Wyoming
Why Wyoming Is One Of Only Two States Without A Zoo
What’s one thing Wyoming and Vermont have in common? Besides being the two least-populated states, they’re the only ones without a zoo.
That’s not counting the wildlife show that is Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, particularly in the summer tourism season when bear and bison jams are common.
And you’re likely to be played by Limpy the Coyote for some sympathetic snacks (don’t feed the wildlife). But the roads aren’t zoos, even if too many tourists treat them like they are.
Wyoming has had several small zoos earlier in its history, like the Pioneer Park Zoo in Sheridan, but they’ve been gone for decades.
Anyone who wants to see lions and tigers must go out of state, although there are plenty of Wyoming bears people can see, but to behind the safety of an enclosure.
That’s why there won’t be any Wyoming listings like the ones posted by National Land Realty in North Carolina. The real estate company has two zoological properties for sale, complete with small arks of exotic animals.
Anyone buying the 186-acre Zootastic of Lake Norman or the 66-acre Aloha Safari Park, both in North Carolina, will get more than 300 species of exotic animals and the infrastructure to care for, exhibit and potentially profit from them.
The menageries include giraffes, antelope, hyenas and many other critters, in addition to the typical lions, tigers and bears.
If some enterprising Wyomingite decided to buy one of these zoos and move it to the Cowboy State, it would be doable, but difficult.
Among other things, creating a new zoological park in Wyoming would require permits — a lot of permits. But there’s more to it than that.
Domestic, Domesticated And Permitted
Any animals in a Wyoming zoo would fall under the jurisdiction of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and there is a litany of permits and regulations for importing and possessing exotic wildlife.
But the main reason there isn’t a zoo here is that there hasn’t been a sustained effort to establish one.
“Historically, some have tried to (open a private zoo) in the past and not gotten permitted for zoos and wildlife farms,” Game and Fish Lander Region spokesperson Rene Schell told Cowboy State Daily. “But they could, and each animal would be permitted (or prohibited) individually and on a case-by-case basis.”
According to Wyoming law, owning living wildlife requires a permit unless it has been deemed exempt or prohibited.
Exempt animals have been designated as “domestic” or “domesticated,” and there are some exotic animals in both categories.
For instance, the same exemption for cats, dogs, horses and other “domestic animals” includes zebu, a South Asian cattle breed. The state of Wyoming also considers bison domestic, so long as they aren’t wild.
Llamas and alpacas are exempt exotic animals on Wyoming’s domesticated list, which is why they can occasionally be seen on ranches throughout the Cowboy State.
Chinchillas, ostriches, emus, Bactrian and dromedary camels, and zebras are also exempt domesticated animals.
Domestic and domesticated animals are specifically exempt from Game and Fish Chapter 10, which states that “except as otherwise specified or exempted in this regulation, a permit from the department is required prior to importation, possession, confinement or transportation of any living warm-blooded wildlife.”
Any exotic animal that isn’t domestic or domesticated requires extensive permitting to legally enter and stay in Wyoming, let alone as a long-term resident in a zoo or safari park. Pachyderms, felids and unusual ungulates require a permit or two.
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Zooastic of Lake Norman is a 186-acre zoo complex for sale in North Carolina. (Land.com)
Exhibiting Exotics
Patricia Wyer is the director of the Broken Bandit Wildlife Center in Cheyenne. In addition to domestic horses, raccoons and other Wyoming wildlife kept and rehabilitated at her facility, she said she also has some “permitted exotics” that don’t appear on the Cowboy State’s exempt lists.
“We have coatimundis, a crab-eating raccoon from South America and a permitted bobcat,” she told Cowboy State Daily.
But Broken Bandit doesn’t keep these animals with the intent to display them. Wyer doesn’t consider her wildlife center a zoo, nor does Wyoming Game and Fish. Nevertheless, her facility must adhere to the regulations laid out by the department.
“They dictate what our enclosure sizes need to be and what kind of stuff needs to be incorporated in their enclosures,” she said. “They also dictate the required care, from spaying and neutering to microchipping, that kind of stuff.”
There’s no overall permit covering the care and keeping of exotic animals. Instead, Wyer has a specialty permit for each exotic at the center.
Coatimundis are distant relatives of raccoons that live in South America and the southeastern United States. Wyer has to keep her group secure, as they could wreak havoc if they ever escaped.
“In the off chance they were to get out, they could wipe out an entire endangered species,” she said. “They couldn’t survive in the wintertime but could destroy a colony of black-footed ferrets.”
Wyer also said several non-permissible animals, including some zoological staples, are forbidden under state regulations.
“Large cats, like tigers and mountain lions, are not permissible animals (for private ownership),” she said. “I also think some non-native hoofstock are (non-permissible) because they have different diseases that can be transmitted through certain types of animals.”
Many people choose to ignore Wyoming’s laws and regulations, especially if there’s a financial incentive to do so. But Schell said the department hasn’t had many run-ins with exotic animals.
“We have had pet fish released into various ponds around the state,” she said. “We found a caiman in a pond in Cheyenne.”
Passing Permits
So hypothetically, could a Wyomingite buy a complete zoo of exotic animals? Yes, but it’d be a potential nightmare of permitting.
Wyoming State Statute 23-1-302 gives the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission the authority “to regulate or prohibit the importation of exotic species, small game animals, fur-bearing animals, protected animals, game birds, migratory birds, protected birds and fish into Wyoming, and to regulate the importation of big or trophy game animals into Wyoming only for exhibition purposes or for zoos.”
“The Department of Agriculture would oversee those animals defined as livestock or domesticated animals,” Schell said. “Each permit application the Wyoming Game and Fish would receive would be approved case-by-case.”
Essentially, the commission could approve or deny any animal for a Wyoming zoo, even if it’s potentially non-permissible for private ownership. That could be a potential green light for Colossal Biosciences if it ever attempts to rewild wooly mammoths in the Cowboy State.
However, Schell said the permits would be issued to the person, not the animal.
“The permits would not transfer with the sale of the property or business,” she said. “They are assigned to an individual.”
That’s also the case in North Carolina. The person or entity that buys either of the two zoological parks for sale would be required to obtain a Class C- Exhibitor permit from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Wyer said the same process would apply to anyone who wanted to purchase the Broken Bandit Wildlife Center and its animals, but she doesn’t think it would be difficult for the right buyer.
“If somebody were to take over the operation, they would have to be able to be approved and permitted through Wyoming Game and Fish,” she said. “I believe some of the permits require background checks and that kind of stuff, but as long as they’re approved through Wyoming Game and Fish, the transfer wouldn’t be very difficult.”
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The 66-acre Aloha Safari Park in Harnett County, North Carolina, comes complete with everything a new zoo owner needs, including animals. (National Land Realty via Land.com) -
The 66-acre Aloha Safari Park in Harnett County, North Carolina, comes complete with everything a new zoo owner needs, including animals. (National Land Realty via Land.com) -
The 66-acre Aloha Safari Park in Harnett County, North Carolina, comes complete with everything a new zoo owner needs, including animals. (National Land Realty via Land.com) -
The 66-acre Aloha Safari Park in Harnett County, North Carolina, comes complete with everything a new zoo owner needs, including animals. (National Land Realty via Land.com)
We Bought A Zoo
In the 2011 film “We Bought A Zoo,” Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson endure the bureaucratic nitpicks of a strict USDA inspector to open a zoo, enduring through the power of love and family. The movie was loosely based on the true story of the Dartmoor Zoological Park bought by a British family in 2006.
If the same story were to unfold in Wyoming, Damon’s tribulations with the USDA wouldn’t engender much sympathy. He’d know what he was getting into when he signed the dotted line.
Schell said the extensive permitting process ensures a zoo full of exotic animals in Wyoming wouldn’t endanger the state’s native wildlife. Any issues raised by Wyoming Game and Fish or the USDA are necessary to ensure the safety and survival of the animals on both sides of the fence.
“Some parameters that our permitting section would consider are diseases these animals could carry that may threaten the wildlife in the state,” she said, “level of containment difficulty, the level of difficulty to meet humane living conditions for the possessed species, animal and public safety concerns upon escape or illegal release, just to name a few.”
The bottom line is there’s nothing’s stopping someone from establishing a zoo in Wyoming.
The catch is finding someone with the money to do it and patience to plow through a mountain of permitting.
In the meantime, Wyomingites will have to make do watching the plentiful videos of visitors behaving badly around wildlife in Yellowstone and Grand Teton.
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
LARAMIE — What time is it?
Jay Sawvel looked at his watch-less left wrist Tuesday evening before peering to his right at the wall inside Wyoming’s team meeting room. There, two digital clocks — with two different times — glared in red.
“We got two clocks in this building because one of them never keeps the time the right way,” the third-year head coach joked before getting back to his original point.
“By 6:30 or 6:45, he’s probably back upstairs watching everything from practice today,” Sawvel said at 5:48 … or 5:53, whichever clock you want to trust. “That’s first and foremost what you really like to see.”
He’s referring to quarterback Tyler Hughes, who just completed his first practice in a Cowboy uniform.
The graduate transfer from William and Mary was on target in the passing game the majority of the afternoon, sharing reps with Gillette’s Mason Drube. Where he really raised eyebrows, though, was on a broken play midway through the 20-period workout inside War Memorial Stadium.
The 6-foot, 210-pound Georgia native eluded the oncoming pass rush and stepped up in the pocket before tucking the ball under his right arm and bolting right down the middle of the field.
Sure, you aren’t supposed to tackle the signal caller in this scenario under any circumstances, but Sawvel still thought he had a chance to go the distance either way.
“I told (defensive coordinator) Aaron Bohl that on one of the plays today, we did lose contain, and the next thing you know, it would have been a 35-yard play because we were in man coverage. A bunch of guys had their backs turned,” he said with a smile and a slight head shake. “It’s going to be hard to play a lot of man against Tyler Hughes — and even Mason — but especially with Tyler.
“That guy can roll. If you lose a rush lane, you’re now at risk, because really, on any given play, he might be the fastest guy on the field.”
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Hughes was the first QB in William and Mary’s program history to throw for more than 2,300 yards and rush for an additional 650 in a single season. He also tossed 20 touchdowns and found the end zone 11 more times on the ground.
Wyoming’s starting quarterbacks in 2025 combined for 79 yards on 74 rushing attempts. Kaden Anderson, who started all 12 games, finished with minus-39 on the ground on 43 of those rushes. He was also sacked 14 times to the tune of 119 lost yards.
Anderson entered the transfer portal and is now at Tarleton State.
Hughes brings an entirely different element to this offense.
“That dude can move,” left tackle Rex Johnsen said Tuesday, adding that Hughes’ mobility could also lead to way less damage behind the line of scrimmage. “I’m excited to watch him take off down the sideline.”
Sawvel has said multiple times this offseason he can’t get Hughes to leave the building. Though he couldn’t watch himself — believe it or not, the NCAA still has a rule or two — the head man saw the lights on inside the stadium late one Friday night.
It was a handful of receivers, running routes for Hughes.
“He’s really professional,” wideout Eric Richardson said on Tuesday as he walked toward Jonah Field. “Before our walkthrough today, he was in the film room for an hour. Guy is dedicated.”
Sawvel said he liked the way the ball came out of Hughes’ hand in his first practice, which included some breezy conditions. He liked his movement in the pocket. Mainly, though, he praised his presence.
“I’m glad he’s here,” he said with a smile.
(Have you downloaded our free app? You can do that right here. Have you signed up for our daily newsletter? We got you covered right here. Questions, concerns? Shoot us an email at cody@7220sports.com)
University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players
The rules are simple: What was the player’s impact while in Laramie? That means NFL stats, draft status or any other accolade earned outside of UW is irrelevant when it comes to this list.
This isn’t a one-man job. This task called for a panel of experts. Joining 7220’s Cody Tucker are Robert Gagliardi, Jared Newland, Ryan Thorburn, and Kevin McKinney.
We all compiled our own list of 50 and let computer averages do the work. Think BCS — only we hope this catalog is fairer.
Gallery Credit: 7220Sports.com
– University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players
For four straight nights, Game Warden Spencer Carstens and a fellow officer sat in an unmarked vehicle at a Cody city park, windows down, staring into the blackness from dusk until 3 a.m.
Nothing happened.
The poaching caper that would become known internally as the “Cody Park Case” had been building since late August 2024, when residents began finding mule deer carcasses in their front yards and floating in a pond at the Park County Complex. The deer body count reached nine.
According to Wyoming Game and Fish, all nine were killed “right in the middle of town where deer like to hang out” by the library, not far from Canal Park and Glendale Park
All shot with a compound bow, all left to rot.
By the time wardens launched their stakeout, and the only lead was grainy security camera footage of a silver car cruising the neighborhood.
The full story of how the case came together is now the subject of an episode of the Wyoming Wildlife Podcast, hosted by Robert Gagliardi, the assistant editor of Wyoming Wildlife magazine. The podcast is a newer offering from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and this particular episode stood out for good reason.
“Our law enforcement stories, those are a fan favorite because they’re very exciting, they’re incredibly interesting, and they do a great job just highlighting just how much work goes into successfully investigating and closing a case like that,” Amanda Fry, public information officer for Wyoming Game and Fish, told Cowboy State Daily.
First Blood
In 2024, the first dead buck appeared in someone’s front yard near a city park, with a blood trail leading across the street and footprints disappearing into the grass. An arrow wound made the cause of death obvious.
“The first thing I kind of thought of was maybe it was a kid,” Carstens recalled for the podcast. A deer in a backyard, shot for fun — that was going to be the end of it.
But then, more reports came in the same day. A second buck, a couple of doors down, also arrowed.
Then a third, in a nearby park, where wardens recovered an arrow — an expandable broadhead fired from a compound bow, a typical hunting setup. Then deer four, five and six. Then number seven, found floating in a pond at the Park County Complex, requiring Carstens to wade out in chest waders to retrieve it.
All nine carcasses — two bucks, six does and a fawn — turned up within a tight radius around the county library and city park, right in the middle of town.
Every animal was shot and abandoned. None were harvested in any way.
“They were just killed and left,” Fry confirmed.
Silver Car
Being in city limits gave wardens tools they rarely get to use. Ring doorbell cameras from cooperative neighbors produced footage of activity on the nights deer were killed. Security cameras at a local business captured a silver car driving slowly up and down the street before parking, and a figure stepping out with a flashlight.
It was the first real break, but the footage was too grainy to identify a make and model, let alone a license plate.
“And of course, it’s one of those deals where there’s just silver cars everywhere you look, once you start looking for them,” Carstens said.
An early lead pointed to a group of teenagers spotted on Ring camera footage running around and riding in the back of a truck. Wardens tracked them down at a local school — only to learn they had been playing a supervised game that night, organized by Cody police. They were ruled out.
With no suspect and deer still turning up dead, Carstens and his team decided to stake out the park. They would sit in the dark and wait.
Fifth Night
By the fifth night of the stakeout, the wardens were running on fumes.
“We’re kind of tired, kind of getting sick of it, trying to figure out what are we going to do next because this isn’t working,” Carstens recalled.
Then they heard it — the unmistakable thwack of a compound bow firing in the darkness, followed by the sound of an arrow hitting flesh.
Using night vision, the wardens looked out into the park. A man was standing there holding a bow, standing over a dead deer.
Carstens crept out of the truck and got as close as he could before making contact. The man bolted.
“I actually get in a foot pursuit with this guy,” Carstens said. “He was a young, pretty fast guy, so he got away from me.”
But the suspect had to have driven there. Wardens fanned out and found the silver car parked about a block away. Peering through the window, they saw an arrow lying on the front seat that matched the one recovered from an earlier crime scene.
And the car was full of fresh groceries.
“Basically went out to get groceries, on his way home decided to pull over and shoot a deer in the park,” Carstens said.
Blood Science
The suspect — later identified as Joshua Tamirat Wielhouwer — fled the state. But wardens had his vehicle and, soon, search warrants for the house where he had been staying. Inside, archery equipment was scattered through multiple rooms. A second vehicle yielded more gear, including a bow and broadheads.
Some of that equipment had blood on it. In some cases, only minuscule traces.
Wardens had also been collecting the deer carcasses and storing them in an evidence freezer. They sent tissue samples from eight of the nine deer to the Wyoming Game & Fish forensics lab, along with every piece of blood-stained archery equipment from the house.
What came back was, in Carstens’ word, “remarkable.”
The lab matched all eight deer to specific pieces of equipment — individual broadheads, arrows and metal inserts — through DNA analysis. Trace amounts of tissue inside a tiny metal arrow insert were enough to tie a specific deer to a specific arrow.
“This is the first case that I’ve worked where we’ve actually been able to take nothing but DNA evidence and make a full case on it,” Carstens said. “Big kudos to the forensics lab. They really helped put this case together. We wouldn’t have a case without them.”
A cell phone search warrant then connected the suspect’s archery equipment to an older case — a beef cow shot with multiple arrows and left to die the year before, a case the Park County Sheriff’s Office had been unable to solve.
Serial Poacher
With a nationwide extraditable warrant issued through the Park County prosecuting office, officers in another state began looking for the suspect. He eventually turned himself in, flew back to Cody and sat in jail for 75 days before posting bail.
A trial was set for February 2025. Before it began, prosecutors and the defense reached a plea deal: guilty on nine of the 18 misdemeanor charges, $18,000 in restitution for the deer and one full year in county jail, with 73 days credited for time served.
The suspect also pleaded guilty to felony destruction of property for the cow, paying restitution to the rancher and accepting three years of supervised probation. All seized archery equipment was forfeited.
A year behind bars is an unusual outcome for a wildlife case in Wyoming, where penalties more commonly involve fines and revocation of hunting privileges, explained Carstens.
“This guy had never purchased a hunting license in Wyoming,” Carstens said. “He wasn’t really a traditional hunter in the sense that he buys a license, goes out in the field and looks to harvest anything.”
The warden’s best guess at a motive: the suspect was into archery as target shooting and “maybe just wanted to take it to the next level and see what he could do with his bow.”
Team Effort
Carstens credited his fellow wardens and the Game and Fish investigative unit — which considered the dead cow as a possible predator conflict before determining it had been killed by a bow — and the Park County prosecutor’s office.
“This was definitely the most collaborative effort that I’ve been a part of,” Carstens said.
The community played a role too. Neighbors willingly shared security camera footage, and residents who enjoy the town’s urban mule deer herd were eager to see the case resolved.
“Our hope is to cover everything Game and Fish is doing,” Fry said of the Wyoming Wildlife Podcast. “We have terrestrial habitat work, aquatic habitat work, but our law enforcement stories — those are a fan favorite.”
David Madison can be reached at david@cowboystatedaily.com.
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