

Already 18 years old, analogous to a human aged 80+, the lion was toothless and ill. Īn aging circus lion from Mexico was given to the Irvine facility in 1970. The Lion Country Safari franchise in Irvine, California, briefly featured a lion that became a celebrity in his own right. Food is available at Lion Country Safari's main restaurant. Lion Country Safari also serves as a retirement facility for chimpanzees who were once used in research laboratories and entertainment.Īfter visitors have driven through the park, they can visit Safari World, a theme park featuring exhibits, and amusement park fare such as an Animal Theater, a petting zoo, mini golf, paddle boats, two water slides, a small water park, and the popular giraffe-feeding exhibit. One of the chimpanzees, named Little Mama, recorded as the oldest known living chimpanzee, was born around 1938, died on Novemfrom kidney failure. Because of this, Lion Country Safari has been useful to those interested in behavioral studies of chimpanzees. The chimpanzees live in complex social groups, as they would in the wild. The chimpanzees live on an island system where they move to a different island every day, replicating their natural nomadic lifestyle.
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Additionally, opening windows near the frequently seen ostrich is not recommended, as they often peck on the reflective windows and windshields of passing cars.Ī unique aspect of Lion Country Safari is the chimpanzee exhibit. The lions, whose ability to roam freely with cars was one of the park's original attractions, were separated from visitors by a fence around the road in 2005, due to visitors ignoring warnings and opening their car doors. Visitors are warned to drive slowly and carefully, to avoid stopping too close to animals, and not to open their car doors or windows. Others, such as lions or apes, are segregated behind fences or water barriers. Many of the animals, such as giraffes, antelope, and zebras, are allowed to roam freely throughout the preserve, even crossing the road in front of vehicles. Visitors who purchase a ticket enter the park in their own vehicle (no convertibles or soft top covers), driving slowly at their own pace, and view the animals while listening to a recorded narration which is available via streaming from SoundCloud.

The original park in Florida consists of over 1,000 animals, throughout seven sections in the 4-mile preserve as well as the 33-acre Amusement Park. Lion Country Safari previously operated parks in Irvine, California (1970–1984) Grand Prairie, Texas (1971–1992) Stockbridge, Georgia (1970–1984) Mason, Ohio (1974–1993) and Doswell, Virginia (1974–1993) all of them subsequently closed. The original South Florida park is the only one remaining in operation. Later, the locomotive was donated to the Gold Coast Railroad Museum in Miami before finally being bought and fully restored by the Veterans Memorial Railroad, located in Bristol, Florida's Veterans Memorial Park. This attraction was eventually closed and the Crown Metal Products 4-4-0 locomotive was put on static display. The architects of Lion Country Safari based the design of the property on Jack Murphy Stadium. In the beginning, the park had its own 2 ft ( 610 mm) narrow gauge railroad, the Everglade Express. Due to its year round climate, South Florida proved to be an ideal location for the park. Background ĭeveloped by a group of entrepreneurs, Lion Country Safari became a place where families could experience an African safari. In 2009, USA Travel Guide ranked Lion Country as the 3rd best zoo in the nation. Founded in 1967, it claims to be the first 'cageless zoo' in the United States. Lion Country Safari is a drive-through safari park and walk-through amusement park located on over 600 acres in Loxahatchee (near West Palm Beach), in Palm Beach County, Florida.
