By Emily Merrell, Photos submitted

Ever since he was a child, Wade Shapp has had a knack for caring for animals and making other people smile. He has blended his two passions to create Wild Ones Ranch, a mobile petting zoo aimed at sharing Shapp’s love for and knowledge of all kinds of furry friends.

Growing up in Indianapolis, Shapp had the opportunity to grow his expertise with animals by volunteering hundreds of hours at the Indianapolis Zoo. When he moved from Indianapolis to Jonesboro to attend Arkansas State University, Shapp chose to follow another of his dreams to work in professional sports and graduated in 2015 with a degree in sports management marketing. He then pursued a career in game operations, working with minor league baseball, the NFL and the NHL Dallas Stars for four years.

“My position there afforded me the ability to use the talents God had blessed me with to make people happy,” said Shapp. “This goes hand and hand with the Wild Ones Ranch. I love to bring happiness to people, whether that be with my creative talents or animals.”

Five years ago, Shapp moved back to Jonesboro with dreams of sharing his love for animals with others.

“Since moving back to Jonesboro in 2019, I had the concept of bringing a mobile petting zoo to NEA,” he said. “The main driving force was the demand I saw. NEA is home to many marquee events, and the closest mobile petting zoo is (in) Little Rock.

“The passion for animals was there and I saw the potential, so we went for it. We started in October 2023 with a 10-by-10 pop up tent with cattle panels. We had a few goats, emu chicks, a baby calf and a joey. We were small, and I really just viewed it as a hobby. It wasn’t until we got booked at Christmas in the Park that our business took off. The exposure we received from that one event propelled us from a hobby into a business. We are forever grateful for Adam Sartin and his family.”

Wade cares for the animals of Wild Ones Ranch with the help of his wife, Mandi, and sons, Walker (6) and Sawyer (3). The ranch is currently home to several goats, a miniature donkey, a miniature Highland cow, a potbelly pig, a baby alpaca, a red kangaroo, a 38-pound Sulcate Tortoise, an African crested porcupine, a Patagonia cavy, and their newest addition, a baby ringtail lemur. Shapp’s children help to feed and water the animals, as well as help assist and educate guests during events.

Wild Ones Ranch has already brought joy to many different kinds of events, and the Shapps hope to continue to share their animals in a wide variety of ways.

“Festivals and other public events have been our primary gigs,” said Shapp. “We have done some birthdays. Most of our events have been around NEA, but we have traveled as far as Conway to a renaissance festival.

“This summer we have seen huge interest from summer camps and daycares. Loading a bus full of kids can be costly, but by us coming to them, it allows for a safer and more cost-effective field trip. From public to private events, we do it all. We can handle smaller children’s birthday parties to larger events like county fairs. We offer many different options to accommodate our clients. It doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing approach. Of course, we would love to bring our whole ranch to your next event, but you also can book just a single animal encounter.”

While his current plan is to keep Wild Ones Ranch mobile, Shapp wants to add more animals to their collection in the coming months. He also plans to roll out an educational program in fall 2024 that will be aimed at teaching children more about the exotic animals.

Although Shapp says caring for his ranch is a full-time commitment, it is worth it to see the smiles his animals bring to others.

“People see us at events and think we have the coolest job in the world, which is true,” said Shapp. “We love sharing God's creations with the public and helping people make lasting memories. But these animals are a 24/7 job. … No matter if we have a gig or not, they require our care and love. If we have an event at 9 a.m., we are up at 5 a.m. preparing by loading, cleaning and feeding these animals. When we are done at 5 p.m. … we have to do it all over again in reverse. There is so much more that happens behind the scenes.

“We wouldn’t change a thing about it though. The most rewarding part of sharing our animals with people is the joy and smiles it brings to them.”

To learn more about Wild Ones Ranch, visit wildonesranchar.com,follow them on Facebook, call (870) 520-0061 or email wildonesranchar@gmail.com.