Getting in/out of a jeep; driving about 2.5 miles with numerous stops, approximately 3 hours. Walking up to a mile.
In the Elephant Room.
We’ll answer the call of the wild and board our open-air jeep for a safari drive through parts of the Safari West Wildlife Preserve that covers 400-acres of oak-studded hillsides and Sonoma County grasslands. Accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association and one of only six in the U.S., Safari West has two big goals: preserving and propagating endangered species and promoting conservation by raising awareness of these animals through education. Led by an experienced wildlife expert, we’ll explore natural habitats of this “Sonoma Serengeti” that’s the closest we can come to Africa without going there. Amid the 400-acre wilderness, there are more than 900 animals representing 90 different species. They roam across some of the largest enclosures in the country. We’ll observe animals from antelope to Cape buffalo, gazelle, giraffe, rhinoceros, warthog, wildebeest, zebra, and more. Then, we’ll walk through the grounds with enclosures for many other animals, including cheetah, lemurs, and colorful birds in the open-air aviary. Kids will have opportunities to ask the animal keepers about their selected animal for tomorrow’s presentation.
In the Elephant Room.
Next in the Elephant Room, we’ll organize into grandparent-grandchild teams and engage in animal observation. Each team will then spend time in the wildlife preserve with our experts for field observation of our chosen animals. We will walk about a block in our family groups with zoo-keepers. Questions are encouraged! After observing our animals and making notes, we will head back to the Elephant Room for an engaging talk with Safari West’s keeper staff. We’ll learn about their exciting careers and how they work with the animals. We’ll then have time to work on our animal projects.
In the Elephant Room.
Members of the staff will lead us in an African dance lesson to get us all out of our seats and moving.