Which Open-Range/Safari park zoos are your favourite?

Jambo

Jambo

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
Recently, I visited San deigo safari Park and the massive size of it astonished me. From living in Australia, I have already visited Werribee open range zoo, Monarto zoo and Taronga Western plains zoo. So it got me thinking; which open-range/ safari park zoos are your favourite?
 
Jambo said:
How was it? How would you rate the safari park overall? Which exhibits/ animals did you like most?
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It was a good place. My rating would be 4.6/5. I personally do not have a favourite exhibit as all of them were incredible.
 
TheGerenuk said:
It was a good place. My rating would be 4.6/5. I personally do not have a favourite exhibit as all of them were incredible.
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I personally, enjoyed the size of the zoo and the enclosures in it. I especially liked the Tiger trail, I rate it the best tiger exhibit i’ve ever seen! Though I haven’t seen much tiger exhibits in my lifetime, so far. :p

I also really liked their collection of animals and the design of their exhibits, and the whole park mostly. The African tram ride was also very enjoyable. :)
 
I've been to two safari parks: Disney's Animal Kingdom and Franklin Drive-Thru Safari. It's really no competition, I prefer Disney's Animal Kingdom. I thought is was truly a superb zoo/safari park/theme park combination. My favorite exhibit was without a doubt the ones on the Kilimanjaro Safari. My only complaint is that I wish we had a longer chance to look at the animals. For example, the cow elephants have a massive 10-acre-exhibit yet you only have a 6 to 10 second opportunity to see them. I did enjoy the Franklin Drive-Thru Safari but with the exception of the actual drive-thru portion the exhibit are honestly appalling; so much so that I almost feel bad for having a good time when visiting. One interesting story I have is that they have a "baby room" where you can go in with, well, baby animals (who could of guessed?), and the first time I went they had warthog piglets which were attempting to suckle my shirt (big surprise it didn't work) and the second time I kept get bit by a binturong. It climbed on lap and acted as if it wanted to be held but every time my hands got close, he bit me (though not through the skin luckily). I feel I'm likely the only zoochatter that can honestly say I've been bitten by a binturong.
 
I've been to two safari parks, SDZ's Safari Park and Winston Wildlife Safari.
I like SDZ's better because of the larger variety of hoofstock, waterfowl ponds, and walk-through aviaries. I just wish you could get closer to the hoofstock for cheaper.
Winston Wildlife Safari had much less variety and in several cases numbers, however you are able to get upclose to the animals (in your car obviously.)

I would recommend both.
 
Hipporex said:
I've been to two safari parks: Disney's Animal Kingdom and Franklin Drive-Thru Safari. It's really no competition, I prefer Disney's Animal Kingdom. I thought is was truly a superb zoo/safari park/theme park combination. My favorite exhibit was without a doubt the ones on the Kilimanjaro Safari. My only complaint is that I wish we had a longer chance to look at the animals. For example, the cow elephants have a massive 10-acre-exhibit yet you only have a 6 to 10 second opportunity to see them. I did enjoy the Franklin Drive-Thru Safari but with the exception of the actual drive-thru portion the exhibit are honestly appalling; so much so that I almost feel bad for having a good time when visiting. One interesting story I have is that they have a "baby room" where you can go in with, well, baby animals (who could of guessed?), and the first time I went they had warthog piglets which were attempting to suckle my shirt (big surprise it didn't work) and the second time I kept get bit by a binturong. It climbed on lap and acted as if it wanted to be held but every time my hands got close, he bit me (though not through the skin luckily). I feel I'm likely the only zoochatter that can honestly say I've been bitten by a binturong.
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Tell me about Animal Kingdom: was there anything at the park that was so kid-oriented it was cringeworthy (since this is a Disney theme park we're talking about)?
 
NVP said:
Tell me about Animal Kingdom: was there anything at the park that was so kid-oriented it was cringeworthy (since this is a Disney theme park we're talking about)?
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I mean I guess some of the stage shows and playground were kidish but nothing jumped out to me as cringeworthy. Then again I was 10 when I went to I wasn't exactly looking down upon childish things at the time.
 
Hipporex said:
I mean I guess some of the stage shows and playground were kidish but nothing jumped out to me as cringeworthy. Then again I was 10 when I went to I wasn't exactly looking down upon childish things at the time.
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Understandable. In spite of being a Disney fan, I've just always had a teeny bit of trepidation toward their theme parks, out of fear that their attractions would be too juvenile. The fact that they cost an arm and a leg just to get in is still the biggest reason I've never been to one, though.
 
NVP said:
Understandable. In spite of being a Disney fan, I've just always had a teeny bit of trepidation toward their theme parks, out of fear that their attractions would be too juvenile. The fact that they cost an arm and a leg just to get in is still the biggest reason I've never been to one, though.
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As someone that has been to both the Florida and California parks I don't think either are too childish but, when you factor in the price, the huge crowds, and the heat, I honestly think Disneyland/World are overrated. I'm not saying you shouldn't ever go a make your own judgement, but this is just my opinion. I should also note that I do indeed have good times when I go, but I feel when I'm older and would have to pay for my own ticket, I don't know if I'd consider the "experience" worth the price.
 
Hipporex said:
As someone that has been to both the Florida and California parks I don't think either are too childish but, when you factor in the price, the huge crowds, and the heat, I honestly think Disneyland/World are overrated. I'm not saying you shouldn't ever go a make your own judgement, but this is just my opinion. I should also note that I do indeed have good times when I go, but I feel when I'm older and would have to pay for my own ticket, I don't know if I'd consider the "experience" worth the price.
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Like I said, the prices are the biggest deterrent for me. Typical zoos are much more reasonably priced for the most part and, of course, more enjoyable for people like us.
 
I haven't been to DAK since I was a little kid so I'm not going to count that one. Out of the major ones I've been to- SDZSP, Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, and Highland Wildlife Park- I'd definitely say HWP is my favorite. No it doesn't come close to matching the species lists of SD or even PL, but it still has a great collection and has some of the best enclosures I've ever seen. It's also probably the most beautiful zoo I've ever been to, and it utilizes the natural landscape into its exhibitry expertly. The niche of a cold-weather animals only zoo is also pretty fun to me.

~Thylo
 
ThylacineAlive said:
I haven't been to DAK since I was a little kid so I'm not going to count that one. Out of the major ones I've been to- SDZSP, Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, and Highland Wildlife Park- I'd definitely say HWP is my favorite. No it doesn't come close to matching the species lists of SD or even PL, but it still has a great collection and has some of the best enclosures I've ever seen. It's also probably the most beautiful zoo I've ever been to, and it utilizes the natural landscape into its exhibitry expertly. The niche of a cold-weather animals only zoo is also pretty fun to me.

~Thylo
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Called it :D
 
NVP said:
Understandable. In spite of being a Disney fan, I've just always had a teeny bit of trepidation toward their theme parks, out of fear that their attractions would be too juvenile. The fact that they cost an arm and a leg just to get in is still the biggest reason I've never been to one, though.
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I went to Disney's Animal Kingdon when I was 30 and didn't find it too juvenile. But I didn't consider the theme park in general to be that way. I think it's designed so anyone can enjoy it.
 
Glad to see HWP getting the recognition and admiration it deserves! Surprised to hear it stacked up favourably against the likes of DAK and SDZSP though! It's definitely one of my all-time favourites for the atmosphere alone

My last visit to a Disney park was in 2016, and it was 2012 when I last visited Animal Kingdom. I'd definitely do both again, even paying for my own ticket (that Animal Kingdom lodge is the dream). They aren't designed specifically for kids, that'd be terrible marketing. They have to draw in a huge number of the grownup crowd too.

If all the magic and whimsy of Disney kind of makes you sick (which, boo on you), you can just skirt the parades and mickey-suits and go straight to Kilimanjaro Safaris or the rollercoaster and still have a pretty enjoyable day (although, you could maybe get the same level of enjoyment at like, your local six flags and for less)
 
Givskud Zoo is probably my favorite, with Reserve Africaine de Sigean being a close second. Ree Park is also still very good, but I wish they'd stop downsizing their collection so much.

The only other two I've visited that would belong to this category are Skandinavisk Dyrepark and Knuthenborg Safaripark. Skandinavisk Dyrepark is definitely nice, but with only some 15-20 species and all of them being big mammals, its scope is too small to be up there with the best. As for Knuthenborg; I don't know why, but the place just doesn't really appeal to me. Objectively, it is a good zoo with well-cared for animals in huge enclosures, but it just doesn't have the inherent charm that most zoos seem to have. It's difficult to describe. It feels "unstructured" and old in some way.
 
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