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Published: March 26th 2023
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Going on a bear hunt, gonna catch a big one! I hope I see more than bears at Out of Africa safari park. I was greeted by the nicest lady at the entrance. There was a long line up going in but she took me into the gift shop to get signed into the park and no one could have been more pleasant. My special safari tour was booked for 2 p.m. but she checked and there was one open spot for 11 a.m. so she signed me in for that one. Then another person came in and apologized but she had missed one person in another group and needed that one seat after all. No problem with me. I wasn’t expecting to get my tour until 2 any way. She took me out and showed me the way to the shuttle and gave me a big hug as we parted.
I had time to explore in the park and get some lunch before my tour so off I went. I didn’t take the shuttle but decided to walk the pathways around. I arrived at the back just in time for the Small Critters show. The staff had a Cavey
which looks like a jack rabbit on stilts. It is the fourth largest rodent in the world with soft fur like a rabbit and funny little shorter than a rabbit ears. After I ate, I walked back out to the parking lot to check on Malika and make sure the van wasn’t getting too hot inside. It only got up to 15 today but the wind is still icy cold so she was just fine.
All the animals in the park are very healthy and luxuriant looking so they must be well cared for. It’s not a huge park, certainly not by Toronto Zoo standards but the animals are in large minimum one acre enclosures. I went to the tiger splash pool to watch a couple of young tigers cavort around and jump in the pool. Tigers do love water. It’s funny watching them act like kittens each ignoring the other but in actuality are looking for an opportunity to jump on the other one and run around. The keepers put on a show to encourage the tigers to play and come out with inflatable animals on a pole which they swing around and tease the cats. Then the
tiger takes off after them chasing the animal and then jumping into the pool with it. They then proceed to treat it like a real animal and tear it apart. The keeper has to entice them away from their kill with another toy while the other keeper cleans up the torn animal. After the show the tigers are given a baby bottle full of milk as a treat. Part of my expedition passport was feeding the tiger. All this amounts to is the staff puts a a strip of meat on a metal funnel that you then stick through the fence. But the tiger loves it - yum, real meat!
At 2 pm. I boarded the open sided truck for the safari tour. This was well worth the extra I paid for it as they take you inside the enclosures for a close up of the animals and an opportunity to feed the giraffes. Amanda (our driver) gave each of us a small piece of acacia branch which you could hand to the giraffe or put in your mouth and let the giraffe take it. Guess which I did. Not telling - you have to guess. At the predator
enclosures the tour person calls the animal and they come running because they know they’re going to get a treat. This little trick ensures that we see all the animals that might normally be out of sight. The grizzly bear was entertaining because she got really excited when she thought she wasn’t going to get a second treat and started dancing on the fence.
By the end of the safari, it was getting chillier and I headed back to the exit. A short jaunt back to the campground, put the leash on Malika for her outside time and for me to write this blog. As nice as it is during the day it cools off quickly by late afternoon. Time to go in and get warm.
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