b'A View ofTHE ZOOFounder of Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari ParkPresented With Prestigious Lifetime Achievement AwardC ongratulations to Mickey Ollson, owner and founderhe was a little boy sick in bed, and it was amazingly close to of Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park forwhat he built! It had been laminated by his mother, and he winning the Zoological Association of Americasfound it in her belongings after she passed away.Lifetime Achievement Award! This award is the highest ZAA honor for professional excellence and contributions to theNow, Ollson is on-site every day, checking in with all zoo industry. The award recognizes the improvements madethe keepers and the animals, proud of all that\'s been to the craft of zoo keeping and zoo management by accomplished. Never in his wildest dreams did Ollson think an individual! his childhood vision would become a reality, or that it would grow into Arizonas largest exotic animal collection, a 100-Mickey Ollson\'s story is truly amazing. He opened Wildlifeacre zoo that houses 6,000 animals.World Zoo nearly 40 years ago, but he was only a child some 70 years ago when he subconsciously made plans for it. HeMickeys childhood calling has led to numerous industry was just a little boy and he had a dream that one day he wouldfirsts in the zoological community. Some of these open his own zoo. "I had chickenpox, so I couldn\'t go tocontributions include the first zoo to have a public exotic school for a couple of weeks," said Ollson. To pass the time,bird feeding, and the first zoo to have overhead jaguar he drew a map of his future zoo. Ollson said his desire to oneviewing! If he knew then what he knows now, Ollson says day start a zoo began with a couple of ducks, a gift from hishe wouldn\'t change a thing, because it all came together grandfather who lived next door to him when he was growingjust as he hoped when he was a little boy, dreaming, and up, on land where he planned to someday build his Wildlifedrawing a map. World Zoo.Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park is located atBut the zoo would have to wait as Ollson at first chose a16501 W. Northern Ave., Litchfield Park, AZ (SE Corner of State different career path. He graduated from ASU and becameRoute 303 and Northern Ave.) Open seven days a week, 365 days a a teacher. During his teaching career, though, his love foryear, including all holidays. Zoo exhibits are open from 9:00 a.m. to animals never waned and in fact, continued to grow. "I was6:00 p.m. (last zoo admission is at 4:30 p.m.) Aquarium exhibits are raising exotic birds for other zoos and other collections,open from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Admission includes access to the and in the early \'80s, with the growth of the west valley, weZoo, Aquarium, and Safari Park.decided to go ahead and open a zoo here." So in his mid-40\'s,For more info: (623) 935-WILD (9453) or visitOllson retired from teaching and took a chance to fulfill hisFacebook, Instagram, or Twitter @ZooWildlife, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Mickey Ollson withdream, opening his own zoo. Wildlife World Zoo had beenand www.WildlifeWorld.com. Hyacinth Macaw. The zoo map Mickey Ollson drew open a few years when he came across the map he drew whenwhen he was 10 years old. Mickey Ollson\'sContributing photographers: Charles Ralston, Lee Magenheim, Lorenzo Fuentes and Jolene Westerling ZAA Lifetime Achievement Award.ArizonaRealCountry.com January 2022 15'