This Zoo Has a Story

Why is there a zoo in Fort Chiswell, Virginia? 

It all started with a local boy and a dream.  From the time he was 5 years old, Jeff Archer loved to watch Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom and was determined to own his own zoo one day.  From a young age, he and his best friend, Penny, sewed nets together to catch ostriches.  They planned to travel to Africa, but they never made it.  Instead, Jeff brought Africa to Fort Chiswell!            

Jeff was a carpenter by trade.  He bought the land for the zoo in 2002 and went to work building the gift shop, barns, fences, and exhibits.  The zoo opened for business on August 13, 2004 and is now home to over 200 animals.  

There's a saying in the zoo community, "You don't own a zoo, a zoo owns you" and that is definitely the case here.  Jeff lives on the property and is with his animals 24/7.  If a baby antelope or buffalo is weak or needs in out of the cold, he'll raise it in the living room until it can go back outside with the rest of the herd.  For Jeff, this isn't a job, it's a lifestyle.  

At Fort Chiswell Animal Park, you're invited to experience these animals for yourself.  It's the kind of zoo Jeff would of loved as a kid.  As he likes to say, he couldn't find a place like he'd imagined, so he built it! ​