MONROE, Wash. — The Reptile Zoo , a beloved roadside attraction along Highway 2 in Monroe, will remain open after it was slated to close next week.

The Petersen family has operated the zoo for 30 years, starting with Isaac Petersen's father, Scott, a biology teacher known as "The Reptile Man."

It was announced in August that the attraction would close due to financial reasons. Petersen said customers hadn't returned to pre-pandemic levels and that savings were depleted.

Now, the zoo is to remain open because of support from the public.

"We just didn't know what was gonna happen when we announced we were shutting down, and things got really busy. I just talked to my wife and we decided we're gonna try one more round," said Petersen. "It was a madhouse, it's crazy, we just had crazy b

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