Bud DeYoung 
It’s a Wild Life: How My Life Became a Zoo 

Pursuing your passion includes a whole lot of crap. For Bud De Young, thats about two hundred pounds a day!



Since childhood, Bud had a passion for animals. As an adult, that passion led to the rescue of a bear who lived in his familys house, then more animals crowding for space, until Bud eventually built an entire private zoo around his home in Michigans Upper Peninsula.



Along the way, a regular visitor named Carrie joined her passion for animals with Buds. Together they now educate the public about animal conservation, battle the harsh winters and blazing summers, and daily dole out love to the hundreds of rescued animals in their care. Meanwhile, they teach by example how to make the world a better place while pursuing their passion.



Welcome to the fascinating, heartwarming journey of one man, one woman, and an amazing cast of critters, whose stories will warm your soul. Welcome to the wild life of the De Young Family Zoo.