“It’s all about the experience,” says Valerie Holt, who makes up one-fourth of the family-run Roos-N- More zoo located in Moapa Town, Nevada, 60 miles outside of Las Vegas. Filling out this team of compassionate and enthusiastic zookeepers is husband Jay, daughter Hailey and son Zach. The petting zoo is home to over 160 different, mostly exotic, animals. The facility provides a very handson experience to those interested in interacting with, rather than just looking at, fun and amazing creatures. As Jay elaborates, “Our philosophy is if people can see them, touch them and get to know them, they will be motivated to respect and preserve them.”
The zoo’s namesake and main attraction are, of course, kangaroos. Australian reds, eastern greys, wallaroos and wallabies are all represented here. The boomers (adult males) and flyers (adult females) run loose in an enclosed area with muntjac deer, goats and other fauna such as the Black Sumatra jungle chicken and even a baby emu. Hanging out with these animals in this setting with a mountainous desert backdrop just over the campus walls, one wonders if the roos, known for their prodigious leaping ability, ever try to escape. Valerie’s answer: “There’s really no reason for them to try. They are perfectly happy here.” As charming and fascinating as the roos
are, many of this zoo’s other occupants vie for your attention with antics way too cute to ignore. A tiny Capuchin monkey hitches a ride on the back of a lemur. Another monkey tries to pick the lock on the bearcat’s enclosure. A screaming hairy armadillo, which looks like a creation straight out of a Jim Henson movie, simply has to curl up into a ball to upstage most everyone else. But perhaps some of the zoo’s most lovable, adorable and outright hilarious animals are the Asian small-clawed otters. These cuddly creatures are as social as puppies and as clever as ferrets. Roos-n-More is perhaps the only place in the world where members of the public can “walk with the otters” as the family/ staff calls the experience. People in groups of up to 15 are permitted to enter into the otter’s habitat and interact with them. The highly curious mammals bound right up
© Spencer Burton
Both Valerie and Jay are veterinarians and share a perspective that animals
properly acclimated to interacting with the public on a regular basis can enjoy stress-free lives, while simultaneously serving to educate people on the wonders of the animal kingdom.
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FAMILY, KIDS & PETS
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Culture entertainment & activities
BY Hektor D. Esparza