Kentucky Down Under Adventure Zoo: It all started with a cave.

By Matthew Brown, Wandering Kentucky

So, just how did all of the wonderful creatures end up in Kentucky? Well, like a lot of things around here, it started with a cave.

Mammoth Onyx Cave, to be exact. While folks were coming to tour the cave, they were also enjoying a small collection of small animals that were part of the park.

Enter Bill Austin and his wife Judy. They met in New Zealand but eventually moved back to Bill’s hometown. where Bill took over managing the family’s cave. Seeing that the animals were a draw, more were added to the menagerie. First bison, and later, influenced by Judy’s upbringing in Australia, kangaroos and other denizens of the Outback.

It’s fair to say that the colorful birds and interesting mammals are now the main attraction at Kentucky Down Under Adventure Zoo, though the cave is still open for tours. It’s a nice break from the heat, and a beautiful cave to stroll through to boot – I’ll share some photos of it soon.

But it’s hard to beat feeding a kangaroo. Or getting mobbed by lorikeets, greedy for the little cup of nectar you take in with them. Or watching an emu, up close and personal, doing whatever it is that emus do. Or getting to watch the dogs herd the sheep.

There’s really too much to list. I had a lot of fun, driving around on my golf cart, finding a new critter to marvel at around every corner. I think a few people might have been watching me, camera in hand, acting like a big kid.

If only I could have gotten the tourists to feed me like they do the kangaroos!

About the author: Matthew Brown, a retired chef, has spent three years travelling the Bluegrass and telling the tales of his adventures via a project he calls “Wandering Kentucky.” www.wanderingkentucky.com