Originally posted on MySpace on November 9, 2009
I woke up to blue skies and sun...a big change from the past couple days of rain. I left Roseburg, OR and made the short trip down the road to Winston to visit the first of two zoos of the day. Wildlife Safari is a drive-through zoo, meaning you drive your vehicle amidst the free-roaming animals. At least most of them are...the exceptions were critters like elephants, lions and monkeys. I had never done anything like this before, so it was a new experience. And, it was OK...nothing spectacular. The high point was an emu that walked up to my Blazer and proceeded to peck the side...hunting and eating imaginary bugs?
The other zoo was one that I had gone to back in 2008... West Coast Game Park in Bandon, OR. I was so impressed and had such a great time playing with Solo the cougar cub that I had to go back. This time when I arrived, there was already a couple of animals available for petting. Kimbo and Titan were 5-week-old Bengal tiger cubs, and not only were people petting them...they were HOLDING them! When my turn came, I sat down and the keeper placed both cubs in my lap! It was SO COOL! Kimbo was the more rambunctious of the two, but I managed to hold him in my arms while the keeper took a couple of pics. Like playing with Solo, it was an experience I will never forget!
Later, some more animals were brought out for petting. Bentley, the young spotted leopard...that's him in the photo...was so awesome and beautiful, as was Kesa, the Siberian lynx. I love cats, big and small! There were also some smaller animals that were equally exciting to interact with. I held a ferret, a opossum and a white skunk...de-scented, of course! West Coast Game Park is the largest wild animal petting zoo in the U.S. And, they have a very successful breeding program of rare and endangered species. If you want a truly memorable experience, you gotta take the kids...or yourself!
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