Roadside Attraction
Zebras in Park City? Consider it a new breed of photo op.
Photography: Chelsea fitch
The roads in and around Park City boast plenty of spots that beckon drivers to pull over and snap a few photos. But none is as unique as the scene that awaits travelers as they pull onto Highway 40 off of the Silver Summit Parkway.
Several years ago, Dave and Raette Belcher brought pygmy goats to their property to keep the weeds under control. Next, they added a miniature donkey. A few heads turned to see these tamed quadrupeds in an enclosure so near the highway, but when Miss Billy the buffalo plowed her way into the herd, people really started taking notice.
“She was only three to four months old when we bought her—and as wild as they come,” laughs Dave, adding that bringing her into the corral the first day was a bit tricky: “I had to wear hockey pads on my legs because she would back up, dig in with her front legs, and come at me in a full run.” But she’s become more docile. “She is really mellow, sweet, and curious, and she loves to follow me around when I work around our place,” Belcher explains.
Three years ago, when Belcher was injured in a serious car accident, his co-workers chipped in and bought him a baby zebra to cheer him up. “Ace” is the sassiest member of the group and had to attend obedience school in order to become a polite member of the herd. But the striped star has had the biggest tourist appeal to date, as countless onlookers have stopped to snap his photo and wander onto the property to get a closer look.
When Raette was asked what the best part of owning these animals was, she didn’t hesitate to answer: “We have gotten to know all of our neighbors better.”
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