Safari with Us

Global Wildlife Center welcomes dynamic new team members that bring the safari experience to new heights.

GLOBAL WILDLIFE CENTER’S 900-acre wildlife preserve has been having fun since 1991, when founder Ken Matherne released the first reticulated giraffes on this African-like savanna in Louisiana.

Today, giraffes are joined by zebras, camels, kangaroos, African antelope and other exotic and threatened wildlife from all over the world. Visitors get eye-to-eye with the animals as they feed them on an educating and entertaining guided safari tour.

Global Wildlife is now owned by Ken’s daughter, Maci Matherne. A socially conscious, savvy CEO, Maci fondly remembers being accused of telling a “tall tale” by her first-grade teacher. (She really did have a giraffe in her backyard!) A Tulane graduate and philanthropist, Maci has the goal of making Global Wildlife Center the “best place to work in Louisiana.”

In 2022, Christina Cooper rejoined Global Wildlife Center as executive director and brought with her a rich background in the fields of conservation, animal care, tourism and marketing (including an animal science degree), and time spent studying in South Africa.

Cooper helped grow Global Wildlife Center during her first tenure from 1996-2010, where she was a fixture around the Center and on the local morning news. Book your safari experience at globalwildlife.com.