Jim Andelin never intended to own a zoo. Really.It started with swans and pheasants. Then emus and European deer.
Then kangaroos. Then a monkey. "Once that happened, it was all over,"
Andelin said. Yes, he got more monkeys — many more.And that's how Andelin, a Latter-day Saint who lives in Moseley,
Va. — just outside Richmond — got started on his path to owning and
directing the Metro Richmond Zoo. Later came the lions, tigers,
giraffes, rhinoceros, snakes, penguins and more.How many monkeys does Andelin have now? Just 200, which are among
the 1,400 animals at the zoo, which covers about 70 acres.Andelin, a member of the Manchester Ward, Richmond Virginia
Midlothian Stake, got acquainted with Virginia while serving in the
Virginia Roanoke Mission. Later, when he was studying at Brigham Young
University, he saw a young woman he thought he recognized from his
mission. Sure enough, it was Sherry Ruckart, whose family he had met in
Virginia.They started dating, got married and went to Virginia one summer,
where they managed an apartment complex. Liking their life in Virginia,
the couple thought, "We're here; we don't have to go back to Utah."Andelin got involved in real estate and sold houses. The Andelins
did some sweat equity on a house to get into it. He then started
building houses and found he enjoyed the construction business.The zoo came later.Andelin, who grew up in Pasco, Wash., was raised on a farm, where
he says he learned how to work hard and raise animals. After he got
married and had children, he wanted them to have the same experience —
and then some. That's where the first birds came in, and the monkeys.One day at school, the teacher asked students what kinds of pets
they had. Andelin's oldest son Josh told the class about the exotic
animals, but the teacher didn't believe him. So Andelin took a monkey
to the classroom, and Josh got back his credibility. A field trip to
see the Andelins' pets was set up, and soon Andelin was asked if other
schools could come see, too.The answer, of course, was yes, because Andelin believes in community service.As more school classes visited, the animal population was growing
on the five acres owned by the Andelins. A few neighbors complained,
and Andelin was faced with a zoning case. He was supported by the
schools and his adjacent neighbors; he won his case, but only for four
years. He decided to find a bigger site where he could get permanent
zoning approval for his animals, and that led to the 1995 opening of
the Metro Richmond Zoo at its current location.Through the years, Andelin has kept thinking of attractions to
add to the zoo. "I'll say to my wife, 'I've been thinking ... ' and
she'll say, 'Oh, no!'"He admits to being a workaholic who puts in 14-hour days. And
when it gets dark, there's always book work to do inside. But "I'm here
with my family," he said. And his family has been involved in the zoo's
business since the beginning. Sherry Andelin handles all the
bookkeeping and helps run the zoo's gift shop, organizing and
restocking items for sale. Their seven children have helped at the zoo
as well.Andelin still found time through the years to get a degree from
Virginia Commonwealth University in business administration, with an
emphasis in real estate, and to serve in the church. Currently an
assistant in his ward's high priests group, he has also served as
bishop of a young single adult ward, stake mission president and stake
high councilor.At the zoo, the most recent addition is a six-acre exhibit with
about 30 animals walking around. A trackless train takes visitors
through the exhibit, complete with a commentary. A few years ago, he
bought a ski lift in New Hampshire and modified it for zoo use — a
15-minute quiet ride with an aerial view of the animal habitats.His next project is an aviary that will have about 400 birds
where visitors can feed them with millet attached to a Popsicle stick.
He believes the zoo experience is good, clean fun for families, and he
likes the interaction aspect. It's rewarding when "you can touch a
giraffe."And on the new animal front, "we're working on bringing in some cheetahs, about five hopefully, from Africa," he said.He says he has no favorite animals, although he enjoys the
primates and giraffes. "A lot of them are favorites." The primates have
different social structures and the building of groups is tough, he
says. In addition, there are weather issues for some of the animals not
accustomed to the Virginia humidity and cooler temperatures during the
winter.As the zoo has grown, so has the number of employees. "My kids
used to feed the animals," Andelin said. "Now professional zookeepers
do it." He has 35 full-time and part-time employees, half of whom are
Latter-day Saints."I've tried to help a lot of guys prepare for missions," he said.
For some who found it difficult to save, he worked out a program to
take half of their earnings and put the money into a mission fund,
letting them use the other half for tithing and other expenses. He
estimates he has helped at least 20 workers finance their missions.Andelin says the zoo gets about 200,00 visitors a year, and the
zoo interacts with 40,000 to 50,000 schoolchildren each year. There is
an education building on site for class visits, and he has started a
"Zoo to You" program, in which a zookeeper will visit a classroom.Each Christmas season since 2003, the zoo has been host to
"Miracle of Christmas," a nativity pageant with live animals, including
camels, that runs three nights and attracts 12,000 to 15,000 people
over three nights. "It's a great opportunity to work with the church
and celebrate the birth of Christ with the community," he said."The zoo is like a community asset. I own it, but I don't want the focus to be on me."It's a hobby that's gotten out of control," he said, laughing.
E-mail: rwalsh@desnews.com