Animals came to the Clay Center Utility Park in the early 1950s. Garett Payne, Zoo Curator, said it began with ducks. 

A wild pair lived in the creek that runs through the park and became tame from all the visitors. They remained, hatching new generations for years, and became a popular attraction. 

Town lore says from then, area residents began bringing in different animals to live at the park. Employees built cages, taking in more and more. Late in the decade, construction on the Utility Zoo had began. 

The top picture features John Jensen, who worked for Clay Center Public Utilities and the Utility Park/Zoo until he retired in 1995. 

Payne said the space, just north of the entrance, once held deer. Today, it’s where ducks, geese, and other birds call home. 

Bottom right: Payne feeds raisins to lemurs in their enclosure. He said raisins are their favorite treat. Even fully grown, the largest lemur weighs only about five pounds. They have soft hands with finger-like appendages and opposable thumbs. Their light weight and flexible hands/feet allows them to jump high in the air and maneuver in trees and branches. 

In 2016, the Public Utilities Commission had raised enough funds to begin construction on new projects, including a retaining wall, sewer lift station, animal maintenance building, bear exhibit, small primate building, Patagonian Cavy exhibit, tropical bird exhibit and the Welcome Center. The latter was complete in 2024.