SOUTHERN OREGON, DAY 3: WILDLIFE SAFARI IN WINSTON

 September 5, 2020

Just 70 miles from Bandon and its West Coast Safari Park, down a long, winding two-lane road, we discovered, quite by accident, the Wildlife Safari in Winston. How these two animal parks can exist in such out-of-the-way places and so relatively close to each other is a mystery to me. 

We were on our way to our hotel in Sutherlin but had taken a wrong turn somewhere and ended up going through Winston, where we noticed the signs for the Wildlife Safari. Curious, we turned in at the sign and drove up the road for a bit.

It was just before dusk, a good time to see wildlife. We slowed down when a doe ran across the road in front of our car, and it was a good thing we did, because not far behind was her sweet little fawn.

A little further up the road we came across a flock of wild turkeys.

We thought these two sightings boded well for the park, which was already closed, but we determined to come back the following morning when it opened.

It was worth the effort. The Wildlife Safari, opened in 1972, is home to 600 animals of 100 different species that roam around 600 acres of land. This is one of those places where the visitors are confined to their cars and the animals are free. A 4.5 mile road winds through various "climate zones," and since we got there early, we had an excellent view of many of the animals and were able to stop for pictures whenever we wanted.

Wildebeest

Cape eland

Plains zebra

Don't be shy! Turn around!

African crested crane

This fellow looks so much happier and healthier than his relative in the West Coast Game Park.

African lion

Multiple species were often in the same area, just as they would be in Africa.

Check out those HORNS. Yikes.

The poor hippo was one of the animals that was isolated. He doesn't play well with others. 

However, apparently he plays well with the guy who feeds him. We were there for what looked like a game of Hungry Hippo.

Open wide!

My love for giraffes grew exponentially in Zimbabwe when we had the awe-inspiring experience of being on a nature walk when a large group of them promenaded past us.

They are magical creatures. I'm pretty sure they are first cousins of the unicorn.

Wild turkeys, just like the passel we had seen the previous evening.

Waterbuck

There were a few white rhinos out for a stroll. 

This is not an animal I would want to run into unexpectedly.

The guanaco is the cousin of the llama.

Striking a very llama-esque pose:

Moving on to the North American section . . . 

The black bears didn't get the same freedom that the African animals had. I think it might be because they might want to have a steak for dinner.

What do you think they are looking at? Maybe that guanaco we just saw? 

Those two black bears are probably tame compared to this grizzly bear--another animal I wouldn't want to accidentally run into.

I'm used to seeing American bison on the plains, so it was fun to see them sprinkled among the trees.

They shared (yes, shared) the space with a herd of Roosevelt elk.

There was a food trough next to the road, obviously placed there to draw the elk closer to their audience. Here is one buck and his harem.

Magnificent!

The road looped back down to the African section, where we got to watch the giraffes at play.

Don't reveal any secrets to these three gossips.

Whose head is whose? It is hard to tell.

They were as graceful as a choreographed ballet.

The African elephants had a really long, narrow walkway that gave them plenty of exercise but kept them relatively close to the cars.

The Wildlife Safari has a cheetah breeding program, but no one is allowed in this area. As of May 2020, the park's breeding program had produced 219 cubs!

We headed towards the exit through some grasslands, where we spotted the world's three largest birds. The rhea, a distant cousin of the ostrich and emu, is native to South America.

The emu, bigger than the rhea but not as big as the ostrich, is native to Australia.

The ostrich of Africa looks a little like its cousins but is much larger than either. (Why doesn't North America have a giant bird like these three?)

The rhea and emu are poor imitations of the tres chic ostrich.

The ostrich has nothing on the yak, however. Look at that luxurious fur coat.

The best part of the park was near the end when we had a chance to feed the animals. We bought a few cups of food to attract them to our car, and we quickly learned that "if you buy it, they will come."

African crested crane

"Oh my. Who is that gorgeous bird? Just look at that fabulous 'do!"

Aw, I love the polka dots and nubby horns.

This one approached us cautiously.

Axis deer/Fallow deer

Once he saw our treats, however, he got a lot more friendly.

The white-necked crane, with its Phantom-of-the-opera mask, long legs, backward knees, and huge feet, is pretty ridiculous.

As he came closer, he looked left, and then right . . . 

. . . and then he looked straight at us, assessing whether or not he wanted to come closer.  Once he saw our cup of food, he concluded that yes, he did.

The emu, on the other hand, wasn't shy at all. This bird doesn't come across as being very bright.

"WHAT? YOU'RE OUT OF FOOD? Well, maybe this plastic dashboard tastes good."

After we finished the driving route, we spent a short time in a small walking area. It was nice, but not as fun as seeing animals in a broader habitat.

Cheetah

Flamingos

Cockatoo

Well, this was an off-agenda morning, and it was time to move on. 

I would recommend Wildlife Safari to anyone traveling in the area. It isn't quite as large as the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas, but it is a well-planned park and definitely worth a detour!