Date opened 1973 (1973) No. of animals 600 Memberships AZA | Land area 600 acres (240 ha) No. of species 80 | |
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Location 1790 Safari Road
Winston, Oregon, U.S. | ||
Wildlife Safari is a safari park in Winston, Oregon, United States. It is home to hundreds of animals that wander freely over the 600-acre (240 ha) park, which guests can drive through. The park also includes a walkthrough exhibit displaying some of the park's smaller animals. It has Oregon's only African elephants and maned wolves as of 2009.
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The safari has been member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums since 1986, one of only three such animal attractions in the state.
HistoryEdit
Frank Hart, a frequent visitor to Africa, created Wildlife Safari, which opened in the spring of 1973. It became a non-profit organization in 1980, and is overseen by the Safari Game Search Foundation.
AnimalsEdit
Between the drive-through area and the village, Wildlife Safari features over 600 animals including bears, capybaras, South African cheetahs, African elephants, giraffes, hippopotamuses, lions, and ostriches.
More than 600 of these animals are given free rein on the grasslands, and are accessible for viewing by driving on a 4.5-mile (7.2 km) road. Visitors can stop to view the animals and take pictures anywhere except in the bear cage. Besides both black and brown bears, other animals in "protected contact" include tigers, lions, and cheetahs.
About 90 of the park's animals are in the Safari Village, which includes a petting zoo, restrooms, a restaurant, a playground, and gift shop.
Other facilitiesEdit
The Safari Village includes a narrow gauge railroad, White Rhino Event Center, Frank Hart Theater, Safari Cafe and Gift shop. The village area is a traditional zoo setting with smaller exhibits from animals from around the world. The newest feature to the Safari Village is the Wells Fargo Australian Walkabout exhibit. The Australian Walkabout immerses the guest into Australia allowing guest to go in with the Wallaroos, Black Swans and the Budgie Aviary.
ConservationEdit
Wildlife Safari has a well established cheetah breeding program which, as of 2012, has produced 171 cubs. In cooperation with the AZA's Species Survival Program, the cubs are sent to other accredited zoos across the United States.
At least one animal rights organization endorses Wildlife Safari for its animal-focused conditions and care.