Lions? In Florida?

Postcard, courtesy Impact

As I mentioned in my previous posts on West Palm Beach, Florida (starting with the post on 18th February) we went there to celebrate my husband’s birthday who wished to be in a warmer climate. This particular day we decided to visit Lion Country Safari.




Since we went to this park I have read opposing views about zoos, zoological parks and aquariums. I’ll mention several observations here – views “against”: animals should not be taken away from their environments for humans’ pleasure. Most visitors spend little time in front of zoo displays; they are there mostly for the entertainment than to learn about the animals. Animals that live in family groups in the wild are kept alone or just in pairs. Animals are confined, lack privacy with little opportunity for mental stimulation or physical exercise. Natural hunting and mating behavior are eliminated. Zoos continue to capture animals from the wild to put them on public display. It is cruel to keep animals confined.

Vintage postcard of tiger (1905)

Here are the views “for”: because of the population explosion, animal habitat has been encroached upon or destroyed at unbelievably high rates. Animals are slowly being starved and exterminated. Zoos are the only places the species are safe for the future. Zoos have changed from keeping animals in confined areas of concrete and metal bars to habitat created to more closely resemble conditions in the wild. Today most of zoo mammals come from other zoos; they were not taken from the wild. If shipped back to a foreign land it would be a death sentence. They live much longer in a zoo than in the wild. Zoos educate the public about the value of animals so the public will support conservation efforts. Zoos are actively involved in numerous projects to rescue and preserve endangered species. In 2007 alone, the Zoo and Aquarium in Columbus, Ohio raised over $716,000 for field conservation. Last June we took our 2 ½ year old grandson to the Columbus Zoo. He observed the animals, asked many questions. Television or a picture book would not have sparked his interest as much as watching the animals live, and close up.

Reports have shown that visitors experience a stronger connection to nature and animals after a visit to a zoo or zoological park. They prompt individuals to reconsider their role in environmental problems, conservation actions and enhance their understanding of wildlife. Across America there are over 200 zoos which were visited by about 160 million visitors. Last summer at the Atlanta zoo I saw a busload of small children from an in-town poor Atlanta school. If it were not for the zoo, they would never see a wild animal. Should zoos close their doors and send back all the animals? Should museums sell back their foreign artwork to the countries of origin, like the impressionist paintings to France, the statues to Italy, and so forth, and then close their doors? These are difficult questions that need to be pondered and, in the meantime, we’ll visit the West Palm Beach zoological park called Lion Country Safari. (Click on the pictures to enlarge them.)



The park calls itself the “Home of the drive through safari adventure.” Really you can drive through the 5-mile animal reserve just as you would on the plains somewhere in Africa and watch the animals far away or as close as your car door. The lions, though, are not free to roam since they could be dangerous for visitors or could eat many of the other animals... I certainly would rather go to Botswana or a game reserve in South Africa to watch the animals than in Florida, but these are not trips that can easily be managed.




This cageless zoo was developed by South African and British entrepreneurs who thought that the climate of South Florida was suited to house wild animals and bring an African game experience to the visitors in this rural area of West Palm Beach – a small town called Loxahatchee. They have close to 1000 animals in the reserve. We drove to the park at around 10:30 am and there were very few visitors.




After paying for the admission they gave us a CD so we could hear the narrative on the animals. We started driving slowly into the park. There never was more than one of two cars ahead or behind us, and at a distance. You do have to keep your doors and windows closed and they keep reminding you of this. I mostly used my little Olympus digital camera, Stylus 830, because it has a “through glass’ setting to take pictures. But the pictures may not be as clear and sharp as if I had had the windows open and in some pictures the light reflection can be seen. I took 328 pictures there and wish I could show them all here, but I won’t – I’ll do some collages and hope this will not be too long.

birds perched on decoys

The massive park is divided into seven sections named after famous wildlife areas and national parks in South America India and Africa. One is named Las Pampas (the Grasslands) – where the brown pelicans, the llamas, the Aldabra tortoises and the rheas are located. The rheas look like ostriches; they are large flightless birds native to South America, they cannot fly but can run 30 miles per hour. We drove a second time through the preserve and some of them came to look at us, pretty close to our car.



There were some lovely llamas which we would have liked to pet.



We passed by many water holes and small lakes with a variety of birds. Birds also gathered along the road to feast on the food left there for the other animals.

Don't forget to click on pictures to enlarge them

In the Ruhana National Park section (African wilderness) we drove by the impalas, aoudads and the greater kudus. As the animals came closer to observe us we stopped the car so they would not be afraid and run away.

One young female greater kudu (I think this is what she was) kept coming closer to look at me.



The Kalahari Bushveldt (Southwest Africa) had the gemsbok. It is a large African antelope with a tuft of hair at the throat and some darker color in the face area.



When we arrived in the Serengeti Plains section (East Africa)



we were greeted by an ostrich



then we passed by a waterbuck which is another type of antelope from Africa.



There were also some mouflons, elands and wildebeests.



From a distance we saw the African elephants. My daughter and I rode on top of Asian elephants while in Northern Thailand. The African and Asian elephants are very different. They differ anatomically and in temperament. The Asian elephant is more peaceable, reliable and trainable whereas the African elephant remains moody and undependable, at least in the wild. When you ride an Asian elephant you feel as though you dominate the world. The elephant moves slowly, assuredly and you float over the jungle. Three of the African elephants there are in a special enclosure in front of a small pond.



The Gir Forest, a well-known national park in India, had the Asiatic Water Buffalos. We drove very slowly and closer to them – they are big!



Then we rode by the Hwange National Park, a famous reserve in western Zimbabwe. This is the home of the white Rhinoceros – we saw quite a few of them. Lion Country Safari is a part of the SSP (Species Survival Plan) for this endangered species. Since 1977 many white rhinos have been born on their preserve. The name for the white rhino comes from the Afrikaans word “vide” which means wide or square-lipped. Their color is not white, but stone-gray.



One of the rhinos was having a snack, so we stopped to watch him.



He interrupted his snacking and started walking towards us.



Then he stopped and watched me. I was a bit anxious as I did not want him to charge the car.



I started the car very slowly and eased toward the giraffe’s area. Looking on the right hand side I quickly snapped a picture of a white-handed gibbon – he was shooing some birds that were encroaching on his domain.



One of the giraffes was feeding and the others were outside with their young ones.




Reaching the Gorongosa Reserve, located in Northern Mozambique, we saw the lions behind a safety fence. Game wardens in pick-up trucks made sure that no visitors open their car windows. One of the lions was next to the fence on a hill. The animals are not confined but their area is quite large. It was hard to get a good shot through the car window. I also used my Sony DSC-HX1 as it has a telephoto lens.





The second time we drove through the Hwange area many zebras were near and on the road. We stopped and were able to look at them quite close. I happily snapped away – 23 pictures, below are just a few.

click on pictures to get a better look

After touring the reserve with our car we left it in the parking area and explored the park further, on foot. We took the Nature Trail which brought us near Lake Shanalee. Many birds were around the lake – Sarus Cranes, Flamingos, etc. as well as large turtles.

The Lori bird feeding area was enclosed by nettings. The birds flew all around us and perched on our shoulders, our heads and bags. My husband had left his camera case on a cement seat and the birds went all over it to investigate.






On our way out we passed the Macaws




Finally it was time to leave – and we had not seen everything.




It had been an enjoyable day even though it can be difficult to see animals in captivity but then – what if the animal would not survive anyway because of the constant human need for more land, urbanization, deforestation and global warming? Wildlife is slowly being lost – more than 5,700 species are on the brink of extinction, including 1/8th of the bird species and ¼ of all mammals – add to this number about half of the 6,000 species of amphibians (frogs, salamanders, etc.) Zoos are one way we can make amends for destruction of lands and seas but mankind needs to halt the spiraling growth of population and its demand on the planet or there won’t be any wild animals left. Animals are an important part of our Earth and since we are the ones who put them in danger we need to do everything we can to protect them.

"En fin de compte, nous protègerons seulement ce que nous aimons.
Nous n'aimerons que ce que nous comprendrons.
Nous ne comprendrons que ce qui nous a été enseigné ."

- Baba Dioum, Poète et Naturaliste Sénégalais né en 1937

(d’un discours fait à New Delhi, Indes in 1968.)


Lion in a Landscape, Rosa Bonheur, American, 1822-1899

"In the end, we will protect only what we love.
We will love only what we understand.
We will understand only what we are taught."

- Baba Dioum, Senegalese Poet and Environmentalist born in 1937
(from a speech made in New Delhi, India in 1968.)