A Very Special Safari With Animals That Had A Second Chance
Today I would like to talk about a very special place that I visited on my last trip, to West Palm Beach, in the United States. I ‘ve never been a big believer in paying for shows where animals are used, so when my friend commented about going on safari, my first response was a round “NO”.
In fact, I always advise you not to pay to be in places where animals are used, because they are mistreated and neglected by their owners. However, my friend convinced me when she explained the origin of this first and only cageless zoo in the United States: the Lion Country Safari.
A very special cageless zoo: Lion Country Safari
Lion Country Safari was the first cageless zoo in the United States. It was created to give an opportunity to people residing in countries where it was not possible to take a safari and be able to do so. Only lions were displayed.
However, the vast terrain on which they had, of thousands and thousands of square meters, gave them the idea of doing more. And this idea was turning into a refuge for animals that had been mistreated, used in laboratories or in shows where they were not cared for in the way they should.
The animals can live outdoors, in a place as similar as possible to their natural habitat, and with the same food. In the midst of this habitat a road was built that would allow cars to pass at a very slow speed. We had to stop several times because animals crossed everywhere! This is your home, and we were the intruders.
The windows must always be closed and it is not allowed to touch the animals.
Feeding and caring for so many animals is a huge cost, but admission to this place costs less than 30 dollars. After seeing how they treat and care for the animals there, and enjoying nature and beauty up close, I guarantee that I would be willing to pay a lot more.
This price is not excessive considering that there are more than a thousand species in this wonderful place. Would you like to meet some?
Our Lion Country Safari Friends
On the Lion Country Safari there are species such as the white rhinoceros from Africa. Something that makes it special is how they created a habitat for the chimpanzee. The chimpanzee is an endangered species and it is not common to see them somewhere.
But Lion Country Safari has created a habitat consisting of several islands of different sizes, and chimpanzees can move from one to the other, just as they would in their normal life outside the facility. In addition, this place has turned into a retreat for chimpanzees that have been used in laboratories and that need special attention, or that are no longer able to go back to living in the wild.
Giraffes, lions, zebras, and much more are what you will be able to enjoy in this place. An ostrich detained more than five cars for at least half an hour because it was stopped in the middle of the street and there was no way to move it. Nobody dared to honk, something that is completely forbidden. But was funny.
The icing on the cake comes when you are given the opportunity to climb a raised platform to feed the giraffes. I had never seen one so close! For me it was fascinating. But if your goal is to touch them, forget it; they just want to know what lettuce you have in your hand.
The care, respect and love with which they treat animals in this place left me in awe. It’s a place worth paying for, as it’s not a show with animals, but a place that makes them feel like they’re at home healing the wounds of their hearts. If you’re passing through West Palm Beach, don’t miss the Lion Country Safari.
