While staying at the WIld Rose Inn in Woodstock, I had the pleasure of enjoying the koi pond located on the grounds of the inn. I had never seen a koi fish up close before and was so marveled at their beauty.
The innkeeper Marti is the most delightful woman and she is super charming. Her son taught me that the koi don’t have teeth and that if you put you hand into the pond, they will come over and check you out. Their mouths are like vacuums, it feels really funny when they touch you!. Check out the mouth on this red koi fish!
It did cross my mind as to whether or not the fish were happy or had enough space to swim around. I was not sure how to weigh in on the topic of koi ponds in general. I have done a bit of research and found that koi ponds are not considered cruel to the koi fish but there are some concerns mainly about the local birds drowning in the pond. It seems to be a recurring problem amongst koi pond owners. Every now and again, a dead bird is found floating in a koi pond. There are some measure one can take to help curious birds stay away from the water but for the most part, many feel that the fallen birds were previously injured before entering the pond water.
I am not sure I will ever own a koi pond but I thoroughly enjoyed the one I stumbled upon. Marti has had most of her koi fish for 10 years and they all seem to be thriving. Here is a view of the koi pond from the porch,
If and when you find yourself in Woodstock, NY, The Wild Rose is a beautiful place to stay.