Animals live in historic habitat in Illinois park

March 1, 2009 -- A cougar soaks up the sun on a chilly opening day at Wildlife Prairie State Park near Peoria, Ill. The 2,000-acre zoological park is built on land reclaimed after strip mining. It is home to bison, elk and white-tailed deer. Bobcats, cougars, otters, wolves and eagles also are on display. (Chris Young/AP Photo/The State Journal-Register)

By Chris Young
THE (SPRINGFIELD) STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER
05/03/2009

PEORIA, Ill. -- The people were bundled up and shivering, but the cougar was soaking up the sun.

Opening day at Wildlife Prairie State Park near Peoria early this spring was clear, but windy and cold. A few hardy visitors strolled along paths through the woods where native wildlife can be viewed in a naturalistic setting.

The 2,000-acre zoological park is built on land reclaimed after strip mining. It is home to bison, elk and white-tailed deer. Bobcats, cougars, otters, wolves and eagles also are on display.

The park began as a joint project between the Forest Park Foundation and the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago more than 40 years ago. That partnership never materialized, and the park eventually developed as a place to showcase native species partly upon the suggestion of philanthropist William Rutherford and Marlin Perkins, the late host of television's "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom."

"They were left with a half-built park (after the Brookfield zoo turned to other projects)," says Jennifer Bertolet, the park's marketing director. "Rutherford and Marlin Perkins came up with the idea to start a park that featured all native animals so you wouldn't have to worry so much about winter housing."

The foundation transferred ownership to Rutherford in the 1960s. Wildlife Prairie Park opened to the public in 1978 and was operated privately until the state of Illinois assumed ownership in 2000.

Driving through the corn-and-soybean landscape from Springfield to Peoria, it can be difficult to imagine Illinois when black bears, cougars and gray wolves still roamed.

"It's the history of Illinois itself," says Bertolet. "Visitors always say, Oh no, there weren't any of these in this area.' But before the Civil War, that's what the pioneers had to deal with."

Many of Illinois' large animals were being driven from the state even earlier, she says.

Shawn Cullen of Metamora braved the chill to visit the park on opening day. He says he and his family have become members for a second year.

"It's a good place to teach kids and show them how the animals are supposed to live," he says.

Cullen says he appreciates the way animals are kept in a more natural environment.

"At so many zoos, the animals are trapped in a small concrete cage," he says. "That doesn't seem right to me."

Today, the park is back to operating on its own with the support of the foundation. Wildlife Prairie State Park lost its state funding for the most recent fiscal year, and has been trying to make up $828,000 through fundraising, gate receipts and memberships.

"That's a big one," Bertolet says. "Memberships keep us going. We're trying to keep alive in any way we can."

She says the park is working to get its state funding restored. "First of all, we are working with the governor and director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to try to get our funding reinstated, but (that will depend on the budgeting process)," Bertolet says.

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