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Mark Smith, an employee of the
Zoological Consortium, a professional management group, which had been brought in by Crippen to help dispose of all the animals at Pet-A-Pet, decided to try to reopen the park. Smith was able to find a financial backer in Loudoun businessman Robert D. Johnson, and the
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On
December 30, 2022, local Tara Campbell Lussier purchased the land and Zoo and reopened it as NOVA Wild in the Spring of 2023. NOVA Wild is dedicated to animal welfare, education and conservation and their team has made many improvements and renovations to revitalize Reston's beloved local zoo.
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As the zoning for the location required that it be used as either a zoo or become open space, Crippen leased the location to Eric and Janet
Mogensen, who moved in new animals and opened the Reston Zoo in the spring of 2000. Following Mack Crippen's death in 2006, the Mogensens bought the property
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In 1994, Johnson and his wife, Shirley, sued Mack
Crippen for violating an agreement over the rental of the park property, but eventually reached an agreement that would allow the couple to continue to rent the property, now reduced to 30 acres (12 hectares), for the next five years.
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When the lease ran out in 1999, the
Johnsons were not able to reach a new lease agreement with Mack Crippen and moved Reston Animal Park to a rented location on the Sunshine Farms in Loudoun County. Eventually, Johnson would change the name to the Leesburg Animal Park in 2001.
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After operating Pet-A-Pet for a few years and losing nearly $ 200,000 in the venture, Crippen decided to close it in 1978, selling off or giving away most of the 500 animals at the petting zoo. The last animal to be rehomed was a 17-year-old female
23:. The zoo features a self-drive-through Safari with zebras, bison, and llamas, and a walking tour with cheetahs, capybaras, kangaroos, sloths, camel rides, and a bird aviary. The zoo has over 50 species of animals.
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in a bucket. She was sentenced to 30 days in jail. After appealing a guilty verdict, Mogensen pleaded guilty in
January 2013. Part of her plea agreement prohibited her from overseeing animal euthanization.
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In 2012, the Reston Zoo was embroiled in controversy when its director, Meghan
Mogensen, was found guilty of illegal possession of animal anesthesia and animal cruelty after drowning a
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Prior to opening for the season in March 2016, the Reston Zoo was purchased by
Vanessa Stoffel and Jacob Roer, who changed its name to Roer's Zoofari.
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In 1975, local developer and entrepreneur Mack Slye "Jack" Crippen Jr. opened the Pet-A-Pet Farm on a 60-acre (24.28-hectare) parcel he owned near
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Collins, Dennis (8 February 1979). "Topsy: From the Big Top to a
Children's Petting Farm, Elephant Bids Triumphant Farewell to Stardom".
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February 1979, but the deal fell through and Topsy instead wound up in a circus, where she was euthanized after injuring a trainer.
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On the afternoon of Monday March 8, 2021, a fire burned one of the large two-story barns, killing two giraffes.
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Zeidner, Rita (15 October 2011). "A suburban home where buffalo, zebras and peahens roam".
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Johnson, Janis (10 July 1980). "Antlers Aweigh! Pet Farm Is Back, Full of Soft Touches".
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580:"But What Would Dr. Doolittle Think? Family Sues Over Lease of Reston Pet Farm"
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Animal Underworld: Inside America's Black Market for Rare and Exotic Species
838:"Former Reston Zoo sells to serial entrepreneur, will reopen as Nova Wild"
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and the availability of its menagerie was the trigger for his venture.
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new zoo, now named Pet Farm Park, opened in the spring of 1980.
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In 1993, Pet Farm Park was renamed Reston Animal Park.
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named Topsy, who originally supposed to be sent to the
707:"Reston Zoo Director pleads guilty to animal cruelty"
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785:"Reston Zoo to Reopen With New Name, New Owners"
733:"Zoo Director Pleads Guilty in Wallaby Death"
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499:"Zoo to Bring Animals Within Visitors' Reach"
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760:"New Name, New Ownership for The Reston Zoo"
361:Masterson, Sarah K. (30 September 2008).
471:Sullivan, Patricia (16 February 2006).
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606:"Animal Park Won't Roam From Reston"
791:. NBCUniversal Media. 18 March 2016
705:MacDonald, Gregg (5 January 2013).
497:Diehl, Jackson (16 November 1978).
656:Branigin, William (28 July 2000).
630:Hedgpeth, Dana (10 October 1999).
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632:"Animal Park Finds Room to Roost"
19:is a 30-acre (12 ha) zoo in
604:Lipton, Eric (3 December 1994).
578:Mariano, Ann (5 February 1994).
54:Prince George's County, Maryland
930:1980 establishments in Virginia
364:DC Baby: Revised Second Edition
92:from Crippen's estate in 2009.
731:Goff, Karen (3 January 2013).
658:"Roamin' Empire Fights Sprawl"
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810:Blitz, Matt (21 March 2021).
758:Goff, Karen (14 March 2016).
48:'s 280-acre (113.31-hectare)
261:Madagascar hissing cockroach
531:. New York: PublicAffairs.
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121:African crested porcupine
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131:African spurred tortoise
42:Fairfax County, Virginia
50:Largo Wildlife Preserve
201:Chilean rose tarantula
896:38.97250°N 77.31333°W
321:Solomon Islands skink
166:Blue-and-yellow macaw
818:. Local News Now LLC
711:Loudoun Times-Mirror
523:Green, Alan (1999).
341:White-faced capuchin
236:Green-cheeked conure
901:38.97250; -77.31333
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684:The Washington Post
662:The Washington Post
636:The Washington Post
610:The Washington Post
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557:The Washington Post
503:The Washington Post
477:The Washington Post
450:The Washington Post
291:Red-footed tortoise
246:Laughing kookaburra
141:Asian water buffalo
418:"Meet the Animals"
852:"NOVA Wild About"
374:978-0-9774494-1-5
306:Ring-tailed lemur
241:Green tree python
161:Bennett's wallaby
38:Lake Fairfax Park
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739:. Patch.com
424:23 November
420:. NOVA Wild
402:23 November
398:. NOVA Wild
216:Fallow deer
206:Common rhea
146:Ball python
914:Categories
887:77°18′48″W
884:38°58′21″N
816:Reston Now
764:Reston Now
743:24 October
667:24 October
641:24 October
615:24 October
589:24 October
508:24 October
482:24 October
348:References
316:Sitka deer
176:Budgerigar
822:5 October
716:5 October
692:898376475
565:147135570
458:147088490
17:NOVA Wild
688:ProQuest
561:ProQuest
454:ProQuest
380:31 March
191:Capybara
156:Barn owl
331:Warthog
281:Peacock
196:Cheetah
114:Animals
97:wallaby
27:History
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276:Nilgai
221:Ferret
171:Bobcat
311:Sheep
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186:Camel
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617:2015
591:2015
533:ISBN
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426:2023
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382:2011
369:ISBN
226:Goat
211:Emu
52:in
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.