Congratulations to Wild Animal Safari, selected as one of USA Today's top 10 safari experiences in North America!

Overview
Wild Animal Safari is a 200 acre animal preserve located near Pine Mountain, Georgia. The Richardson Tribe has visited the park several times, which is a pretty powerful endorsement in itself. Maybe it's because we love animals so much.

The park has two primary attractions:

The Serengeti Adventure is most publicized part. This is an hour-long drive-through safari that brings you face-to-face with dozens of very unique animals (see pictures). You can drive your own car (not recommended), ride in a tour bus, or rent your own zebra safari van. We prefer to rent the van because we have control of our pace and when and where we stop. The vans are nasty, but you can always shower later. If you decide to drive your own vehicle, be aware that some of the animals have large horns and are very clumsy. Additionally, you will certainly get some mammal slobber on your car's interior at some point during the tour. Food can (and should) be purchased in the visitor center when checking in. Feeding the animals is a major part of the attraction.

The second attraction is called the Walk-About. This part of the park is more  like a typical zoo, loaded with incredible specimens. You will certainly be impressed. The animals all seem to be very well cared for, fat, and happy. You'll get a little closer to the animals than most zoos allow. The park features ligers, a cross between a lion and tiger. They are the largest cats, and trust me, they are huge.

There are many appealing factors to Wild Animal Safari, but perhaps its location is the biggest plus. Wild Animal Safari is located near Pine Mountain, Georgia, a very quaint little southern town. Just a few miles up the road is Callaway Gardens, a popular southern family resort. Franklin D Roosevelt State Park and Roosevelt's "Little White House" are also popular destinations. We have camped at the state park and really love it. However, without full hookups in the campground, extended stays are difficult. We have also camped at Pine Mountain RV, a very nice PB&J endorsed RV park just minutes from all the local attractions.

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Adventure Journal
Entry Date: September 2010
We've visited the Wild Animal Safari a couple of times now, and feel like veterans. We know what to do and what to avoid. We have some very good friends with us on this trip. I would recommend ONLY bringing good friends. You should really know what they like and don't like. This can get messy.

We learned from previous experiences to rent one of the safari vans. You really do not want to expose your vehicle to the wilderness. Trust me..We had a total of 10 people, so we rented one of the large passenger vans. We were prepared with the hand sanitizer and animal treats purchased from the safari outpost.

As our previous experiences had taught us, you have to keep constant watch on the tongues. The all of the large mammals like to reach into the van with their tongues searching for hand-outs. It's really no threat, and feeding the animals is a blast. On this particular visit, the animals didn't seem quite as hungry. Perhaps they'd already had plenty to eat. It wasn't a bad thing though, because we had the chance to sit back and watch the animals act naturally.

As usual, we were equally impressed with the walk-through portion of the park. The animals are healthy, happy, and very well kept. We got to see a lady get sprayed by a female Liger (half Lion/Tiger). That was fun.

Once again, we thoroughly enjoyed our day at Wild Animal Safari. We ended our day there and headed back to Pine Mountain RV for an evening of fun under the stars.

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Features	Rating (1-10)	Description
Official Website	9	The official website is pretty well laid out. All the information you need is right there where you need it. As usual, there could be more pictures. Considering what they have to work with, the site could also be a bit more attractive. It's very clean and utilitarian (I normally like this), but they should integrate some of the "safari" theme. Maybe a zebra background or something? The site also needs just a little editing here and there. But then, so does this website.
Facility	9	Wild Animal Safari has a pretty nice facility. The main visitor center has a snack bar with decent food. There is also a very nice gift shop at the entrance of the "walk about" zoo.
Attractions/Activities	10	The drive through Serengeti Adventure and the Walk About (zoo) are both top-notch attractions. Granted, the property viewed while on the driving tour is not beautifully landscaped and plush. But quite frankly, the animals don't allow for a pretty landscape. They graze and trample all over everything. It's ok, it's wild!
Places to camp near Wild Animal Safari, Pine Mountain, and Callaway Gardens	10	There are some pretty good places to camp near Wild Animal Safari and Pine Mountain. We have RV camped at Franklin D Roosevelt State Park, and it's lovely (but no sewer hookups). Our favorite place to camp/RV in Pine Mountain is Pine Mountain RV. They have hookups, an awesome pool, and lots of great activities for the kids.
Places to ride bikes and hike near Wild Animal Safari and Pine Mountain, GA.	9	Callaway Gardens is an awesome bike riding destination. Nearby FD Roosevelt State Park has lots of hiking and mountain biking trails also.
Local Attractions	10+	Callaway Gardens, Franklin D Roosevelt State Park, FD Roosevelt's Little White House, Pine Mountain RV
*Note: We rate only the amenities we have personally reviewed. No financial consideration or favor has been received for listing in PB&J Adventures' website. We are in no way affiliated with this facility or any other facility we review. Any paid advertising seen on this site was arranged after the destination was reviewed. You can trust the reviews to be unbiased.

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September 2010

 

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September 2007