Long Island Game Farm
Sign for the Long Island Game Farm off of 489 Chapman Boulevard; June 25, 2016.
40°50′54″N 72°47′20″W / 40.84833°N 72.78889°W / 40.84833; -72.78889
Date opened1970
LocationManorville, New York, United States
Land area29 acres (12 ha)
Websitewww.longislandgamefarm.com

The Long Island Game Farm, situated at 489 Chapman Boulevard in Manorville, New York, was established in 1970 by Stanley and Diane Novak. Buffalo, camels, chimpanzees, deer, goats, lambs, and exotic birds were the earliest residents of the zoo, which also included various education areas and entertainment.

Stanley Novak, his wife Diane and daughters Melinda and Susan built the zoo on 29 acres (12 ha).

After Stanley’s passing in 1999, his daughter, Melinda, soon took the helm and shifted the focus of the park exclusively toward animals, nature, and education. Nearing 55 years as Long Island’s premier education and attraction center for wildlife, the zoo is evolving further to include a new nonprofit arm, The Foundation for Wildlife Sustainability, Inc., in late summer 2023.

Today the Game Farm is home to more than 200 animals. For many people, visiting the game farm is a yearly tradition. The Long Island Game Farm is one of the oldest and most well-known establishments in Manorville, and has been one of the town's major landmarks since its opening. 2021 marked its 52nd season as the largest combined children's zoo and wildlife park on Long Island.

2021: New Rescued Tortoise Exhibit Sponsored by Symbiotic Landscaping and Property Management of Center Moriches. 2021: Welcome Mason our toddler Albino Wallaby who will join our brother and sister wallabies this spring. 2021 - Mid May Arrival: Welcome our new year old Giraffe! 2021: Gift Shop Sponsored by East Bay Builders Inc. of Center Moriches. 2021: Comfort Station Shed Sponsored by NY Shed Inc. of Mattituck.

History & Notable Events

1969 | Stanley and Diane Novak purchase a 26-acre hay and cattle farm in Manorville, New York. They move with their daughters Susan and Melinda to Long Island, and begin building facilities for a zoo. Areas include a deer enclosure called Bambiland, a nursery for baby animals, Storyland, and Old MacDoanld’s farm.

1970 | The Long Island Game Farm opens in the spring, becoming the first zoo on Long Island with approximately 125 animals.

1971 | The park expands its holding to 300 animals in its second season, adding a chimpanzee, monkeys, camel, Himalayan snow bears, two buffalo, and 40 baby lambs and goats.

1970s | Llamaland opens in 1973. Long Island Game Farm introduces a sea lion show in 1975. The park’s first mechanical ride, a merry-go-round, also debuts that year. The Animal Wonderland Theater opens in 1978, while additional continued to appear, including adult and kiddie swing rides.

1980s | A train is installed that circles the game farm’s grounds in 1983. In 1988, a tiger show replaces the sea lion show, and becomes on the Long Island Game Farm’s most popular attractions.

1990s | New animal displays and shows are added, as well as updated attractions like the sky slide.

1999 | Stanley Novak sadly passes away. His wife Diane and daughter Susan take over operations at the farm.

2002 | Susan unfortunately passes away from Multiple Myeloma at age 37, and Melinda, who had never strayed too far from the park, returns on a full-time basis.

2019 | Shifting its focus solely to the animals and nature, the game farm sells its rides.

2020 | Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, main stage shows come to a stop.

2023 | A new nonprofit arm is founded — The Foundation for Wildlife Sustainability, Inc. The mission is to connect people with wildlife and the natural environment, and support the work of the Long Island Game Farm.

In 1996, a 140-pound chimpanzee named Barney escaped his steel-and-concrete enclosure. After attempts to pacify the animal failed, park officials had to put down the chimpanzee to protect visitors to the park.[1]

In 2023, a 3-year-old giraffe named Bobo died prematurely of heart failure. An article in Newsday noted the giraffe’s death may have been due to a genetic issue, according to the game farm’s veterinarian. The article continues: “Bobo had been spending summers at the farm since 2021. He spent winters in South Carolina and was set to return south in mid-October, [Long Island Game Farm president Melinda] Novak said. ‘It’s not uncommon for zoos to have an animal on loan until they could afford to purchase it. We just had Bobo’s Bon Voyage party,’ Novak said. It was a fundraiser in mid-September, and the proceeds had been planned to help purchase Bobo as well as a second giraffe and to build a heated, year-round home for them at the game farm, she said.

‘We really are devastated for sure,’ said farm educator Sue Brooks. ‘Bobo and I, I always thought we had a special bond. I actually would take my fingers and point them toward my eyes and say, ‘Look at me, look at me.’ He would take those great soulful eyes of his and look into my eyes. It was just a wonderful connection with an animal.’ Brooks called Bobo a ‘wonderful ambassador’ for the game farm. ‘He was majestic. He was calm. He was very receptive to people. We were so lucky to have him.’ [2]

Long Island Game Farm remains committed to the highest animal care. A critical aspect of the game farm is serving as a sanctuary to animals that have been rescued, rehabilitated, or re-homed, including Sicilian miniature donkeys, alpacas, African Sulcatta tortoises, peacocks, rabbits, goats, sheep, alligators, and our beloved Gomez, a sulphur-crested cockatoo, and Nala, an African Serval cat! Click below to learn more about these and our other residents."[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Chimp Breaks Loose In Park, Is Killed | The Seattle Times". archive.seattletimes.com. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  2. ↑ Whitehouse, Beth (2023-10-05). "Long Island Game Farm's beloved Bobo the giraffe dies". Newsday. Retrieved 2023-11-12.



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