Action Wildlife: A Photo Tour

By Kim Knox Beckius

Updated 05/15/17

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    Welcome to Action Wildlife

    Action Wildlife Photo - Action Wildlife Goshen Connecticut
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut Located on a scenic, 116-acre parcel that was once a dairy farm, Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut, is now home to dozens of exotic animal species from around the globe. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Northwest Connecticut Wild Animal Park is Affordable Family Day Trip Destination

    A drive-through safari. Exotic animals including some on the brink of extinction. A petting zoo. A museum-quality collection of mounted animals ranging from cuddly forest critters to giants of the African savannah. Playgrounds. Indoor and outdoor waterfalls. Amazing photo opportunities. Action Wildlife in Goshen, CT, blew away my expectations when I visited with my family on Labor Day 2010.

    This 116-acre zoo and museum affords opportunities to observe animal behavior and to marvel at the diversity of life on our planet. We've visited several family attractions in Connecticut that are grossly overpriced. At $10 for adults, $8 for children under 12 (as of 2013), Action Wildlife is one of the state's best family entertainment bargains.

    Admission fees cover only 25 percent of the non-profit Action Wildlife's operating costs: The facility is obviously founder Jim Mazzarelli's passion. We loved...MORE sharing an animal adventure in an uncrowded setting. Visit Action Wildlife spring through fall.

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    Museum and Exploration Center

    Turtle Picture - Action Wildlife Museum and Exploration Center - Goshen CT
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut In 2008, a Museum and Exploration Center was added at Action Wildlife in Goshen, CT. Inside this enormous warehouse, located just inside the admission gate, visitors first encounter an assortment of live birds and reptiles, like this turtle. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    Holy Watusi!

    Watusi Cow - Photo of Taxidermal Watusi Cow at Action Wildlife Goshen CT
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut We weren't surprised to spy a fish tank when we reached the first floor of the museum at Action Wildlife, but we certainly weren't expecting to come face-to-face with an incredibly lifelike, long-horned Watusi cow: a preview of the displays that awaited. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    Stuffed Turkey

    Taxidermy Animals Collection at Action Wildlife - Stuffed Turkey Picture
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut The stuffed turkey at Action Wildlife is not the kind you'd serve on Thanksgiving day. It is one of a menagerie of brilliantly executed taxidermy animals in the museum's vast and diverse collection. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    From a Raccoon...

    Raccoon Photo - Taxidermy Raccoon at Museum at Action Wildlife Goshen Connecticut
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut How diverse is the array of animals brought to life by taxidermist Mike Maston? The amazingly alert-looking animals on display range from this everyday North American masked bandit, the raccoon... © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    ...to a White Rhino

    White Rhino Photo - Taxidermy White Rhino at Action Wildlife Goshen CT
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut ...to a White Rhino, an enormous creature from the grasslands of Africa. Action Wildlife founder Jim Mazzarelli hunted all but a handful of the animals on display in the museum. A White Rhino hunting license was $20,000, we were told, with no guarantees. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    Bison Battle

    Bison Battle - Diorama of American Bison at Action Wildlife Museum
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut Video footage of scenes observed in the wild aided in the creation of realistic dioramas, such as this battle between two American bison, inside the museum at Action Wildlife. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    Please Don't Pet the Bears

    Grizzly Bear at Action Wildlife Connecticut - Displays Similar to Museum of Natural History NYC
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut Action Wildlife's displays reminded me of those at the Museum of Natural History in NYC, only here in Connecticut, glass does not separate visitors from the animals, and even on a holiday weekend, there isn't a crowd. Still, touching is not allowed. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    A Photographer's Dream

    Action Wildlife Warthog Photo - A Photographer's Dream
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut Because the taxidermy animals are not hidden behind glass, Action Wildlife is a photographer's dream, even when the subject is a not terribly photogenic creature like the warthog! As you'll see, I was able to capture neat live animal shots outdoors, too. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    Reach Out and Touch That Snout

    Water Buffalo Taxidermy - Action Wildlife Taxidermy Work is a Marvel
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut No, you can't touch the water buffalo's nose. But doesn't it look as though it would be warm and moist if you did? The taxidermy work at Action Wildlife is a marvel. Pelts, preserved in the field, are mounted on mannequins. Even the glass eyes look real. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    Lions' Prey

    Lions' Prey - Lions Attacking a Water Buffalo Diorama at Action Wildlife Museum
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut Some of the dioramas, such as this scene of lions attacking a water buffalo, are admittedly a tad gruesome. But my 7-year-old, who'd seen something similar on Animal Planet, was unfazed. There are ample options for diverting younger children's gaze. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    Furry Fun

    Action Wildlife - Attraction for Kids in Northwest Connecticut
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut In the museum's last room, my daughter had the chance to touch an assortment of fur pelts--moose, bear, raccoon--and elephant skin, too, at an interactive station. By now, we were eager to hop in our car and continue our Action Wildlife animal safari. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    Fallow Deer

    Fallow Deer Photo - Fallow Deer at Action Wildlife Goshen CT
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut White-spotted, graceful Fallow Deer are common in England, but they're not often seen in New England. Action Wildlife has successfully bred Fallow Deer, and a small herd can be observed as visitors begin their drive around this animal park in Goshen, CT. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    Scimitar Oryx

    Scimitar Oryx Photo - Action Wildlife Goshen Connecticut
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut The Scimitar Oryx only sounds like an animal invented by Dr. Seuss! Native to North Africa, the Scimitar Oryx is extinct in the wild, so the opportunity to see this curvy-horned antelope at Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut, is a rare one, indeed. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    Water Buffalo

    Water Buffalo Picture - Action Wildlife Water Buffalo
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut The taxidermy water buffalo we saw inside the museum gave us a sense of this hulking creature's size. Viewing this live water buffalo on the grounds of Action Wildlife gave us a sense of this big bovine's sloppy eating habits!. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    Drive-Through Safari

    Drive-Through Safari at Action Wildlife in Connecticut
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut Around the corner from the Watusi Cattle, the 50-acre drive-through wildlife safari is one of Action Wildlife's newest attractions. As we circumnavigated this enclosed area, we kept our eyes peeled for llamas, emu and Japanese Sika Deer. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    Hop Out and See the Animals Up Close

    Funny Llama Picture - See Exotic and Domestic Animals Up Close at Action Wildlife
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut That's a face only a Mama Llama could love! When we entered Action Wildlife, we learned that one of the beauties of this zoo is that visitors can hop in and out of their cars safely at any point for a close-up view of both exotic and domestic animals. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    Poitou Donkey

    Poitou Donkey - Photo of Poitou Donkey at Action Wildlife Goshen CT
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut The shaggy Poitou Donkey, an ancient breed that originated in France's Poitou region, is an incredibly rare animal. The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy lists the breed's status as "critical": Only 450 pure Poitous were known to exist as of 2005. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    Head Into the Petting Zoo

    Connecticut Petting Zoo - Action Wildlife Petting Zoo Goshen Connecticut
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut The endangered and exotic animals at Action Wildlife are fascinating to observe, but who can resist baby farm animals? Not my family. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    Making Friends

    Action Wildlife Petting Zoo Picture - Feeding the Baby Sheep
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut It's easy to make friends with the petting zoo sheep... if you have a bottle in your hand! When we visited in 2010, bottles of milk were $3 and small cups of grain $1. Be forewarned: The attendant likely won't have change. It's a bit of a ploy, I think. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    Fun and Educational

    Action Wildlife Goshen Connecticut - Fun and Educational Outings for Kids and School Groups
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut For my little girl, feeding the baby sheep, kids and piglets was a highlight of our visit to Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut. The animal park is a fun place to take kids of all ages, and school groups are welcome to plan educational outings, too. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    A Scene from Disney

    Petting Zoo Deer Photo - Feeding Young Fawn at Action Wildlife Petting Zoo
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut Deer aren't typically found in petting zoos, and the chance to feed this young fawn from our hands was like a scene from an animated Disney movie... only without singing birds flying around our heads. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    A Playground for Little Tots

    Action Wildlife Playground and Picnic Area - Northwest Connecticut Family Attraction
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut At Action Wildlife, there's a picnic area and playground for little kids under 6 near the petting zoo. Pack a picnic lunch, and you can easily make a day out of your visit to this wild animal park and safari in Northwest Connecticut. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    A Work of Art

    Zebra Photo - A Work of Art
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut I've seen zebras in zoos before, but I only realized what a work of art the zebra is as I viewed the sole member of the species on view at Action Wildlife. For the first time, I noticed that the stripes on a zebra's mane align perfectly with its coat. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    Don't Fence Me In

    Action Wildlife Picture - Action Wildlife in Goshen CT
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut The Action Wildlife animals are penned in, but they all have plenty of space to roam inside their landscaped habitats. This horse wasn't going anywhere, but we did see a goat wander out into the road. We laughed when a staffer said, "That's Houdini.". © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    Where the Buffalo Roam

    Buffalo Photo - Bison Herd at Action Wildlife in Connecticut
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut The animals on display at Action Wildlife really do run the gamut from A to Z: American Bison to Zebu. The herd of bison (or buffalo) that call the wildlife park home can be seen from Route 4. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    Larger Than Life

    American Bison Close Up Photo - See North America's Largest Living Land Animal at Action Wildlife
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut The American Bison is North America's largest living land animal, and, with my 80-200mm lens, I was able to gaze into the eyes of one of these majestic beasts. Action Wildlife's signage is sparse, but you can research animal facts online after your visit. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    A Vigilant Elk

    Elk Photo - American Elk at Action Wildlife
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut This American Elk kept careful watch on us as we observed her and even made a charge toward the fence at one point, causing me to reflexively grab my daughter's shoulder and pull her back from the elk enclosure. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    A Mother's Instinct

    Baby Elk Photo - A Mother's Instinct on View at Action Wildlife
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut I quickly realized that the elk's protective behavior mirrored my own. Mama elk was simply, instinctively ensuring the safety of her babies. I had never seen a baby elk. There's only one word to describe this bright-eyed calf: adorable. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    Proud Papa

    Male American Elk Picture - Action Wildlife American Elk
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut A male elk, who I assume is the proud papa of this brood, looked on languidly while his offspring frolicked. American Elk shed their antlers annually. When you see how impressive a male elk's antlers can be, that's almost impossible to believe. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    The Male of the Species

    Elk Photo - Male American Elk Napping in Grass at Action Wildlife CT
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut It's a natural instinct for elk and human moms to keep a sharp watch while their little ones play. I'll let you draw your own conclusions about whether the males of both species also share instinctive tendencies. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    Goodbye Goats

    Photo of Pygmy Goats and Young Girl at Action Wildlife Goshen Connecticut
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut We had to pull our 7-year-old daughter away from her new "friends," the Pygmy Goats, when we first visited their pen, so before we left Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut, we drove back around and gave her a chance to say, "goodbye.". © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    A Playground for Bigger Kids

    Photo of Playground at Action Wildlife - Things to Do with Kids in Connecticut
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut Action Wildlife has a playground for bigger kids, too, back near the museum and gift shop, where shaded picnic tables are also available. With swings, slides, ride-on animals, a climbing wall and more, kids could easily spend an hour or more playing here. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.

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    Ride the Orange Snail

    Action Wildlife Playground Picture - Ride the Orange Snail
    ••• Photo Tour of Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut We thought gazing up at a rhino, touching elephant skin, beholding an Oryx, embarking on a safari, making friends with goats, bottle-feeding piglets, admiring a zebra and dodging a wary elk was enough for our girl. No. She had to ride the orange snail. © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

    Take your family on safari at Action Wildlife! This affordable, educational Northwest Connecticut zoo is a unique place to observe and appreciate animals.