Lupa Zoo Has Something for Everyone
Ludlow, Mass. - Northeast of Springfield, on land formerly used for farming, is a hidden gem enjoyed by all ages.
More than 25 years ago Joan and Henry Lupa started a game farm on their property with pheasants and other game birds. People visited out of curiosity, and the Lupa family’s pleasure of seeing others enjoy their animals morphed into Lupa Zoo.
“This started as a love of animals and service to the community,” said Joan, president of Lupa Zoo. “It began as a small zoo and now it’s a bigger zoo.”
Today more than 200 animals are on the 18-acre property in the country. Some of the early animals to arrive at Lupa Zoo can still be visited including Himalayan Bears that were acquired in 1998. Buffalo and camels were also early additions.
The property holds gardens, a wetlands area, aviaries and multiple playgrounds for a day filled with a variety of experiences. The zoo is easily walkable so animals can be viewed in close proximity to the paths. Many of the animals can be fed with special feed purchased at the zoo.
In front of each exhibit are detailed signs with history and information about each animal allowing family members to learn about them together.
All in the Family
The Lupa family’s main business is construction, but they work together to keep the zoo experience available for all families to enjoy. Henry passed away in 2013 and now other family members continue the operation in a volunteer capacity.
Joan and Henry’s children - and now their grandchildren - have grown up being part of the zoo. Son Stan Lupa serves as director of education. Their other son Wally and his wife Ewa Lupa act respectively as director of facility development & animal care and treasurer/secretary.
Although they lead the operations, keeping the dream alive for the community to enjoy is the most important aspect of the business.
“We don’t pay attention to our titles, we just do what has to be done,” Joan said.
The zoo is filled with animals such as primates, bears, tapirs, an anteater, and Amazonian macaws. Yet one of the most popular experiences is feeding baby goats.
“Sometimes you don’t need to have anything fancy to have fun,” Ewa said.
A large focus of their mission is conservation. To better illustrate this for families, they created the conservation garden to explain different ways to help the environment, from human interaction with nature to suggesting techniques to keep it clean.
Outings for All
The Lupa family aims to remind people to visit the zoo, especially as the weather warms and mask mandates are loosening. Part of their plan is to utilize the Stand Out Truck® to drive awareness in the area.
When they first heard about the truck they were curious, but it didn’t take long for them to see it in action and decide it could help with their goals.
“It’s a really nice idea,” said Joan. “We were quite impressed.”
The zoo is currently open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. While some programs and activities haven’t returned daily due to COVID, the Lupa family is focused on the safety of guests first and foremost.
“We want to make sure that people feel safe and still have fun,” Ewa said.
The zoo is available for birthday parties, field trips and special events. Because the zoo aims to keep prices affordable, they rely heavily on donations through animal adoptions, Bricks for Life and memberships.
The Lupa Zoo experience is one that families can collectively enjoy together and that’s exactly how the Lupa family wants it to be.
“It’s safe, it’s clean and it’s fun at a great price,” Wally said.
Visit https://www.lupazoo.org/ for more information.
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