Wildlife Safari
Encyclopedia
Wildlife Safari is a 600 acres (242.8 ha) safari park
in Winston
, Oregon
, United States
. It is home to more than 500 animals that wander freely over the 600 acres (242.8 ha) park, which guests can drive through. The park also includes a walk through Safari Village that is home to some of the park's smaller animals. It has Oregon's only African Elephants and Maned Wolves
as of 2009.
The safari has been member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
since 1986, and is one of only three animal attractions in the state accredited by that organization.
, created Wildlife Safari, which opened in the spring of 1973. It became a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization in 1980, and is overseen by the Safari Game Search Foundation.
s, cheetah
s, elephant
s, giraffe
s, hippopotamus
es, lions, and ostrich
es.
The drive through
More than 500 of these animals are given free rein on the grasslands, and are accessible for viewing by driving on a 4.5 miles (7.2 km) designated path. Visitors can stop to view the animals and take pictures anywhere except in the bear cage.
The village
About 90 of the park's animals are housed in the Safari Village, which includes a petting zoo, restrooms, a restaurant, a play ground, and gift shop.
.
Safari park
A safari park, sometimes known as a wildlife park, is a zoo-like commercial tourist attraction where visitors can drive in their own vehicles or ride in vehicles provided by the facility to observe freely roaming animals...
in Winston
Winston, Oregon
Winston is a city in Douglas County, Oregon, United States. The population was 4,613 at the 2000 census. It is home to Wildlife Safari.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is home to more than 500 animals that wander freely over the 600 acres (242.8 ha) park, which guests can drive through. The park also includes a walk through Safari Village that is home to some of the park's smaller animals. It has Oregon's only African Elephants and Maned Wolves
Maned Wolf
The maned wolf is the largest canid of South America, resembling a large fox with reddish fur.This mammal is found in open and semi-open habitats, especially grasslands with scattered bushes and trees, in south, central-west and south-eastern Brazil The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is the...
as of 2009.
The safari has been member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums was founded in 1924 and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation.The AZA headquarters is located in Silver...
since 1986, and is one of only three animal attractions in the state accredited by that organization.
History
Frank Hart, a frequent visitor to AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, created Wildlife Safari, which opened in the spring of 1973. It became a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization in 1980, and is overseen by the Safari Game Search Foundation.
Animals
Between the drive-through area and the village, the Wildlife Safari features over 600 animals including bears, capybaraCapybara
The capybara , also known as capivara in Portuguese, and capibara, chigüire in Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador ronsoco in Peru, chigüiro, and carpincho in Spanish, is the largest living rodent in the world. Its closest relatives are agouti, chinchillas, coyphillas, and guinea pigs...
s, cheetah
Cheetah
The cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...
s, elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
s, giraffe
Giraffe
The giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all extant land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant...
s, hippopotamus
Hippopotamus
The hippopotamus , or hippo, from the ancient Greek for "river horse" , is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae After the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is the third largest land mammal and the heaviest...
es, lions, and ostrich
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
es.
The drive through
More than 500 of these animals are given free rein on the grasslands, and are accessible for viewing by driving on a 4.5 miles (7.2 km) designated path. Visitors can stop to view the animals and take pictures anywhere except in the bear cage.
The village
About 90 of the park's animals are housed in the Safari Village, which includes a petting zoo, restrooms, a restaurant, a play ground, and gift shop.
Other facilities
The Safari Village includes a narrow gauge railroad (Uganda Express) operated by the Oregon, Pacific and Eastern RailwayOregon, Pacific and Eastern Railway
The Oregon, Pacific and Eastern Railway is a short line railroad that began in 1904 as the Oregon and Southeastern Railroad . The line ran between the towns of Cottage Grove and Wildwood. The Oregon, Pacific & Eastern Railway Company incorporated in 1912, and purchased the physical assets of the...
.