Catskill Game Farm
This farm opened in 1933 in Catskill, New York. Roland Lin Demann came up with the whole idea and started the farm. It started out with Deer's Donkeys and Sheep, and by 1958 the US Department of Agriculture recognised this park as a zoo, making Catskill Game Farm the first privately owned park to achieve such a status.
Having this status meant they could expand their animals, in turn bringing more exotic animals onto the site; many of the animals were imported from all over the world. The farm was 914 acres, but only 136 acres was available to the public during the summer and autumn seasons, the rest of the land was used to breed animals for other zoo's.
By 2006, the park had 150 species and 20000 animals but cracks were already showing by this time. The farm was facing financial difficulty due to a drop in attendance. And new legal regulations meant their Splashdown attraction was closed, although this attraction never violated any regulation. It wasn't until 2nd August 2006 that they announced that after 73 years it would be closing on Columbus Day that year (13th October). Catskill Farm was still owned by the same family, Catskill Game Farm Inc, when it closed.
Soon after its closure everything was auctioned off, due to how much stuff was in the farm had to be split into two days. The first day was auctioning off park rides, gift shops and the restaurant; the second day was the animals, vehicles and farm equipment. One of the animals auctioned off was a Southern White Rhino called 'Boom Boom', who was brought by Marc Ecko. Boom Boom died 6 years later, on March 22nd 2012, aged 41, from cancer.
Not much else has happened to the farm since its closure, but it has been sold and there have been plans to reopen the farm as a family establishment with a b&b, camp, rv resort and have animals again, but this has yet to happen.
Having this status meant they could expand their animals, in turn bringing more exotic animals onto the site; many of the animals were imported from all over the world. The farm was 914 acres, but only 136 acres was available to the public during the summer and autumn seasons, the rest of the land was used to breed animals for other zoo's.
By 2006, the park had 150 species and 20000 animals but cracks were already showing by this time. The farm was facing financial difficulty due to a drop in attendance. And new legal regulations meant their Splashdown attraction was closed, although this attraction never violated any regulation. It wasn't until 2nd August 2006 that they announced that after 73 years it would be closing on Columbus Day that year (13th October). Catskill Farm was still owned by the same family, Catskill Game Farm Inc, when it closed.
Soon after its closure everything was auctioned off, due to how much stuff was in the farm had to be split into two days. The first day was auctioning off park rides, gift shops and the restaurant; the second day was the animals, vehicles and farm equipment. One of the animals auctioned off was a Southern White Rhino called 'Boom Boom', who was brought by Marc Ecko. Boom Boom died 6 years later, on March 22nd 2012, aged 41, from cancer.
Not much else has happened to the farm since its closure, but it has been sold and there have been plans to reopen the farm as a family establishment with a b&b, camp, rv resort and have animals again, but this has yet to happen.
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