Anniversary Trip: The Wilds Safari

Now for all the pretty animals we saw at the Wilds for our anniversary trip. Andrew signed us up for the Sunset tour and all through dinner we could hear people taking about what to expect. Employees were talking to guests and telling them that Sunset was the best tour to take because Animal Management went around before the buses and feed the animals close to the road. That way the animals are up close and personal when we get out to pasture. Needless to say, I was getting pretty excited!



Greater One-Horned Asian Rhino


Bactrian Camel


Giraffe
Sichuan Takin
Dhole

African Wild Dog and Homo sapien : )



Cheetah
Bactrian Deer
One-Horned Asian Rhino. We got to feed this one sweet potato chunks!
This Oryx only had one horn left, some people think these animals spawned the unicorn myth. Their horns are an extension of their skull and do not grow back when broken.

Scimitar-Horned Oryx
Sable Antelope




After the tour they had a special treat and we got to see a Cheetah from the Columbus Zoo up close and personal. It sounds like they do something special after every Sunset tour, but the animals vary. The dog is Carlisle and the Cheetah is Moya(spelling is probably wrong), they are raised together and Moya feels safe and comfortable when Carlisle is around. It was funny to see that the Cheetah was way better behaved than the dog.

Our tour guide was pretty cool, with all those typical cheesy animals jokes. I have to admit, I laughed at all of them, because cheesy animal humor makes me laugh like a 5 year old. The tour was informative and ran almost 3 1/2 hours! The three different safari buses didn't seem to mind slowing down and taking their time.

We are definitely looking into a membership for this place, which also includes discounts for zoos all over the country. Since we love zoos and now this place, I can see us visiting a lot. Staying at The Wilds was a wonderful experience and a great gift from my husband. I asked him how he was ever going to top this first anniversary, and he didn't really know yet.