Wednesday, November 11, 2015

[sightseeing] + [fun] Gentry Wild Wilderness Safari

This weekend marked our second visit to Gentry's Wild Wilderness Safari. Started as a small dairy farm in the 1950s, growing to house exotic cattle breeds in the 1960s and housing injured animals in the 1970s - the acquisition of exotic species started the Safari park we see today. The 180 acres are really beautiful with large ponds and rolling pastures. And yep, you can drive your car right through!


We were pleasantly surprised by the dedication of the staff, the variety of animals, size of the enclosures and the general upkeep of the property. Nothing more depressing than visiting a zoo where the big cats are pacing in too-small pens without the freedom to move.


As much fun as the drive-through portion was (we loved love loved seeing the little antelope calves jumping and running around), the highlight was being up cclose and personal with the kangaroos and giraffe siblings. Many of the kangaroos had joeys that would climb in and out of the mama's pouches. Such a cool thing to see! We were able to pet, feed and watch them up close in their enclosures. The pair of giraffes, Sophia (the drooler) and Rosie were so much fun to feed and watch interact with their handler.


Another super unique sight was the lion cub and the Australian shepherd puppy. They were born at the same time and grew up together. What could be cuter than a lion cub playing with a puppy??
// notice the pup "hugging" the lion //