It was a beary good day at West Coast Game Park Safari

Last day of my road trip!  I drive home tomorrow.  Today, I left Crescent City, CA and drove north to West Coast Game Park Safari in Bandon, OR.  It's a small zoo dedicated to educating the public about wildlife and preserving species.  Most of the animals bred at the facility are provided for other zoos.  What I find most rewarding is the interaction between the animals and visitors, and the lasting memories people get from such experiences.

I got to the game park early enough to beat the crowds.  Right off the bat, there was a young black bear cub named Clyde available to pet.  Sweet!

In addition, there was also an 8-week-old African Serval kitten that was just a bundle of energy!  It was moving too much so I couldn't get a photo of it.  I tried taking video but believe it or not, there was too much movement to even get a still from that!  Oh, well.  A little later, the sister to Clyde...her name was Bonnie...was brought out and I got to pet her, too.  And, here I am petting her!

In the nursery area, smaller animals were featured for petting AND holding.  I didn't hesitate to cuddle an opossum.  Some people may think opossums are ugly, but I love them!  There were also a young red fox and an adult fox named Todd.  The keeper was feeding Todd apples, but she said his favorite treat was bell peppers!  Like dogs, foxes are omnivores...they eat fruits and vegetables, too.

After interacting with the animals, I walked around and looked at the other ones living at the game park.  I enjoy the Siberian tigers because they always seem to pose for the camera.

One of the coolest things I saw was a mother wallaby with a baby in her pouch.  The joey was already pretty big, but Mom was still able to hop around pretty good.  So cute!

And, so, my last day of road trip fun has come to an end.  Tomorrow, I make the (pretty) long drive home.  I'll be dealing with Memorial Day traffic so I'll try to get an early start.  I can't wait to see my cat!