Have you ever dreamed of seeing animal free roaming the lands? I have since I was a young girl. I love animals and have dreamed of going on safari for many years. I did go on safari and I didn’t have to leave the country to do it. We went to The Wilds and fulfilled my life long dream.
I received tickets to facilitate this post.
Open Air Safari at The Wilds
At The Wilds you have several tour options, you can learn about them here, We went on an open air tour. At first this had me a tiny bit worried. Small kids and open air buses… But I worried for no reason. The tour guide explained to everyone all the rules and amazingly the children did very well. It was pouring rain but that ended up being a good thing as all the animals were out enjoying the reprieve from the heat. These buses are covered on top and with some ponchos we were protected enough.
Becoming The Wilds
With over 10,000 acres of land, how did this area become The Wilds? In the 1940’s this land was used for coal mining. The mining created erosion and needed planting to help preserve the land. In the 1990’s the land was in the process of being changed into a wild life preserve for endangered species. Now these lands are home to many animals, and The Wilds has helped reestablish lineage for these amazing animals.
Animals To See at The Wilds
While on our tour we saw some animals I have never seen before. When we arrived at The Wilds, Kiernan was so excited to see the giraffes, they are his favorite and they came up so close to the truck, he also loved the camels! Kelton had so much fun guessing all about the animals, He was excited to see the rhinos and the painted dogs. I loved seeing the animals I had never seen or heard of, the beautiful Przewalski’s wild horse, the funny Sichuan Takin and more.
Visiting The Wilds
There are many different options for visiting if you don’t want to make a day trip out of it, you can rent a yurt (ages 21 and older) or the lodge is available for rent. Memberships are available starting at $55.00. Tour option are Safari Transport (enclosed), Open-Air Safari, Wild side tour (with staff for up close experience.), zip-line tours, and specialty tours. Parking is $6.00 per car. We had a wonderful even in the rain and I can’t wait to go back with the family again. By the way, your drive may feel very long or you may feel lost, just remember in order to have so much open land for the animals it means a longer drive for us. 🙂
The Wilds
Hours: 10 am to 4 pm (Last tour departs at 4 pm)
The Wilds
14000 International Rd
Cumberland, OH 43732
