Hovatter's Wildlife Zoo Kingwood WV

Lions, tigers, and bears OH MY! This isn't the iconic "Wizard of Oz" it's a place that's a bit more local than that where you can find all three of those and more.

The Hovatter's Wildlife Zoo in Kingwood WV is filled with interesting animals that make for a family-friendly stop the kids will love.

Upon entering you'll get a chance to purchase food items for the animals that make the day a bit more entertaining and fun for small children as they hold up a carrot and watch a giraffe coil his tongue around it, hand feed popcorn to the goats and emus, drop bits of food into the enclosures and watch the animals grab it and run off, or hold a birdseed stick in an enclosure full of birds resulting in your child becoming a human perch.

I started coming here many years ago with my children and it's been great to watch the business grow. They now have playground areas, a small kids roller coaster, tons more animals, and a huge parking area but they've managed to keep the down-home unrushed feel that makes this stop feel almost like home, if you lived with large meat-eating cats, hungry alligators, and had cathedral ceilings for the giraffes anyhow.

Like most this zoo is a self-guided venue offering you the chance to freely explore and spend time watching and enjoying each enclosure/animal as you go with signs warning you which ones will bite, peck, or don't like loud noises. Unlike most they allow you to get up close and interact with the less aggressive animals such as goats, emus, giraffes, cows, and deer.

Either way you look at it the Hovatter's Wildlife Zoo is an interesting stop and should be on your list of things to do in Preston County WV if you find yourself nearby. To see more videos and images check out their Facbook.