A visit to Wild Animal Safari in Pine Mountain, Georgia, is a great day trip for the whole family. You get to feed the animals as they walk right up to your vehicle’s window in the drive-through zoo!
We visited the Wild Animal Safari with our crew and had a blast. We had a great day trip with lots of fun memories. The youngest in our bunch was four years old at the time. He was a little afraid and chose to stay in the middle of the seat away from the windows, but he had a lot of fun being so close to the big animals.
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What is there to do?
It is more than just a drive-through zoo. There is also a walkabout zoo, animal encounters, a gift shop, and a snack bar. They even have picnic tables. We did almost all of it on our visit.
Drive Through Safari
The drive through safari is definitely the highlight of the trip. I highly recommend renting one of their vehicles for the drive-through. Some of the animals are quite large, and they will be approaching your vehicle with all intentions of sticking their head into your open window to receive some food.
We rented one of the big vans to make sure we had plenty of seats for our bunch. Everyone who wanted to sit by a window was able to do so. We booked the safari van in advance, online, which I recommend. They gave us an exact time to be there. Their rental vehicles have bars on the windows to prevent the animals from sticking their entire head into the vehicle. The rental will prevent your own car from getting scratches, dents, or bumps from the large animals.
Bring along some beach towels to sit on in the rental vehicle because the seats are unpleasant. You might also want some disposable wet wipes and your own trash bag to toss them into. You will need to take any trash with you when you return the rental vehicle. The drive-through zoo will take about an hour or more, so you might also like to bring along water.
Because this is their daily life, the animals naturally approach vehicles and expect the food treats you can buy in the gift shop. You are not required to feed the animals. It is completely optional, but it sure is fun.
There is a possibility that an animal may even stand on its hind legs and put its front paws on the side of your car window. Ask me how I know! We had a great laugh at our family member, who enjoyed that little escapade of a hungry deer at his window.
You can buy the food for the animals in the gift shop, where you will buy your tickets for the tour. Plan to spend a little extra on the food because it disappears quickly once you begin feeding the animals. I recommend buying one bag of food per person. Everyone loves feeding the animals. Outside food is not allowed for the animals because of the strict diet. There are more than 300 exotic animals on the 250 acres of three and a half miles of driving trails. Thankfully, they won’t all approach your vehicle.
This fella appears to be watching with one eye, but with his tongue ready for that treat. You can see how these beautiful creatures would easily make a vehicle a little germier. That is one reason we prefer to rent the vehicles at Wild Animal Safari.
Typically, the animals will simply walk up to your car, tilt their head back, and open their mouth.
Aside from the animals, the drive-through zoo meanders through a forested area with a big, beautiful lake. It is quite a pleasant drive. Many animals are resting under the shade of big old trees or grazing by the lake. The pigs can be quite entertaining with their little short legs trying to get some of the food tossed in their direction.
The camel is located near the end of the drive-through trails. He is behind a rail fence. God gave camels a long neck, and they can reach your window just fine for a snack you have to offer.
Walk Through Zoo
The walk around the zoo doesn’t take a long. There are tigers, bears, kangaroos, and more to see. We chose to do the drive-through first, followed by the zoo.
It is a small zoo, so it won’t take a long time to tour. My favorite creature was a beautiful tiger. The colors and stripes on the tiger make it a beautiful creature. He paces so gracefully around his enclosure.
The walkabout zoo is located near the gift shop where you buy your tickets.
Animal Encounters
Inquire about the creature encounters. There may be an additional fee and scheduling time for each. Animal encounters need to be booked at least 24 hours in advance. The animals available change sometimes, but you can expect reptiles if you dare, among others.
Snack Bar/Gift Shop
The Gift Shop and Snack Bar are in the main building. This is also where the tickets are purchased for entry into the zoo areas. It is a cool place to wait for your turn for your zoo visit. When you purchase your tickets, they will have a time for you to enter the drive-through zoo.
There are Picnic tables outside if you would like to plan a picnic for your family.
There was a fun space for photos set up inside the main building. We snapped a few family photos while we waited for our turn to enter the drive-through zoo. Pictured are my four-year-old grandson, me, my granddaughter, and her big brother.
Location
Wild Animal Safari Pine Mountain, GA, is nestled between Callaway Gardens and LaGrange, also places with family adventures.
This neck of the woods in southwest Georgia has plenty of things to see and do. See my list at: Family Adventure Awaits at Pine Mountain, GA.
- The park is about a 45 minute drive north of Columbus
- Just over an hour drive southwest of Atlanta
- It is less than a two hour drive from Montgomery, Alabama
- Less than a two hour drive from Macon, Ga.
- It is about a two hour drive for us coming from Warner Robins, Ga.
Wild Animal Drive Thru Safari is a fun, affordable activity for the whole family. It is an unforgettable adventure and a memorable experience. I still smile every time I reflect on our adventure. It is also educational, but don’t tell the kids that!
