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Monday 9am - 7pm Tuesday 9am - 7pm Wednesday 9am - 7pm Thursday 9am - 7pm Friday 9am - 7pm Saturday 9am - 7pm

Ark Encounter's Ararat Ridge Zoo

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Williamstown, KY
Ark Encounter's Ararat Ridge Zoo

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The Ararat Ridge Zoo at the Ark Encounter houses nearly 200 amazing animals from around the world! Camel rides and camel encounters have an additional cost.

The Ararat Ridge Zoo, children's zoo, kangaroo walkabout, and animal programs are included with Ark Encounter admission.

11/09/2026

“Oh give thanks to Yahweh, for He is good, for His lovingkindness endures forever.” Psalm 107:1 (LSB)

📸 Keeper Megan

11/08/2026

We have a new little friend at the Ararat Ridge Zoo! Please welcome Violet, our new and adorable three-banded armadillo! Violet is still a bit shy as she gets to know her surroundings, but she’s settling in nicely. We’re giving her plenty of time to explore and get comfortable, and we can’t wait to watch her personality shine as she gains confidence!
A special thank you to the Walton-Verona FFA for donating the flowers for her photo shoot.

📸 Manager Shelly

11/04/2026

Because who doesn’t like hearing cute animals chew? Teeth are a fascinating example of God‘s design in animals!

Wallabies like Boomer chew with a quick sideways motion. This allows the lower teeth to move inside the upper ones without touching, reducing wear on their molars. Keepers give them browse (branches from trees and bushes), as this type of plant material encourages them to chew in a sideways manner, which helps keep their teeth and gums healthy!

Sloths like Felix have very large canines, which may be unexpected in a herbivore, but this design is perfect for animals that eat fibrous plants. Felix uses those sharp teeth to munch on browse and vegetables! This reminds us that animals with large teeth weren’t carnivorous before the Fall (Genesis 3), but rather used their teeth for eating plant material.

Porcupines like Gideon and Atarah need to chew on hard items like bones to keep their teeth at appropriate lengths, as their teeth continue to grow throughout their lifetime. This growth ensures they can keep eating plant material without wearing their teeth down completely!

Seeing how teeth are designed gives us another example of how God cares for His creation. He designed teeth to function even under the curse of sin. And if He cares so much for something like teeth, how much more does He care for you?
“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” — Matthew 6:26 (LSB)

🎥 Manager Shelly

11/02/2026

What are Junior's Zoo keepers doing with their extra hour? Sleeping!

“He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” Psalm 121:3-4 (LSB)

📸 Junior's Zoo Keepers

11/01/2026

Happy Hug a Sheep Day!

Sometimes our sheep get to enjoy a walk around the zoo, along with some crunchy leaf treats, to educate guests about some of the unique features God designed them with. Sheep, as well as goats and other members of the caprine created kind, have horizontal pupils that allow them to see nearly all around them, helping them spot predators. They can also rotate their eyes to stay level with the horizon while grazing to detect danger.

Although you can’t give our sheep hugs, you can give them some pets when you visit Junior’s Zoo Adventure!

🎥 Lead Keeper Kelley

10/31/2026

In nature, animals spend a large part of their day searching, sniffing, digging, and problem-solving to find their food. At Ararat Ridge Zoo, we recreate some of those natural challenges through foraging enrichment!

Instead of simply placing food in a bowl, keepers hide, scatter, bury, or hang an animal’s food. This encourages animals to use the behaviors they would naturally express in the wild. In fact, we have observed animals bypassing a full bowl of food to forage for hidden treats instead!

Foraging enrichment helps:
- Keep brains active—Animals have to think and problem-solve.
- Encourage natural behaviors—Sniffing, digging, climbing, and manipulating objects.
- Increase feeding time—Making meals last longer and reducing boredom.
- Promote physical activity—Searching for food encourages movement and exploration.
- Provide choice and control—Animals can decide how and when to interact with their environment.

When we make meals a little more challenging, we provide opportunities for animals to exhibit species-specific behaviors.

🎥 Manager Shelly

10/30/2026

Please join both the Ararat Ridge Zoo and Zoo in thanking Josh for his 21 years of service at Answers in Genesis. This month, Josh will be leaving us to pursue a new ministry as a chaplain. Josh started his time in horticulture and helped build the Creation Museum and grounds. Shortly after, he took over running the newly created petting zoo (now Creation Zoo). When the Ararat Ridge Zoo opened, he moved down from the Creation Museum and helped grow the brand-new zoo. He transitioned to Zoo Facilities Manager to help maintain and build habitats. Over his time here, he has led countless devotionals, fixed countless broken things, prayed countless times for his co-workers, mowed countless acres of grass, and made countless friends! Thank you, Josh!

10/29/2026

Cyrus, the jungle carpet python, is one of our more curious snakes. He has heat-sensing pits along his upper lip that help him detect heat signatures. He uses these pits to explore his surroundings and find food sources.

📸 Keeper Megan

10/27/2026

Management needs you to find the differences in these photos . . .Happy National Pumpkin Day!

📸 Lead Keeper Kelley

Address

1 Ark Encounter Drive
Williamstown, KY
41097

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 7pm
Tuesday	9am - 7pm
Wednesday	9am - 7pm
Thursday	9am - 7pm
Friday	9am - 7pm
Saturday	9am - 7pm

Website

https://arkencounter.com/zoo/

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