Kuranda and the Oglebay Good Zoo

I am so excited to be writing this article – I was recently given the opportunity to visit the Oglebay Good Zoo in Wheeling, West Virginia on behalf of Kuranda. Believe it or not, the Good Zoo has Kuranda beds for many of the animals in their care; our beds aren’t just for dogs and cats, after all!

The Oglebay Good Zoo was founded by the Good family in the 1970s after the passing of their seven-year old son, Philip Mayer Good. The initial pledge by the Good family inspired others, contributions started pouring in for the creation of a new zoo. Eventually, this led to a thirty-two-acre wooded site becoming the Good Zoo and in 1977, the Good Zoo opened to the public on Memorial Day weekend.

The Good Zoo is one of only 250 Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited zoos worldwide and is the only accredited zoo in the state of West Virginia. Not only do they provide family-friendly exhibits and lifelong learning opportunities, but the zoo participates in invaluable conservation programs for endangered species.

“Inspiring wildlife conservation and animal wellbeing through memorable experiences.” – Oglebay Good Zoo Mission Statement

During the visit, I got a behind the scenes tour of the facility with Zoo Director Joe Greathouse, and Curator of Animal Wellbeing, Susan Greathouse. I was able to meet some of the animals up close and was able to see firsthand our Kuranda beds in use at the zoo!

The two biggest factors that led the zoo to choose Kuranda beds were the fact that the beds are lightweight, yet durable and that they are incredibly easy to clean. You’ll see other beds and bed options at this zoo, such as those made from recycled fire hose. While this is an incredibly tough and durable option, it is heavy! One of the hammock beds they created weighs hundreds of pounds.

After speaking with four different staff members, hands down the lightweight aluminum frame and ease of cleaning changed their day-to-day tasks in cleaning the animal enclosures. Those are two of our biggest talking points for a reason! It was nice to hear it from the people who are seeing our beds in use every day.

A big thank you to Joe and Susan Greathouse and to the Oglebay Zoo for the opportunity!