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The Safari Adventure!
A Safari Park (Safari Eco Park) was opened recently in the north western end of Trinidad! At the time that we visited, there was some animal enclosure construction still being done but nonetheless there were lots of animals to interact with! The main attraction about the park was that patrons have the choice of feeding certain animals! There were many species that were not native to Trinidad and Tobago, which I was quite grateful for because animals, I would never have thought of seeing were there!
Jungle Trek
The route takes us through some light forestation that made us actually feel like we were traveling though the jungle to see exotic species of animals. The surrounding area boasts of beautiful rolling hills, majestic flora and lovely crisp air.
You would expect to see a sign of some sort to let visitors know when they would have arrived at their destination, but instead, a safari styled vehicle was used at the entrance. I thought this was pretty well thought of as it added very nicely to the experience. The font reminds you of the Jurassic Park doesn't it? I guess a Safari was what the movie was trying to mimic any way.
There was an area that served as a carpark and even that looked beautiful and scenic! I think the proprietors could not have chosen a better location.
The hills and mist that cover them looked absolutely stunning.
Let The Petting Begin!
Once paying upon entry for tokens to access the animal feed, we were greeted with the sight of free roaming peacocks that were not at all shy and animal enclosures that beckoned us to explore what was in them! Rain had just fallen and the grounds were quite muddy but not so much as to hamper activities. I was just thankful that it was not scorching hot! The tropical weather can be quite unrelenting in Trinidad and the cloudy setting saved us some discomfort.
The feed dispensers were those coin turn vending machines from long ago and were situated all around the park. One token got us a handful of feed which could then be used to feed certain animals. There were also foot pumped hand washing stations around the park as well which was quite needed as the animals slobber tended to engulf the hands. Just a nice thoughtful addition to the experience.
Mr. LLama
We visited the Llama first who was quite the character as you might have seen in the video. Or was it an Alpaca? I'm not sure what the differences are. If you do, feel free to let me know! He quite eager to greet the guests and was brave enough to receive treats from everyone. Quite the showman if you ask me.
What a smile!
The Egyptians?
Next we saw some camels who seemed like gentle creatures in their movements and expressions. These creatures were not shy either and eagerly took the food being given to them. I was so up close that I could see their eyelashes and the features of their eyes and bodies that probably allowed them to thrive in environments with high temperatures, low moisture and lots of sand in the air.
Other Smaller Critters
There were some monkeys swinging about and this one looked quite down and out. I thought he was sad or injured.
Near the children's play area, were some rabbits that were available for petting! They looked so tired but so cute!
The parrots, wild hogs, ponies and mountain lion were showcased in the video! We weren't allowed to get too close to them for obvious reasons. We still had fun looking at them from afar though.
Brilliant Experience
The animals seemed quite tamed and happy where they were being kept and definitely seemed to have enough food. Those that I had the pleasure of seeing up close for the time were beautiful in their own way. It's a different feeling being able to feel the presence and body language of new animals for some reason, especially those that are not native to the region in which we live. What a wonderful experience! I hope you enjoyed the mini Safari and the photography! If you liked the video, feel free to let me know! Thanks for the support!
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