Location: Sedona, Arizona
Size: Medium (budget extra time for the shows and safari tour)
Visited In: May 2010
Rating:
Fun Facts
- Baby zebras have brown stripes.
- Tigers, unlike most cats, like to swim.
- The horns of Watusi cattle act as a radiator to disperse heat.
The park's webpage rather emphatically proclaims: "Call us Wild. Call us Crazy. Just don't call us a Zoo." So it is with mild apology that I include them in my zoo blog. I just couldn't resist the opportunity to review this wholly unique and - yes, a little crazy - animal park.
Located just outside Sedona, Out of Africa's signature attraction is Tiger Splash, a dramatic show in which tigers chase and pounce on colorful toys wielded by their keepers. The show takes place in and around a big pool, leading to a lot of swimming and splashing.
Tiger Splash isn't the only draw, though. The African Bush Safari ride ges you up close and personal with a whole bunch of (non-predatory) safari animals: Zebras, Watusi Cattle, Gemsbok and more. You may even get to feed a giraffe or a camel. The predators are kept to themselves (obviously), and include a number of unusual species. Another special event is the Predator Feed, where you can follow along with the keepers as they chuck haunches of wild meat into the enclosures, and watch the lions and tigers eat their supper.
It's a little pricey, but definitely worth it for the unique experience.
One word to the wise: Bring your own hand sanitizer. Perhaps it's a regional thing, but around here they shower you in hand sanitizer if you come within 10 feet of an animal. In Out of Africa, you can put your hand in the camel's mouth and there's not a washing station anywhere in sight.
Favorite Animal: Splashing Tigers
Unusual Animal: Watusi Cattle
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