30 Years of Rescuing Arizona's Wildlife

30 Years of

RescuingAZ Wildlife

by Kirstin Conlin

Photos by Josh Gray

One of the amazingly unique experiences that Out of Africa offers to human guests is their annual Family Campout on the expansive park grounds. Imagine pitching a tent a few feet from the mountain lion enclosure, or hearing the cackling of hyenas just beyond your campsite. This past May, my family and I got to experience this amazing overnight adventure, and I’m happy to share the highlights of our surprising, sometimes funny, and always entertaining memories.

Get up close and personal with a giraffe

Although we’d never been to Out of Africa before, we are animal enthusiasts, so the thought of camping out with the animals excited us. Although, with two children, I was also just a bit nervous – what exactly did ‘with the animals’ mean? Upon arrival, we were greeted by friendly staff members who immediately calmed my nerves and set the pace for the rest of our adventure. I quickly learned that Out of Africa was very different from typical zoos we’d visited before. The animals all have very large spaces in which to live and play, and the animal-centric attitudes of all the keepers we talked with was evident. I was happily surprised by the feeling of being immersed into the lives of animals that we wouldn’t normally get close enough to see, let alone get to know on a personal level!

After setting up camp, we made our way to the “Tiger Splash Show.” Seeing the large fenced area with a pool in the middle and several staff members milling around inside it, gave us pause. We knew something different was about to happen. Dean Harrison, the wildlife park’s founder acted as our emcee. While several other staff members stretched out as if they were preparing for a marathon, Dean began to explain the dynamics of what we were about to witness (with great humor and personality). I must admit, my concentration wavered when I saw several ferocious looking tigers waiting to enter the ‘play pen’ WITH the people!

Trepidation crept in as I began to wonder what my kids might be about to witness. Dean continued to narrate what we were seeing as the gate opened and Jeff, a self-proclaimed ‘adrenaline-junkie’ ran full speed with a tiger in tow. Have you ever seen a cat sneak up on its prey and then instantaneously pounce on it with its entire body weight? We were in awe as we saw this familiar scene play out, but with a full-grown man facing a 450-pound tiger. The gasps turned to giggles as it became clear that Jeff would survive the encounter, would not be eaten, and was actually playing with his feline friend.

The next thing we knew, several other tigers were released into the play area, while staff members proceeded to romp around with the tigers! They brought out giant cat toys, balloons and other colorful playthings. Both tigers and people ended up in the swimming pool. The whole show was an incredibly entertaining event that certainly warrants the name “Tiger Splash!”

Founder Dean Harrison charms the audience

After an evening snake encounter (all I can say is eek), we got a glimpse of how Out of Africa was started by Dean Harrison and his wife Prayeri. One of the special ‘perks’ of the campout is the personal time we got with the founders — in the evening during the ice cream social, and in the morning over breakfast. Dean and Prayeri gave a presentation about Out of Africa’s beginnings and took time to chat and answer questions from guests. Their passion for their beloved animals is undeniable, and their enthusiasm to share their profound perspective and experiences with others is indisputable.

In the past few months, Out of Africa has welcomed several new animals into the park, including an orphaned mountain lion cub and three newborn African lion cubs. The African lions are currently listed as endangered, with their population in the wild numbered at less than 20,000. The lion cubs were born at Out of Africa as part of the pride created a few years ago when lions Ted, Kayla and Lady came to the park. Kayla and Lady were raised by humans, so they never learned to care for their young. Staff stepped in to help nurture the three cubs (Kitanga – a female, and Jabari and Ajabu, two males), by bottle feeding the cubs every few hours ‘round the clock.

May 2018 marked the 30th anniversary of the birth of Out of Africa Wildlife Park, so it was quite fitting that they celebrated with the unique ‘Family Campout Experience.’ I can honestly say it was unlike anything I have experienced before. It was quite evident that the founders and the entire staff of Out of Africa Wildlife Park have a genuine love and respect for the animals they care for. The atmosphere there is one of adventure, education, peaceful interaction, and community. This boils down to 30 years of preserving and protecting wildlife from around the world, and a continued legacy as one of Arizona’s premier wildlife sanctuaries, which everyone can experience firsthand with a visit to Out of Africa Wildlife Park (even in the daytime!)

Worth Noting: Out of Africa offers unique animal encounters daily including a VIP Behind the Scenes Tour; Sloth Encounters; Racing Raptor Zipline over the animal habitats; Predator Feeds; Authentic Unimog Adventure Tours and more. And, during your birthday month, your admission to the park is FREE! For more information call 928-567-2840 or visit www.outofafricapark.com AZ

Founders Dean and Prayeri Harrison amid their pack