Ranch for rescued animals becomes Austin Zoo

By MONETTE TAYLOR | South Central Texas Edition

This tiger is housed at the zoo that has more than 300 animals and over 100 species. Over 90 percent of the animals are rescued, according to Austin Zoo Executive Director Cindy Carroccio. -Staff photo by Taylor

February 6, 2003 -- "Lions and tigers and bears (oh, my!) and horses and sheep and chickens that fly!" It may sound like a movie script, but it is actually residents of the animal sanctuary, Austin Zoo.

Cindy Carroccio, executive director, may be the "Florence Nightingale" of the animal world. With her registered nurse education and her love of all animals ... great and small ... she is a compassionate lady.

Originally part of the Morgan Estate in the 1860s, much of the ranch land owned by the Hutto family in the 1940s and 1950s was used to raise Angora goats and pheasants.

In 1978, Carroccio and her sister purchased their original 20 acres of property and raised Nubian goats, and even pot-bellied pigs for a while.

After adding another five acres in the '80s, with a final addition of 75 acres in the early '90s by Carroccio and her husband, Jim, the general curator at the zoo, the family donated 45 acres to the zoo.

The property was once inhabited by several Indian tribes. These tribes left site mounds where once the limestone is broken up, you can still smell some of the smoke which burned hundreds of years ago, explained Carroccio.

"There's a lot of history out here," she said.

In 1990, the couple started the Good Day Ranch, which catered mostly to animals in need. By 1992, the Carroccios realized the project was much larger than they had anticipated, and decided to re-name the place "Austin Zoo."

The zoo is located just off Highway 290, between Austin and Dripping Springs.

As a 501(c)3 non-profit organization since '94, they now rely "solely on private donations, grants and sponsorships for continued growth," said Carroccio. She said Austin Zoo is "an organization committed to the rescue, enrichment, and well being of endangered and unwanted animals in partnership with our community."

Carroccio explained they are concerned with the lack of involvement many people put into their animals, once they purchase them and take them home. She believes pet owners should consider the "big picture" of animal ownership, and that, to her, means from the "cradle to the grave."

She said she continues to be awed by people who choose to own a pet until they reach old age, and then just release them to the wild or some kind of animal shelter to be cared for or put to death. She likened it to taking an elderly person and dropping them on the steps of a nursing home.

Along with her love of animals, Carroccio explained she likes to see the children connect with the animals and nature, and enjoys the surprise on their faces when they realize that milk doesn't originate at the local supermarket!

While her mom was reared on a ranch in West Texas, Carroccio grew up in the Galveston Bay area, where she was constantly involved in some type of animal rescue project.

When they first started the zoo, Carroccio said the animals consisted mostly of goats, pigs, fallow deer, donkeys and ponies ... with a few exotics. Nowadays, the zoo has more than 300 animals and over 100 species. Over 90 percent of the animals are rescued, and they do not breed the animals or offer commercial sales.

The problem of unwanted or rescued animals is large. An average of 70 requests to care for additional animals, "from goats to elephants," are turned down by Austin Zoo each month. She said in Texas, alone, there are more tigers than anywhere else in the world. Due to the growth of "roadside zoos" and private ownership of exotic animals, along with the release of older animals from big city zoos to smaller facilities, the animals have multiplied at a rapid rate.

Last year, over 200,000 people visited Austin Zoo, with over 45,000 school kids on field trips, and hundreds more in summer camp. It's the first time many of the urban kids have been "up close and personal" with even the farm animals, she said.

This is what she considers the best thing about working with the zoo animals, along with the personal satisfaction she gains, although she finds it frustrating that she can't help rescue all the animals who are brought to her.

Carroccio said "in the grand scheme of things" she probably isn't making that much of a difference, but for the animals and visitors who come to the zoo, she is doing a really good job trying!

Along with a sanctuary in San Antonio, Austin Zoo has gained national acclaim and is working to promote legislation that will make it harder for small, roadside "zoos" with mistreated animals to exist.

(For information concerning the zoo: www.austinzoo.org)