Family Ties at The Long Island Game Farm

Family Ties had a fun summer day at the Long Island Game Farm! They were able to learn about wildlife and animals through education and entertainment.

The Long Island Game Farm Wildlife Park and Children’s Zoo features hundreds of animals, including an 18-foot giraffe, red kangaroos, kinkajous, cougars, Barbados sheep, peacocks, and the only lemurs born and bred on Long Island. Their animal collections include both exotic and indigenous breeds. They have various breeds of monkeys, buffalo, colorful parrots, zebra, aoudads, camels, ostrich, alligator, and much more. The Long Island Game Farm also has many interactive areas where guests can touch and, unlike most zoos, actually feed the animals! “Please Touch” is the motto in their petting zoo areas where you can pet, cuddle, and bottle feed the baby animals. “Old MacDonald’s Farmyard,” for example, provides a true barnyard experience where pigs, chickens, ducks, rabbits, and ponies are all within arms reach.

Hope For Youth’s Family Ties Program provides a safe and supportive environment designed to keep large sibling groups together following a removal from their family home by Child Protective Services. Family Ties and County staff work collaboratively towards identifying the children’s immediate needs and work toward reunification goals with biological parents or relatives, if appropriate.