Americans don't have to travel to Africa to experience safari adventure. For those seeking to encounter exotic animals without the hassle of long-distance traveling and go through preventive vaccinations, here are several choice destinations.
Lion Country Safari is the first safari park featuring "cageless drives" and has become a popular attraction ever since. Located in Western Palm Beach County, Florida, it originally exhibited lions. The park aims to provide a safe and wonderful safari experience to families. Animals like giraffe, rhinoceros, and zebras are free to roam, with lions and chimpanzees behind fences and water barriers. One of its biggest crowd drawers is its chimpanzee exhibit where they replicate their natural nomadic lifestyle by transferring from one island to another daily. To date, the safari park is home to about 900 animals.
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is a wildlife conservation area covering 1,500 acres in Glen Rose, Texas. It offers scenic wildlife drives or guided tours where a naturalist drives visitors around in open-air vehicles. Featured animals include antelope, giraffe, wildebeest, and zebra. Lodges and safari camps are also available for those who wish to stay overnight. During the week, the park is open for class field trips and children from all ages can see for themselves animals that are normally found in Africa. There is also a petting zoo for kids and biking tours for adults. Accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, the park supports about a thousand animals and is dedicated to animal conservation. Other activities offered are day and overnight camping. Aside from its admission fee, the center relies heavily on donations for maintenance.
Busch Gardens Africa is located in Tampa Bay, Florida. The park supports about 2,700 animals. Among the animals featured in its Animal Adventure Tour are hippos, black rhinos, giraffes, and orangutans. A special two-hour tour would cost about $120. Walking tours are also available. Aside from the safari adventure, the theme park also offers rides and a 4-D theater. Also available are several camping options from preschoolers to college students.
Pine Mountain Wild Animal Safari has a unique attraction, the ligers. This animal is a cross between a tiger and a lion. The park seats on a 500-acre land in Georgia and offers unique hands-on safari experience to visitors. A number of wildebeests, giraffes, rhinos, camels, antelopes, and zebras call this park home. Visitors can choose to drive through the area in their own vehicles or have a guided tour aboard the Zebra Buses. There is also a walk-through area where the Petting Zoo and Old McDonald's Farm are located.
The San Diego Wild Animal Park is one of the largest tourist attractions in California. Popular activities are the Journey into Africa tour, the Lion Camp, the Heart of Africa exhibit and the Nairobi Village where one can seemingly be transported into exotic Africa. Tram tours are available to view cheetahs, antelopes, lions, giraffes, elephants, zebras, and rhinos in this 700-acre park. The total number of animals housed in these vast enclosures reach to 3000. It is particularly notable in its successful California condor breeding program. This safari park also features several botanical gardens.
