We included The Wilds as a stop on our 2019 Zoocation. The Wilds was an anticipated part of the trip due to its presence on the National Geographic TV Show “Secrets of the Zoo”. I can say that how the park is displayed on the show is extremely similar to how we perceived it in person. This park really does function as a sanctuary for animals. Sure, the keepers need to intervene from time to time, but for the most part they allow the animals to go wherever they’d like.
Highlights:
- Rhinos – In zoos, we don’t always rush to the rhino exhibit. Truth is, rhinos are usually sleeping during the day, and really aren’t that active until night. However, at wildlife parks like The Wilds rhinos are fun to watch because of all the room they have to roam. This visit was no different, as several rhinos came walking up very close to our tour tram.
- Giraffes – We see and feed a lot of giraffes. Seeing them in a setting like The Wilds brings an entirely different appreciation for them. These large animals are often taken for granted, and see them like this was really cool for us and our kids.
- Lesser seen animals – We really liked that we could see animals like oryx and persian onagers at this park. These animals aren’t typically in traditional zoos, so we enjoyed seeing them.
- Carnivore House – About half-way through the tour, you stop at the Carnivore house to see the cheetahs and African Wild dogs. While we were there, the wild dogs came running down the hill to jump in the pond!
- Seeing the “TV Stars” in action – Ok so maybe we geeked out a little here, but we really enjoyed seeing people from the show in action. The animal care team was seen moving the persian onagers from one pen to another, and then later seen tracking down a lone female.
To see where some moments from our visit landed in our “Top Zoocation moments from 2019” article, click here.
Lows:
- The tour is 2.5 hours long. In the first section of the tour, you stop and get out to feed fish or parakeets. This was a 20-minute stop that I think could be better spent in the back-half of the tour, when you get to the rhinos and giraffes.
- When you arrive on property, you park at the bottom of the hill, and then they shuttle you to the top, where you book and board your tour. I wish they had something down by the parking lot to view.
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