Cripple Creek Farm offers visitors an exotic journey, without even leaving the county.
Thirty-five exotic breeds of animals reside at Cripple Creek Farm in Readyville, and farm owners Bill and Joyce Boner say people can come and visit the animals any time.
About six years ago, the Boners purchased seven or eight exotic animals and the collection soon expanded.
These animals include water buffaloes, emus, ostriches, zebras, mud yaks, African antelopes, elks, reindeer, a baby kangaroo, a Clydesdale, mini horses, wildebeests, alpacas, camels and a few more traditional American farm animals. The next animal Bill is wanting to place on the farm is a giraffe.
The animals at Cripple Creek Farm come from all over the U.S.?from overstocked zoos and auctions held by breeders.
“Buying it and bringing it home is the goal,” Boner said.
He keeps the farm running for his two grandchildren, as well as the rest of the children who come from all over Tennessee to visit the farm.
Boner said he is comfortable with people coming out to the farm and having parties. The farm also hosts some fall festivals and any of the schools and churches that call them, free of charge.
“It’s a good fundraiser,” Boner said.
He said it allows him to teach children how to feed and care for the animals. He also shows kids how to milk cows and bottle feed young ones.
He said he doesn’t purchase any animals such as tigers, lions and some antelopes that could possibly attack or kill people. Even the wildebeests were easy to tame and most of the animals eat right out of anybody’s hands because Boner works with them everyday.
“I have names for all of the animals and they come when I call them,” Boner said.
Little Bill is a baby sheep that follows him around wherever he goes. Larry the Clydesdale is very gentle with children. Linda the camel is an adoptive aunt to the baby camel there.
On average, it costs about $20,000 a year to take care of all the animals and University of Tennessee doctors are on call 24 hours a day in case of an illness.
“I’ve taken one of the camels at 2 a.m. when it got sick,” Boner said.
Boner welcomes visitors to share his amazing collection of exotic animals. The farm is located at 3466 Cripple Creek Road off Highway 70 heading toward Woodbury. For more information, call (615) 406-6730.
