The Bucks County Zoo and Animal Junction

Former Philadelphia police officer Joe Fortunato brings a wild idea to life.
By Shannon McLaughlin

A young son and daughter in miniature zookeeper uniforms scurry excitedly through their kitchen, followed closely behind by a panting Golden Retriever and bouncing baby kangaroo. That is just an average lazy Sunday afternoon for Bucks County Zoo founder Joe Fortunato, or “Jungle Joe, Pet Detective” as he likes to be called.

To many locals, Joe Fortunato may be known as the Philadelphia police officer who served his time bravely for 17 years, until a neck injury on the job caused his police career to end abruptly. Now he is recognized throughout the region for his never-ending ambition as an animal lover who built a zoo from the ground up.

“Whenever I go to networking events, I tell everyone ‘I’m Jungle Joe, Pet Detective!’ and I wear my pet detective badge and people turn around and look at me like, ‘Who is this nut?’” Fortunato said. “People ask, ‘There’s a zoo in Bucks County?’ and I say, ‘Yeah, I’m the one who started it!’ So there’s definitely an interest about how a person can start a zoo from scratch.”

Tucked away in scenic Warminster and slightly off the beaten path, the Bucks County Zoo plans to move to a more prominent location in the near future. “Set back here in the industrial park isn’t helping traffic coming in, so if we had a better location, it would be great for the animals and would help us achieve the ultimate goal faster.” Fortunato’s long-term goal is to move from being a 5,000 square foot indoor location, to a 50-100 acre indoor and outdoor zoo, including an enclosed rainforest.

The Bucks County Zoo has an impressive collection of approximately 80 animals. From “Marshmallow,” the umbrella cockatoo, to “Big Bertha,” a 20-foot python, the ever-changing cast of characters at the zoo are all given memorable names. Fortunato selects his animals and particular breeds for a variety of reasons, with education and interaction as his top priorities. “Each animal you’ll see here serves a purpose,” he said. “Almost every animal here is bred and born in other licensed facilities or zoos. We want people to know that we care about the animals. Animals are not things you collect, they’re things you appreciate and you share that appreciation with the public and by educating people, which is the whole purpose of us having the animals.”

Fortunato has been collecting exotic pets for as long as he can remember. In the 6th grade, he got his first pet—a boa constrictor. Before he knew it, he was surrounded by a menagerie of exotic pets: a fennec fox, kinkajou, skunk and coatimundi. His collection grew to include Ziggy, a 31-year-old blue and gold macaw, who has been his feathered friend since high school. “Ziggy is pretty much like ‘Me and Joe are buds!’ so whenever anyone else gets near me, he gets very upset and jealous,” he said. One friend worthy of being jealous over is famed zookeeper Jack Hanna, who became a close mentor and companion after Fortunato introduced himself at one of Hanna’s live shows in 2006.

“I told my wife I wanted my picture with him to put on our website and she looked at me like I was nuts. So, I went over to him and introduced myself and we exchanged business cards. Within a year, I got a phone call from his secretary and started working with Jack Hanna,” said Fortunato, who toured the Eastern Seaboard performing shows with Hanna at zoos, theaters, universities and even made television appearances.

Thanks to Hanna’s support and sponsorship, the Bucks County Zoo and Animal Junction became accredited in July by the Zoological Association of America. The Bucks County Zoo belongs to many organizations, including The American Association of Zookeepers and The Association of Professional Wildlife Educators. It’s always a positive sign when you are running out of wall space for your awards and framed newspaper articles, which is certainly the case for the Zoo, which was just presented the “Best of Bucks” award for 2009.

The Animal Junction, a traveling division of the Bucks County Zoo, offers children an experience they’ll never forget by visiting schools and educating youth about wildlife and the environment. “As soon as I bring out the ring-tailed lemur, the kids recognize it because they know the movie ‘Madagascar.’ When you tell children that lemurs are endangered—that people are knocking down and destroying the rainforest and that lemurs could be extinct like dinosaurs because of deforestation—these kids understand it and think, ‘wow, what can I do?’ They go home and tell their parents ‘we need to recycle!’ and do something as simple as putting plastic in a blue bucket to help out.” Fortunato makes it easy for the kids, passing along the straight-forward message that taking care of the environment is our responsibility and everyone needs to make a difference.

“We’re not here to compete with anybody. We all have the same mission and purpose to protect and preserve the environment, animals and wildlife,” said Fortunato. “I want this to be something special for Bucks County residents. I love Bucks County. I grew up in Philadelphia and lived in Florida, which is beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but there’s no place like home and I really appreciate Bucks County. You have the mountains, you have the farms, you have horses, livestock…I just appreciate everything about it.”

For Delaware Valley College students, interning at the Bucks County Zoo is a dream job. From interacting with the animals to attending local and national television and radio segments, the experience is priceless. “At some of your more traditional, larger zoos, as an intern or volunteer you may not have the opportunity to interact up close and personal with these animals at the beginning of your career,” said Fortunato. “At the Bucks County Zoo, you’re bottle feeding a wallaby one day and a couple months later it might be a lion cub, and for these kids, that is wonderful.”

With “Jungle Joe’s” endless passion and drive, there’s no doubt in our minds that his long-term dreams will become just as real as the kangaroo hopping around in his kitchen.

The Bucks County Zoo & Animal Junction is located at 1540-D Campus Drive in Warminster (follow the yellow signs!). The Zoo is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 7pm and Sunday from 11 to 5pm. Saturdays are reserved for private parties and tours. For more information on the Bucks County Zoo & Animal Junction, call (215) 394-5873 or visit www.animaljunction.com.

Shannon McLaughlin is an avid animal lover and Bucks & Montgomery Living Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief.