A mere two-hour drive south of Atlanta in the city of Pine Mountain, the Wild Animal Safari is an exceptional weekend must-see. The 500-acre park is divided into two parts — there’s the Walk-About side where you can walk around and see caged and/or fenced animals such as baboons, leopards, raccoons, black bears, servals, alligators, birds, pot-bellied pigs, kangaroos, wolves, hyenas, rabbits, leopards, goats, camels, and many more. You can feed most animals and some may even be pet like the camel, goats, and rabbits.

On the other side is the actual safari where a bus will take you around on a 45-minute trip to feed, pet, and interact with the animals such as ligers, servales, zedongs, water buffaloes, bisons, camels, rhinos, deers, giraffe, coatimundi, ostriches, emus, and many more. Notable animals include the Ligers (a cross between a lion and a tiger), the Servals (spotted cats with big ears), and the Zedonk (a cross between a zebra and a donkey).

Ligers: half lion, half tiger; size up to 10 ft and 700 lbs

Servals: African wild cat; playful as pets; usually cost upwards of $5,000

Water Buffalo: this one was very friendly and loved to be fed and pet

Camel: this one-hump camel loved to be fed and pet

This 500-acre, privately-owned wildlife preserve is open year round. Tour buses take you around the Serengeti every hour although you can rent a Safari Van for $11 (per hour) if you would rather spend more time interacting with the animals. Admission for adults is $15.95 and Seniors/Children (3-12) are $13.95. Animal feed can be bought starting at $1.25. I highly recommend this place for those who enjoy seeing rare wildlife or just want to get away from Atlanta. You won’t be disappointed

Post from: The Atlanta Traveler