One tank trips: Wildlife the lure at state park

There is a magical place in central Illinois - a place of wonder, beauty and discovery. This place is Wildlife Prairie State Park, Illinois' only zoological state park.

"The animals that we have here are indigenous to Illinois at the time the pioneers arrived, then we also have animals the pioneers would have brought with them," said Linda Prescott, general manager of Wildlife Prairie State Park, just west of Peoria.

Spread out over 2,000 acres, this park is home to more than 150 animals, native to Illinois, from the threatened black bears to the Eastern timber wolves. With some patience and a careful eye, you can see a bobcat moving between the trees. For everyone's protection, the animals are within an enclosed safety zone, but in many cases, you can get as close as 10 feet away.

The park also has a reptile exhibit, which is very popular with the kids. There are box turtles, frogs and three species of venomous snakes. Next door, the education center offers a variety of up-close and personal programs.

Bonnie Cannon, education director, says the park tries to "engage the audience and make it fun, and then make sure that they come away with a better appreciation for wildlife."

While at the park, we learned about the barn owl, which contrary to popular belief does not "hoot!" and, we were introduced to an American kestrel, the smallest and most common North American falcon.

Without a doubt, the most popular animals in the park are the North American bison ... that's bison, not buffalo.

"When you go to other countries you might see the Cape buffalo. The water buffalo and ours are different looking. When you look at the hump on the back, all these things will tell you that you're looking at an American Bison," Cannon says.

There are 18 adult bison here at the park, and three calves, with more on the way. These baby bison have a lighter shade of auburn to hide them from predators, like wolves, that can't distinguish that shade of red.

The calves are 35 to 45 pounds at birth, and within a half an hour, they are up and moving with the herd. If these bison look a little shaggy, it's because they're molting, or shedding their winter coat, that thick body fur that protects them from the brutal winters in the open prairie.

Since the park is about a three-hour drive from Chicago, you may want to stay overnight.

Whether you're looking for a weekend getaway with the kids or a chance to reconnect with nature, a visit to Wildlife Prairie State Park is a memory in the making.

• To see the video of this story, visit abclocal.go.com/wls/index.