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Wild Animal Safari
Pine Mountain, Ga.
Story and photos
by Sarah Young
On a warm day when the kids are restless
and it’s too cool to swim, but too warm
to stay in and watch cartoons, a visit to the
Wild Animal Safari in Pine Mountain, might
be just what you and your children need for
some springtime fun. If your kids are animal
lovers, an excursion to this safari escape will
be perfect, allowing them to get up close to
animals like zebras, elk, giraffes and llamas.
The park is not a typical zoo, but a 500-acre animal sanctuary, with a 200-acre
drive-thru “Serengeti Adventure.” The closest thing to a safari in the state, the
Serengeti Adventure gives children a chance
to experience what most kids only see on the
Animal Planet or in zoos, from the passenger
seat of your car. The park allows you to
drive into the animals’ homes, feeding them
pellets that you can purchase before entering.
On a warm day when the kids are restless
and it’s too cool to swim, but too warm
to stay in and watch cartoons, a visit to the
Wild Animal Safari in Pine Mountain, might
be just what you and your children need for
some springtime fun. If your kids are animal
lovers, an excursion to this safari escape will
be perfect, allowing them to get up close to
animals like zebras, elk, giraffes and llamas.
The park is not a typical zoo, but a 500-
acre animal sanctuary, with a 200-acre
drive-thru “Serengeti Adventure.” The clos-
Wild Animal Safari, est thing to a safari in the state, the
Serengeti Adventure gives children a chance
to experience what most kids only see on the
Animal Planet or in zoos, from the passenger
seat of your car.
The park allows you to
drive into the animals’ homes, feeding them
pellets that you can purchase before entering.
The animals are thrilled to see you
pulling through the gates, and they’re
expecting gifts of food. When you enter,
you’ll be met by a plethora of potbellied
pigs, elk and more. The
pigs will sniff your tires
searching
for treats, and the elk will put their heads
right in your window; they probably won’t
move until you’ve given them two or three
pellets to munch. This gives you a great
opportunity to snap a photo of your child
with an elk who seems to pose hoping that
he’ll receive more food for his patience.
When you recover from the initial shock
of the animal heads in the window and your
kids have fed the doormen of the safari
adventure enough, the drive continues with
animals and surprises ahead. The fallow
deer are quite friendly, and after being fed
they’ll follow you until they see the next
vehicle of explorers who will supply more
snacks.
Zebras, ostriches, pigs, longhorns, several
species of deer and more live within
this 200-acre section of the park. Fences
separate the other animals and visitors
from rhinos, lions, camels and giraffes
within the Serengeti Adventure. The water
buffalo and Texas longhorns roam freely,
though, and they’ll gladly greet you at your
car. But watch out for horns. This warning
isn’t for you or your children, but for
your vehicle. The longhorns and buffalo
are very gentle, but if you drop a
piece of food and it rolls under the
car, watch out for your doors!
These friendly giants don’t seem
to realize they have horns atop
their heads, and they will
unknowingly dent your vehicle.
Emus and ostriches will also
approach the car presuming you’ll
share the bounty, but make sure you
drop the food for the beaked creatures
and zebras. They sometimes
nip fingers. The other animals can
be hand fed, and they will grace
your hands with gifts of slobbery
kisses. The llamas are extremely
friendly, and will probably stay in
your window all day if you have
enough food.
All of these exotic creatures scurryingtoward cars is a sight to see, and being able
to hand feed zoo animals is enough to excite
any kid. Squeals and giggles are guaranteed,
and you’ll take some wonderful photos of
your children and their new furry and feathered
friends.
After the drive-thru experience, you can
go through the gift shop to the more traditional
zoo-like section of the park, the
“Walk-About.” Here your kids can see ligers
(half lion-half tiger), monkeys, kangaroos,
macaws, bears and more.
This is a trip that kids of all ages should
experience. Several grownups were at the
park without children, and they seemed to
be having more fun than some of the kids!
I’m going back with nieces in tow, and I’ll
bet your family will return after your visit,
too. Kids, moms and dads are sure to have
more fun than monkeys at the zoo. So be a
kid with your children for a day, and you’ll
be laughing with them when a llama licks
your hand or a pig poses for a picture.
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Directions: From Columbus, take
I-85 N to Exit 42. Get off and turn right.
Go 6.7 miles and turn right on Oak
Grove Road. Park is 2 miles ahead on
right. |
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