Paint flecked coral-style pins, countless bales of hay, palm sized cups of feed, and outstretched chubby toddler-hands forcing their way through open fence holes. No other scene is quite like that of the Texas State Fair petting zoo.
Small children accompanied by parents, and even some eager teenagers, flock to the petting zoo throughout the month of October for the chance to hand feed the various species of animals and follow with an abundant use of the amply supplied hand sanitizer.
With hundreds of patrons making their way in and out of the zoo, animal care and safety become top priorities for the animal caregivers.
“We give them their shots, we spray them for lice and ticks…We isolate them if they’re sick, if we got one that’s too aggressive we separate them,” petting zoo keeper James Lawton said.
Multiple workers can be found throughout the petting zoo busily sweeping, replacing hay, caring for newborn animals, or greeting fairgoers at the door with cups of feed ready to go.
Human hygiene is also accounted for by numerous hand sanitizer stations interspersed throughout the petting zoo.
Many of the handlers possess years of experience working with animals, and have developed relationships with them.
“We’ve been working with animals for 40 plus years, we can look at ‘em and tell if they’re feeling good,” said animal manager AJ Hedrick.
This bond doesn’t just come from a month at the Texas State Fair once a year; these people do it for a living. Though they make an appearance every year at the Texas State Fair, this petting zoo travels around the country.
However, The animals featured in this year’s petting zoo are no mere traveling band of state fair creatures, but members of an “exotic animal farm” located in Nickerson, Kansas. The farm also functions as a Bed & Breakfast Inn, open for overnight and guest tours.
Featuring over 30 varieties of exotic animals from kangaroos to camels for patrons to feed and pet, guests can freely interact with the faunae in a supervised environment, all while lodging in animal themed rooms and being provided with home cooked meals.
The owner of this enterprise is Joe Hedrick himself, along with Sondra Hedrick. In opening the farm, Joe called on his previous years in the rodeo where he partook in specialty acts involving exotic animals. Eventually the farm expanded, turning the bunkhouse for ranch hands and guests into the Bed & Breakfast, and adding up to 5 traveling petting zoos under Hedrick’s Promotions Inc. This branch of the business puts on camel, ostrich, and pig races, and educational exotic animal exhibits at state fairs across the country.
While bright-eyed children squish their faces against the metal animal corrals in wonder as they attempt to get closer to the animals, it’s no new thing for the four-legged inhabitants of the Hedrick’s traveling petting zoo. The unique enterprise allows patrons a close up, relaxed, and unique experience, even sneaking some educational aspects in along the way.
“For the most part, it goes pretty easy,” AJ Hedrick said.
