Safari West

We went to this really cool sanctuary just north of Santa Rosa. It has only been there 20 years and I just heard about it through BA backroads this year. I believe they said they have 200 acres. We had a great time. It was so cool to feel like you are so far away, when you really are just outside of civilization. We stayed overnight in a tent cabin. No need for an alarm clock cause the animals all get up pretty early. Leamurs sound like car alarms.

One of the giraffes was featured on Animal Planet's "Growimg Up Giraffe". I guess her mom died and she was introduced into the herd at Safari West. There is also a Claritin commercial you can see on TV that was all shot at SW. (The sign in the beginning says "Safari West Zoo".

Our tent had a nice deck and we could watch the giraffes. (image below) When they went to bed in the huge barn with very tall doors, we noticed one giraffe come out of one door, go to the door next to his, then a few minutes later, he left and went back in to the original door. Kinda reminded me of dorm rooms, "hey, what are you guys doing?...Nothing? K, I am going to go to bed then... later".

The trucks are 1950's Army jeeps they used in Korea. They were awesome. Very rugged. The safari in the trucks lasted about 2.5 hours then there was a 1/2 hour walking tour of all the animals in camp.

I didn't get a picture of it but there was this little bird in the bird area of the tour that looked like a mini ostridge. He walked next to the guide the whole time and every time she said something, he added his own commentary, it was hilarious.

My favorite pictures are the giraffe butt next to the truck and the shot of the mud, oh, and the toilet paper holder. There is a shot of a bird next to a giraffe, he doesn't hang with the birds, he thinks he is a giraffe.

I didn't post all the pictures. There were some antelope and some ostridges. No predators, except the cheetahs and they were kept in camp in a huge area with tall grass. I didn't get a shot of the cheetahs. Guess I will have to go back.

(Sorry if they post sideways-just turn your head)