ZooPro Adventures: Bringing the Zoo to You

Written by MELISSA DICKSON JACKSON | Photographed by CHRIS MARTIN

Rory Hoilman poses with a small sampling of the creatures – large and small, domestic and exotic – that he cares for at his Newnan homestead and carries to classrooms and other destinations to teach about animals.

Imagine suffering a bite from a venomous Gila monster, a four-pound lizard the size of a breadloaf. Native to the South American and Mexican desert, the monster lizard's looks alone are enough to frighten. Add the fear of poisonous saliva, and it's terrifying.

But don't worry. You'll be OK. Gila monster venom takes time to deliver its fatal punch. You'll have hours to find help.

If you get to know Rory Hoilman and his Gila monster, Hoilman will explain that Gila monster venom lacks the potency to fell a human being. There’s only one account of a human death due to a Gila bite, according to Hoilman, and that was nearly 100 years ago. So, if you're visiting Hoilman’s Gila, feel free to pet its back, but stay away from the face and mouth.

Not interested in Gila monsters? How about a South American Goliath bird-eating tarantula with a leg span of up to 11 inches?

Or a pair of Egyptian fruit bats with downy fawn-colored fur?

A three-banded Brazilian armadillo that can curl itself into a ball and tuck its tail perfectly aside its head?

A friendly groundhog, maybe? Or how about a sunset-vibrant corn snake or an Indian star turtle?

A baby emu?

Hoilman’s Newnan-based company, ZooPro Adventures, features 30 fascinating animals available for the public to enjoy. ZooPro will bring members of its global wildlife family to homes and events for a fee based on travel distance and how many critters customers request. An expert in caring for exotic animals and reptiles, Hoilman will describe the habitat and characteristics of each animal with entertaining and educational details. For example:

• The obsidian-black Madagascar millipede, which is as long as a child’s forearm, can run as fast as 16 inches a second – and while doing so, has only three of its hundred-plus legs in contact with
  the ground.

• Hoilman’s fruit bat couple eats two cups of frozen fruit a night and loves to cuddle like high school sweethearts.

• The corn snake’s name was derived from the appearance of its belly, which mimics the look of Native American maize.

• The bird-eating tarantula discourages predators by flinging hairs from its hindlegs that irritate the skin of the perceived threat. According to Hoilman, “it feels like fiberglass or a cactus spine.”

Remember that giant millipede? In its native rainforests of Madagascar, the millipede is a favorite chew toy for the lemurs who ingest its defensive toxins for a relaxing buzz.

“Crazy how these animals mess with each other,” Hoilman says with a laugh.

As their owner shares more details about the many animals he’s brought to visit, the corn snake writhes in her white-knotted pillow case, teetering precariously on the edge of the Gila monster’s crate.

“Have you ever been bitten by a snake?” asks a young visitor.

“Oh yes, many times,” says Hoilman. “When I’m feeding them, they sometimes mistake my finger for their food.”

Nonetheless, the zookeeper and his family have adjusted to life with their large menagerie, bites and all.

Egyptian fruit bats are among the many exotic animals the Hoilmans invite onlookers to view and touch.

Hoilman’s passion for the animal kingdom began in his youth in Virginia Beach, Va., where his parents encouraged and supported his pursuits.

“I was the only kid in the neighborhood with quail and rabbits and stuff like that,” he recalls. “My mom was very supportive.”

At 17, Hoilman began volunteering as a keeper aide at the Virginia Zoo with a reptile keeper named Mike Wauhop.

“I didn’t want to work with the reptiles; I wanted to work with primates,” admits Hoilman. But as the young animal advocate listened to each of the zoo experts discuss their animal specialities, Hoilman was particularly drawn to the reptile caretaker.

“I wanna work with this guy,” he remembers thinking back in 1997.

At Wauhop’s side, Hoilman worked while his love for the animals and his professional expertise grew exponentially.

“I got to see more exotics and bigger animals,” he says, noting that he continued to volunteer at the Virginia Zoo from 1997 to 2009.

Now 42, Hoilman has worked with animals as a volunteer and in a professional capacity for more than 25 years. During that time, he earned a degree in business administration, became a professional firefighter, married Jenni, a like-minded animal lover, had children, and started his business.

ZooPro Adventures initially began when Virginia Zoo staff started receiving calls requesting on-the-road birthday parties along the lines of a Jack Hannah-esque appearance. Since the zoo animals were prohibited from leaving the premises, Wauhop started a business with a private collection of his own animals. Hoilman continued to volunteer at the zoo and worked with his friend’s fledgling company doing birthday parties and events for 12 years.

Later, as Hoilman’s own collection of exotic and familiar animals grew, he asked Wauhop if he could use the company's name, ZooPro Adventure. By then, the Hoilman family had relocated to Ohio where his wife had accepted a position as a dean at a nursing school. Even though Hoilman was busy with his family and career as a firefighter, he missed working with animals. Wauhop agreed to let Hoilman start an LLC sister company with the same name, according to Hoilman.

In 2020, the Hoilman family relocated again, this time to Newnan. Unfortunately, introducing the community to the ZooPro Adventures experience proved difficult with public events and spaces shutting down due to COVID-19.

This year, Hoilman has worked to introduce Newnan and Metro Atlanta to his exotic friends, including Mac Mac, a gregarious macaw with luminous green wings, and Johnny Cash, a Spanish black turkey that roams the yard like a pet dog. NCM