WAHPETON, N.D. (KVRR/KFGO) – A member of the board of directors at Chahinkapa Zoo is defending Zoo Director Kathy Diekman and other management staff after former employees raised concerns. “It is the same zoo as it was before the accreditation issue, the staff is very supportive of the board and the board is very supportive of the staff,” said board…
WAHPETON, N.D. (KVRR) – Officials at Chahinkapa Zoo in Wahpeton say there are no plans to appeal the loss of its accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. “Due to the philosophical differences and changes in the AZA organization, the Chahinkapa Zoo Board feels that it is time to part ways and use our annual AZA dues elsewhere to…
We are discovering North Dakota this week on the KVRR Local News morning show. Each day we’re exploring a different area ahead of summer travel season. Today we learned about the Wahpeton/Breckenridge area. Wahpeton is home to the Chahinkapa Zoo, and attractions like Wahpper, the world’s largest catfish. They’re having a busy summer, with Blue Goose Days this June,…
Some wild new friends could be coming to the Chahinkapa Zoo in Wahpeton. The zoo opens for the season April 24th. Zoo Director Kathy Diekman says an event over the weekend drew over 500 more people than they anticipated. They’re planning for some big new additions. The zoo could get tigers as soon as this year. Plus, there are…
Spring is almost here. A season of rebirth. A lot of us are itching to get out after spending a pandemic winter stuck inside. I found a couple of guys who knew how to quarantine right during COVID. Bears! These are the brother and sister grizzly pair Cocoa and Copper at the Chahinkapa Zoo in Wahpeton. And they’re a…
Do you ever feel like you need to just bust out and spread your wings? That’s an understandable feeling, especially right now while we’re still under the weight of the pandemic. And this guy can relate. With the nice weather, I went to a behind-the-scenes event they had at Chahinkapah Zoo Tuesday afternoon. Part of the experience was watching…
WAHPETON, N.D. — Did Tal the Orangutan get it right? The great ape at Chahinkapa Zoo in Wahpeton has been picking Super Bowl winners since 2011. He chose Tampa Bay to win this year over the Kansas City Chiefs. Every year, the zoo paints the logos of the super bowl teams on footballs and puts them in his enclosure. He…
My girlfriend and I celebrated two years together over the weekend. Happy anniversary, sweetie! It’s hard trying to find a proper way to celebrate during COVID-19. We didn’t want to travel anywhere too far, So we settled on a little day trip to the Chahinkapa Zoo, where even the animals were in on social distancing. One of their grizzlies…
WAHPETON, N.D. – Staff at Chahinkapa Zoo in Wahpeton say that COVID-19 is pushing their season opening back, but it will not cancel it entirely. The zoo planned to open for the year on April 25th, but will be pushing back the start date due to the pandemic. Currently, all 11 employees are still working full time, as the animals…
WAHPETON, N.D.–The Chahinkapa Zoo announced that their Bengal tiger, Hobbes, passed away on Tuesday. Hobbes would have turned 17 on March 30. Neena, Hobbe’s sister passed away in 2019. The zoo posted a tribute to Hobbes on its Facebook page. “Hobbes, our dear Bengal tiger passed away today, March 3, 2020. Through the years Neena and Hobbes delighted and thrilled…
