Is anyone else familiar with that, er, popular 80’s tune, “Joshua Giraffe?” Because I’d be lying if I said that song wasn’t stuck in my head for days afterward. Well, what do you do, when a 20-foot-tall giraffe approached your vehicle in search of a nuzzle? How can you possibly deny that face? Shockingly enough, the most stunning bird I saw was this flamboyant blue crowned pigeon (can you even believe it?) who was a fan of ruffling his feathers, cooing loudly and attempting to flirt with his neighbor the blue duiker (the world’s smallest breed of antelope). Appropriate, no?Īfter the vehicle part of the tour, you’re led by foot to the pens where the cheetahs and warthogs reside, as well as to the aviary. She’s an African watusi who wobbles to one side because her horns are so heavy they cause her to tilt. My absolute favorite animal at the park, though, was this little gal without a doubt. I envision the remaining wildebeest, the clique, the followers if you will, glaring over at him singing “na-na-na-boo-boo.” Tell me that’s not what this picture says to you. Far over mingling with the kudu was a lone adolescent wildebeest who had cockily challenged the dominant member of the breed and lost. Perhaps the saddest part of the day was when we arrived at the wildebeest field. (It’s pretty similar to how I react every time someone-particularly PR people-spell my name KristEN when they were competent enough to spell it properly, with an “i,” in the e-mail address just a line above.) Call him anything other than his true breed, and…well…I don’t want to be around to see how he reacts. I learned a lot that afternoon like the fact that this guy? Is a CAPE not water buffalo. (If ever I had a fear of ostriches, it was confirmed upon meeting her. We were only bummed we didn’t allow more time for the trip, as there are also cabins and tents where you can sleep and awake to animals just outside your door. Many were welcome to roam the 400-acre park freely, and others were penned in (large) fields. I really did feel like I was in South Africa, as the park boasted more than 500 animals of 80 different species. Truth be told, SVV and I feared it might be a bit cheesy, but that was far from the truth. Many of the guides have worked in Africa at some point, meaning they know their stuff and you might just walk away from the whole experience a little more knowledgeable than when you arrived. The owner himself is a riveting man and jack of many trades, having collected animals long before opening the park 20 years ago and even crafting much of the furniture you’ll find in the lodge and cabins himself. I was working on a magazine story for Alaska Airlines about wineless getaways in Napa and Sonoma Counties, and it was only then that I heard about Safari West up in Santa Rosa, which is about as close you’ll get to visiting a game park in the United States. Rather, did you know California has an authentic safari park? No? It was news to me, too, until recently. Oh wait, you didn’t know I went on safari earlier this month? I neglected to tell you? Well, no, truth be told, I didn’t jet off to Africa yet (not until mid-March at least). But hey there were rhinos about to jump each other’s bones (no, really…we intervened just in the nick of time). Unfortunately, I encountered no lions while on safari two weeks ago to belt out such accurate lyrics with authority. What, that’s not how the song goes? Oh well. "Having our vet care compromised is not true at all.In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the zebra sleeps toniiiiiight… "Some of the information they were provided is not accurate," Hornbostel told the news station. Executive director Keo Hornbostel said its operations remain largely unchanged in the decades since it first received AZA accreditation. There are reports that Safari West is appealing the decision. "I am hopeful that the owners and leadership at Safari West are taking these matters seriously." "The Commission noted serious concerns with veterinary practices and care, and acquisition and disposition of animals," Dan Ashe, the association's president, said in a statement. The association, also known as the AZA, announced this week that it would deny its "gold standard" accreditation to Santa Rosa's Safari West, according to local media reports on Friday. SANTA ROSA (AP) - A popular wildlife preserve in the North Bay has been stripped of accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums over concerns about the facility's care for animals.
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