Wildlife Safari
Safari park in Winston, Oregon From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wildlife Safari is a drive-through safari and zoological park in Winston, Oregon, United States. The park’s main draw are the 615-acre (249 ha) pastures and field enclosures which visitors drive their own vehicles through, enabling many up-close animal encounters and photo opportunities. These expansive field exhibits, divided into regions such as Africa, Asia and the Americas, mainly feature the park’s ungulate herds and larger hoofed mammals (including rhinos, hippos, giraffes and elephants), as well as larger species of birds, including cranes and ratites. Visitors also drive past naturalistic exhibits featuring black and brown bears, cheetahs, lions and tigers.
Wildlife Safari has an expansive visitors’ area in its Safari Village, which also contains the park’s retail, dining and customer service amenities. The Safari Village (unlike the main drive-through safari) is free to explore for guests. The area includes a petting zoo, seasonal camel rides, reptile exhibits, aviaries, animal interactions, as well as walking trails featuring numerous exhibits of the park's smaller species. Wildlife Safari currently maintains Oregon state’s only captive African elephants and maned wolves (as of 2021).[citation needed]
The safari has been a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 1986,[5] one of the only privately-owned zoological establishments in the AZA, and one of only three such animal attractions in the state.[6] In 2021, it received a certification from the Zoological Association of America.[4]
Frank Hart, a frequent visitor to Africa, created the safari park, which opened in October 1972 as World Wildlife Safari, on a 600-acre (240 ha) site.[7] "World" was dropped from the name on June 9, 1974, at the request of the unrelated, non-profit World Wildlife Fund, to avoid confusion.[8] Wildlife Safari became a non-profit organization in 1980, and is overseen by the Safari Game Search Foundation.[9]
Africa
- African bush elephant (Loxodonta a. africana) — not drive-through
- Ankole-Watusi cattle (Bos taurus)
- Burchell’s zebra (Equus quagga burchellii)
- Common eland (Taurotragus oryx)
- Dromedary (Camelus dromedarius)
- Reticulated giraffe (Giraffa reticulata)
- River hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) — not drive-through
- Scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah) — not drive-through
- South African ostrich (Struthio camelus)
- Southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium s. simum)
- White-bearded wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus)
The Americas
- American black bear (Ursus americanus) — not drive-through
- Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia)
- Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) — not drive-through
- Guanaco (Lama guanicoe)
- Plains bison (B. bison bison)
- Roosevelt elk (Cervus canadensis roosevelti)
- Western pond turtle (Actinemys marmorata)
Asia
- Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra)
- Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)
- Fallow deer (Dama dama)
- Greater rhea (Rhea americana)
- Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus)
- Sika (Cervus nippon)
- White-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys)
- White-naped crane (Antigone vipio)
- Yak (Bos grunniens)
The Safari Village includes a narrow gauge railroad, Safari Grill Event Center, Cheryl Ford Center, Safari Grill 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, emu and the Budgie Aviary.
Wildlife Safari has a well established cheetah breeding program which, as of July 2021, has produced 231 cubs. In cooperation with the AZA's Species Survival Plan, the cubs are sent to other accredited zoos across the United States.[10][11][12][13]
At least one animal rights organization endorses Wildlife Safari for its animal-focused conditions and care.[14]
Wildlife Safari has come under criticism for its treatment of elephants, with California-based animal protection organization In Defense of Animals placing it among the ten worst zoos for elephants for twelve consecutive years;[15] in particular, the organization alleges that the zoo uses bullhooks to force the elephants to perform tricks, most notably washing tourists' cars.[16]
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