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Peoria’s Wildlife Refuge
Plans for Wildlife Prairie Park located in the outskirts ofPeoria, began in the late 1960s when the Forest Park Foundation teamed up with the Chicago Zoological Society at Brookfield Zoo. They planned to use some Foundation land for endangered species’ breeding and refuge, but the plan was discarded because Brookfield Zoo switched its efforts to renovation. The project then changed into creating a park for native Illinois animals to live somewhat freely. The park would focus on the natural history of Illinois.
After extensive construction, Wildlife Prairie Park opened in the fall of 1978 for six weeks. During construction, many recycled materials were used, such as old whiskey barrels for trash receptacles. To prevent damaging natural foliage, many of the bridges and habitats were constructed entirely by hand.
The 2,000-acre park is home to animals native to Illinois during its pioneer days, such as wolves, bison, black bear, elk, and many others. The park also contains lakes, restored prairie, a train, and a Pioneer Farmstead, which shows life in the early 1800s with farm animals, a one-room school house, and log cabin. The Peoria area park serves three purposes: to conserve; to educate about conservation, wildlife, and other issues; and to provide a fun environment in which these goals may be accomplished.
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