Most people go to bed at night serenaded by cicadas or the gentle hum of an air conditioner. Kathleen and Archie Futrell of Socastee fall asleep listening to the roars, howls and screeches of the animals in their zoo.

Raised on a working farm near Murfreesboro, NC, Archie Futrell developed his knowledge of animals through hands-on experience. "When I started on my own, I was fortunate enough to run across a pair of squirrel monkeys. I drove a truck and carried those monkeys with me," he said.

Archie Futrell found his way to the Grand Strand and opened a concession stand at the Pavilion. Eventually he met Kathleen Macklin, who would become his wife. They will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary next June.

A tall, strong woman in her sixties, Kathleen Futrell graduated from the University of South Carolina with majors in biology and physical education, and taught science at Socastee High School. "I had a background with animals all along," she said.

The couple acquired their first wild animal on a whim about 20 years ago, from a fellow concessionaire at the Pavilion who photographed tourists with a lion cub. "It got a little big, and they were trying to find a home for it. We got the lion and finished raising it in the corner of the yard," recalled Kathleen Futrell.

Other animals followed - a pair of European fallow deer; four ostriches from Mudcreek, the family plantation of famed zoologist Jim Fowler; a few baby cougars. "The more animals we got, the more people wanted to come see them," she said.

After a few years, the Futrells decided to open a real zoological farm, complete with licensing and insurance to protect the children who visited. "Archie sent me to the Beach to run the concessions, and he stayed here to carve this thing out of the woods," Kathleen Futrell remembered. "When I got home at 1 or 2 AM, he'd get the flashlight to show me what he had done."

Originally built on a much smaller scale, the zoo is situated on about 50 of the 530 acres owned by the Futrells. "We don't know exactly how big it is. When we need another pasture or pen, we just build it," said Archie Futrell. Tobacco and Yorkshire hogs were once raised on the acreage now inhabited by exotic creatures from all over the globe. The Futrells' house, near the zoo entrance, has been in Kathleen's family for three generations.

Though it has grown, the zoo still retains its homespun ambience. Some of the signs hanging on the cages are hand-written. Many of the pens were built by the Futrells or their son, Jeff. Archie himself constantly walks through the zoo, checking on his animals, stopping to chat with anybody who approaches.

The couple's well-developed network of resources helps them tend to the creatures in their care. "There's books about any animal, telling you about birth, death, gestation. I've got a good library," said Archie Futrell. He also counts on the knowledge of handlers and collectors all over the country. "Animal people are closely-knit and help each other out." Additionally, the Futrells consult with four veterinarians in North and South Carolina, experts in reptiles, big cats, exotic hoofstock and birds.

Much of the time, however, the couple's experience and common sense enables them to be self-reliant. "We're fortunate; we seldom have to call a vet. If Chico gets the sniffles, we know what to do," said Kathleen Futrell.

In November, Archie Futrell will turn 77; he is probably one of the oldest zookeepers in the country. Though slender and fit, with a pace some men half his age could not endure, he survived two heart attacks, and had a quintuple bypass in 1995. "Four days after surgery I was in the cage with Chico. He had seen them take me out on a stretcher." The ape gently touched his owner's incision and hugged his legs.

When they first married, the Futrells traveled extensively after each summer at the Pavilion, visiting Las Vegas, Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon. "There isn't a place we didn't go," said Archie Futrell. But he rarely travels these days unless he hears about an interesting auction sale. "Why would I take a vacation, when I'd be leaving my heart here? Who would take care of my monkeys?"

Kathleen Futrell agreed. "When you close the gates at night, you sit out here and really enjoy it," she said.

The Waccatee Zoo at 8500 Enterprise Road in Socastee will celebrate its 12th anniversary in October, and is open 7 days per week, 365 days per year, from 10:00AM to 5:00PM. Admission: $3 for children ages 1-12; $5 for ages 13 and up. For more information, call 650-8500.