Mortgage Motivation
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Mortgage Motivation
Courtney Oldenburg's Tale of Zoo Legacy and Conservation at Zoosiana
Have you ever imagined the wild thrill of owning a zoo? Well, for Courtney Oldenburg's family, this isn't just a whimsical daydream—it's their reality. In this heartwarming chat, we're joined by Courtney from Zoosiana, the enchanting animal haven that's been a cornerstone of Acadiana for three decades. We journey through the vibrant happenings of their current springtime event, ExtravaganZoo, exploring the bevy of educational and entertaining activities that await. From keeper talks to the beloved Safari Express train, prepare to be captivated by stories that bring the spirit of the wild to our doorstep.
Courtney's personal narrative adds a special touch to this episode, as she recounts her father-in-law's leap from commercial banking into zoo ownership—a move that sparked a multi-generational love affair with wildlife conservation. We get a tantalizing sneak peek into Zoosiana's calendar, teasing events like Boo at the Zoo and a possible celebration for World Giraffe Day, offering a poignant reminder of the zoo's dedication to these graceful creatures. Whether you're planning your next family escapade or simply looking to indulge in the passion that fuels one of Acadiana's most treasured attractions, this conversation is your ticket to an inspiring adventure.
Welcome to this episode of Margage Motivation. I'm so happy to have Courtney Oldenburg with wasZuaVacaniana Now branded is Zuziana. I love it. I'll tell you what one of my grandkids, noah they don't live for, they have a membership. They've given memberships to the other grandkids for Christmas and what a wonderful experience you guys have going on over there. I know Noah forever. His best friend was one of the drafts over there, you know.
Speaker 2:Probably Gabriel.
Speaker 1:Yes it was Gabriel Now that you say that welcome and thank you for your efforts. So tell me a little bit of what you guys got going on over there.
Speaker 2:Yes, well, Zuziana is the place for the Good Times Roar. We've been in a KDNR for over 30 years, locally owned and operated. Right now, during the spring, Lots happening at the zoo, but during the month of March we have Extravagan Zoo, which is our annual springtime event. The zoo is open daily. We're celebrating daily. The zoo is decorated just with fun spring decorations. We have some special events and activities for the kids. People can come on the weekends and get some special keeper talks every weekend, Saturdays and Sundays. An education station set up on the weekends as well and it's just a great experience and activity.
Speaker 1:You know we have so much in a KDNR, but when it comes to the youth, this is just really educational. A good place for the family to spend the day, and no better time to do it during the spring right, Absolutely, and we like to say you can learn, see, play, ride, explore.
Speaker 2:So of course, we're home to over a thousand animals from 125 species. Nowhere else in a KDNR will you find a lion or a tiger. We have a giraffe family of four as well. We have our Safari Express train, which runs daily. You hop on the train. It's about a 10 minute ride. You'll see red river hogs, clouded leopards. You'll go behind our Capuchin exhibit and take a nice leisurely stroll through our Safari pasture. Well, you'll see various hoof stock.
Speaker 1:Well, you guys are doing a great job over there, but let me get a little bit of information about you. What sparked your interest in your husband on joining forces and getting into this field and doing this? What was the passion that brought you?
Speaker 2:there. So it's a really funny story. So my father-in-law actually is the owner of the zoo. He bought the zoo about 20 years ago and he used to be a commercial banker for pretty much his whole career and they had a family experience where he kind of wondered if that's what he wanted to do for his whole life. And he's always loved animals, loves to work with his hands, he loves to be outside and the zoo came up for sale.
Speaker 2:It was about 10 years after it opened, originally in town, and he was. He felt the passion and he felt the motivation to put in for a loan for the zoo and bought it. And so my husband was 14 at the time, long before we met, and his dad came home from work one day and said I quit my job, we're buying the zoo Wow. And that started what's been years of adventure and fun for their family. And then I was lucky enough to join the family. My husband and I met as At the zoo. Well, if only we met online, but quickly learned about his involvement in the zoo. I was inspired by his passion. He loves the zoo, he's the director, so he's there every day pushing it forward, trying to make it a wonderful destination for families in Acadiana.
Speaker 1:Well, y'all do a great job at that. So not only do you have the Egg extravaganza, extravaganza. All right coming up that y'all have pretty much events throughout the year. What's next after that?
Speaker 2:So we have two big events every year. So extravaganza is our big springtime event and Boo at the Zoo is our annual fall event. We're starting to have more events throughout the year In addition to you know, your keeper talks pop up in animal encounters, if you will, over the summer. We're not quite ready to reveal that yet, but we're hoping to have quite a big event celebrating World Giraffe Day. The giraffes have a very special place in our hearts. As I mentioned, we have a family of four, gabriel being one of them. He's our patriarch. We also have Millie and Josie, who were both born at the zoo, and last year we welcomed George, who is our newest male in the herd. World Giraffe Day is celebrated on June 21st every year. It's the longest day of the year for our tallest members of the animal world and we're hoping to bring a very fun evening event to Acadiana. So stay tuned.
Speaker 1:I will. I definitely will. So if a family is interested in a membership, how would they attain that?
Speaker 2:Absolutely. You know, every family is different and that's what our memberships are built for. So they can build their own membership. They just have to come to the zoo or they can do that online at Zuzianacom. You can pick the number of adults in your family, the number of children in your family, and you just fill out a little bit of information.
Speaker 1:And then they can go and come as often as they want, as often as they want.
Speaker 2:You can come for 10 minutes, you can stay for not quite 10 hours. We're open from nine to five daily, but seven days a week, seven days a week, that's dedication, girl. Oh yeah, oh yeah. We do temporarily close if it rains on occasion and we're closed on select holidays, but other than that we're open seven days a week, from nine to five.
Speaker 1:Well, I want to thank you and your family, and I'm going to ask that you please tell your father-in-law thank you for providing such a wonderful experience to Kady Anna and the children. I know my grandkids absolutely love it and I'm looking forward to visiting you for the Egg Stragavanza. Thank you so much for joining me and again, you want to give the location of the zoo.
Speaker 2:Yes, Zuziana is located at the intersection of Ambassador Kaferi and Highway 90.
Speaker 1:So please give them a visit and go and tell Gabriel, my friend, hello.
Speaker 2:I will give them a nice head rub for you.
Speaker 1:Thank, you have a great one Thanks.