For the next two months the park is offering half-price admission, which can be purchased with an online coupon or online ticket. IMO the full time regular price should be half off what it is now, because while I like (but don't love) this park, it is grossly overpriced. Online Discount! - Out of Africa Wildlife Park, Arizona's Wildlife Theme Park, A Sedona Area Attraction
The park's only white rhino, Boom-Boom, has died (at age 41). I have no idea what they will do with that enclosure - probably nothing is my guess. It had only cement barricades for sides so there is really no other animal it could contain.
I got an email announcing some new photo workshops. Class instruction on Friday night (at a nearby motel) and photography on Saturday starting at 6:30am. Cost is $149 and there is a date in October and one in November and one in December. No links to it on the website yet as far as I can tell - I assume they will post it soon. (Or maybe they have a big enough email list to fill it that way - class is limited to 15 people).
This summer they will be opening a ZipLine. Home - Predator Zip Line (What I really want to say is one of those obnoxious ziplines that seem to be breeding like rabbits in American zoos and simultaneously ruining them.)
Here is a video and a few small photos of the zip line, from a local news channel: Lions, tigers and a zip line, oh my! - CBS 5 - KPHO I have not been there since it opened (and honestly doubt I will ever go back). Based on what I can tell from the video and from the updated map on their website, the zip line covers large sections of the park and completely destroys the views. The one thing this place had going for it was fantastic natural views from the large habitats to the mountains in the distance. I think they have forever ruined their main asset - this is absolutely the worst idea they have ever had. Plus, considering it costs over a hundred bucks a person, I cannot imagine that many people would go for it.
Out of curiosity, who is the market for this zoo? There is the excellent and more affordable Phoenix Zoo adjacent to them, so why do people patronize this zoo? Is it mainly the thrill rides?
They USED to be adjacent to Phoenix Zoo when they were in Fountain Hills. But they are now in Camp Verde, which is about an hour and a half north. They are on the main interstate (I 17) between Phoenix and Flagstaff and not far from Sedona. I think the main demographic is tourists visiting Sedona and possibly going to or from Grand Canyon. (Camp Verde itself is way too small for them to be supported by locals as most zoos are). Therefore I think it is tourists who are on vacation and have discretionary money to spend.
The park has received a male white rhinoceros from Busch Gardens. This will fill in their very nice rhino habitat that has been empty since their previous male died over a year ago. Southern White Rhino Jericho Arrives at Out of Africa Wildlife Park
The park will host the zoo day visit for the 2014 conference of the Feline Conservation Federation. This year's conference is being held in Scottsdale (Pheonix area) from June 19-21. Out Of Africa visit is Friday the 20th.
The park has acquired a grizzly bear cub from a breeder in Ohio. Grizzly Bear, "Sycamore" - Out of Africa Wildlife Park
@Arizona Docent Do you have any detailed information about black bears were kept together with cougars ? There is picture on Zoomoments showing a black bear with a female puma, so maybe they kept only one bear with one puma together ? There is no information about cougars at this place on their homepage. They still have blackbears, but maybe now kept together with wolves ?
When the park was in its old location in Fountain Hills, they had the idea to do a predators of Arizona exhibit with wolves, bears, cougars. Apparently the wolves did not like it and had to be given their own enclosure. The two young cougars and two young black bears seemed to peacefully coexist, as I saw them in that enclosure (at the old location) on more than one visit. When they moved to the new location in Camp Verde, the same group lived together until the cougars (first one and then later the other) died of old age. As far as what I saw, basically the bears played with each other and the cougars played with each other and each species mostly kept to itself. However, there was one visit at the old location when I got two together at the pond. I think the cougar was in heat and was being friendlier than usual to the bear.
A new Cougar cub has made the park it's new home. Orphaned Mountain Lion Gets New Home at Out of Africa Wildlife Park Near Sedona, Arizona
In the video link, at the end where park owner Dean Harrison is speaking, he says they will soon be getting additional mountain lions for this one to have company. No indication of where the new ones will come from or how old they will be.
Dean Harrison seems to be big on "getting a friend" for singletons who arrive at the facility. In the past he went out and got a couple of young tigers when they were "given" a young lion. I've only been there once since they opened in Camp Verde because, until recently, I didn't have reliable transportation. Now that I do, I just haven't gotten around to going back. Hahaha.
The park has received 1.2 lions from the Lion Ranch near Las Vegas, Nevada. They intend to form a breeding pride. Endangered Lions Arrive at Out of Africa Near Sedona, Arizona
https://www.verdenews.com/news/2017/mar/16/making-babies-out-africa/ Above article discusses recent mating of their two king cobras, which they claim are the only mating pair in the country. The lions mentioned in earlier post were also observed mating. From Facebook (but not the article), they have received a pair of two month wolf or wolf-dog pups. They also had a marmoset born recently (I am not sure which species they have).
An interesting claim but I doubt it is accurate. I've seen hatchlings in the private trade. This species is being considered for a SSP.
Phoenix Zoo does not even have a reptile house and I have definitely never seen king cobras there. Do they keep them off exhibit or are you thinking of someplace else?
