-virginia-attorney-generals-office-december-2023 #

"Mogensen said they when animals pass away they have to provide proof so, animals are kept in freezers for a period of time. 'As a facility with hundreds of animals, animals do pass away, it is a part of life,' she said.

She said they kept some of the dead animals to await burial and others for research or training- which she says is why the warrants mention body parts. For example, 'If we need to be able to provide that for somebody to learn how to trim a hoof of a specific animal, what better way than to be actually able to provide them the real thing, that’s not on a live animal because that's way less stressful for practicing purpose,' she said."

It is a common practice in zoos to keep deceased animals for feeding and enrichment--especially for big cats. It is a common practice to keep deceased animals for taxidermy. In Virginia, zoos that exhibit deer are REQUIRED to preserve the head and a portion of the neck when the animal passes away for CWD monitoring. There is nothing nefarious about having a dead animal at a zoo. It's part of zoo life.

The portrayal by "investigators" about the zoo's "animal body parts" exposes the Animal Law Unit for what it REALLY is--the powerful arm of the animal rights movement. To many animal rights activists, taxidermy is cruel and leather is murder. Zoos themselves are inhumane. This is the ideology we are battling. It is completely devoid of common sense.

The Animal Law Unit wants to be legitimized. They want you to believe that they are needed in this Commonwealth. Nothing is further from the truth. Michelle Welch and the members of the Animal Law Unit are not heroes--they are extremists.

They must be exposed.

12/09/2023

Gretchen Mogensen with the Natural Bridge Zoo was there when the search warrant was executed and when Zeus the tiger was put down.

11/25/2023

The park will be CLOSED for the 2023 season starting monday Nov 27th. We will reopen in March 2024. Thank You to everyone who came to visit and support our furry, feathered and scaled friends! From everyone at Natural Bridge Zoo, we wish you all a safe and happy holiday season!
*picture- the always stunning Mutosh the Mountain Lion.* Time spent with cats is never wasted.

11/19/2023

The park will be open today, Sunday the 19th- 22nd.
We will be CLOSED on Thanksgiving Day.
Open the Nov 24th- Nov 26th weather permitting.
(Pictured: Swan Safety Transport System! ‘Noir’ the black neck swan, being air lifted for a stress free safe transport back to his pond.)

11/18/2023

UPDATE: It appears the rain and containment efforts mean less smoke today and tomorrow. The park may open Sunday from 10-4 if the weather conditions are favorable.

Due to the growing wildfire and heavy smoke encompassing our area, the park will be CLOSED this weekend (18th & 19th.) Our dedicated staff is devoted to ensuring the comfort and safety of the animals, including securing several species indoors with enhanced air filtration.
(Pictured: young nyala antelope named ‘Flicka’, curiously checking for extra snacks while being secured indoors.)

11/16/2023

With the wildfire smoke increasing our workload to ensure animal comfort, the park will be closed Nov 16th and 17th. We apologize for the inconvenience.

10/26/2023

Halloween weekend , kids in costume ages 3-12 get free park admission!

10/22/2023

‘TaterTot’, the African Pygmy Goat participating in the Halloween costume contest:)

10/20/2023

*KIDS FREE WEEKEND IS COMING*
Join us Saturday, October 21st & Sunday, October 22nd for Natural Bridge Zoo's KIDS FREE WEEKEND!! Kids Admission into the Zoo is absolutely FREE!
Free Hot Apple Cider, Inflatable Slide, Meet and greet animals up close with Keeper Educational Talks, Coloring stations, and Costume Contest at 1:00PM each day.
Elephant Rides will be available from 12-3pm (Regular fee applies)
The Park will be open from 10am-6pm so don't miss out on the last KIDS FREE WEEKEND of the season!
*Free admission for 2 children (age 3-12) with each paying adult. May not combine with any other discounts, coupons or combo tickets.*