Safari West

The cheetah's black and white rings at the tip of the tail, distinct from the rest of their body, is what we like to call a "Follow Me" mark. Many animals have marks that stand out against the background when viewed from behind, which may help animals travel together. Photo by Ray Mabry

Today is #TongueOutTuesday, and Oak the cape buffalo, like other bovines, can be seen licking their noses. This is likely to clean them, as they do not have handkerchiefs or tissue. This clip is from the Safari West Live team, who live-stream safaris to children's hospitals.

The white stork has a long history of being associated with bringing babies which continues to be a popular theme at baby showers and birth announcements to this day. : Cheryl Crowley

Join us at 3:30 PM this afternoon for a virtual event celebrating National Pink Flamingo Day with the Flamingo Resort! Get the details here: https://fb.me/e/14tPaGLIR

Happy Sunday everyone! We wanted to take a moment to show you how things look out here and tell you about some new virtual programing we have coming up! Visit https://on.zoom.us/h/safariwest to learn more!

You can now book a Virtual Safari! We know you can’t come out to see us during COVID-19, so we’ve worked out a way to bring the preserve to you! We're calling it Safari@Home. It places you and your family ‘VIRTUALLY’ on one of our safari trucks with one of our professional guides and takes you on a virtual game drive through our preserve.... MAKE IT FUN! Wear your safari gear, animal costumes, safari hats, bring your stuffed animals and create your own wildlife park at home. This program is designed to take you and your family out for a day of fun and adventure with African Wildlife. Take a trek to on.zoom.us/h/safariwest or www.safariwest.com to book

Today's live stream is a silent meditation from Lemur Island. Please consider supporting our animal care efforts during our current shutdown using https://www.safariwest.com//wild-gift-cards-to-support-sa/

The founders of Safari West, Peter and Nancy Lang, wanted to take a moment to send you all a holiday greeting! Thank you all so much for your support through this very different year! Filmed and Edited by Nate Woodward.

Happy Holidays from the Sonoma Serengeti!

Happy New Year from Safari West!

It’s been a strange year, and even as it closes, it looks as though we’ve still got a long road ahead. Many of us will be spending this holiday season at home, far from our treasured friends and family members. We’ll be meeting through screens, doing our best to connect long-distance and make the season bright. It will be strange perhaps, but the holidays are what we make them and we intend to make them merry! Thank you for sharing our passion and our world. You are critical ...to our efforts in saving nature's most beautiful and exotic animals. Without you, Safari West wouldn't exist. Between the pandemic and the all-too-common wildfires, we have faced some serious struggles. Through it all we enjoyed a steady stream of love and support from you. So Season’s Greetings, Happy Hanukah, Joyous Kwanzaa, Happy Holidays, and Merry Christmas to all! No matter where you are or how you’re celebrating this year, we hope you’ll join us in recognizing all the good things and great people who helped us get through this very trying year. Enjoy your holidays and let’s welcome 2021 with open arms full hearts. We wish you all the best and hope to see all of you here again soon. May Your Holidays be Filled with Love!

We all Miss You! Happy holidays from your friends (spotted and otherwise) at Safari West! Please do us a favor and send a holiday greeting to one of our animals and we will read and share some to the animals via Facebook Live. That way we can all stay together while apart. Please email your special message to [email protected]. We will be reading messages live on Facebook at 11:00am PST on Christmas Eve!... And, if you're looking for a way to help us continue our efforts to conserve nature and its most beautiful inhabitants, please consider purchasing a gift card in any amount. They make a wild stocking stuffer and all of us would be very grateful.

The Safari West Wildlife Preserve will be closed beginning at 12:01am on Saturday, December 12th and continuing through January 9th at the earliest. The closure comes as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the Stay Home Order issued by Sonoma County on December 10th. This closure impacts all on-site activities including tent stays and safaris. We will continue to provide virtual Zoomfaris however and look forward to seeing you online as we once again adapt to this ...ongoing challenge. If you have an existing reservation impacted by this enclosure, expect to hear from our reservations team shortly. We are working as fast as we can to reach out to all our reserved guests to help reschedule your stays or provide a gift card for the balance of your reservation. These are trying times and we appreciate your understanding and support. Stay safe out there and we’ll see you all again soon!

Worried about what to give that special someone this season? Check out Safari West Wild Gift Cards! Available online or by phone, in any amount and with no expiration, it's the perfect gift for anyone looking for wildlife and wonder. http://ow.ly/LuvT50CEBqj

Are you ready to Romp with the Beasts? We're just a few short days away from the December 12th Online Event and premier of Safari West Live! Follow the link below to join for free, check out the auction, and get in on the fun! See you there! http://ow.ly/ALbX50CEAR7

Oh her? That's just Jamala, grand dame of the Safari West giraffe tower, wondering when you're going to come see her. It's fall after all. Cool weather, clear skies, what more could you ask for? #safariwest #masaigiraffe

A Warthog Haiku- Elegance and tusks, True beauty and falling leaves Warthog in autumn.... Photo by Nate Woodward

With hundreds of acres to explore and animals free to roam where they will, this really is the closest you can get to Africa without going there. For your safety we're limiting guests, requiring masks, and cleaning constantly. Get outside this winter at Safari West! #safariwest

Looking one direction, listening another. Cheetah Sahara is demonstrating a key tactic for surviving in the wild, keeping your head, or at least your ears, on a swivel. Photo by Will Bucquoy. #safariwest #cheetah

A little while back one of our neighbors, @MarkhamVineyard reached out about creating a fun presentation for both the wine and animal lovers in our community! Tune in tomorrow on our Youtube channel at 4:00pm PST to see the show! https://youtu.be/24MeM1YwkyM

Big Gnus! There's still time to get your Safari West Holiday Gift Card! What better way to surprise your own little wildebeest than with the gift of adventure and discovery. Available online and by phone (Please call us for the nice card/envelope package). http://ow.ly/xree50CEAfR

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of a giant. One week ago today, we said goodbye to Cosha, one of the great ladies of our giraffe tower. Cosha was born on April 17, 1998 and spent most of her twenty-two and a half years with us at Safari West. Over the course of her time with us, Cosha served as a remarkable ambassador for her species, amazing thousands of staff members and guests who learned about giraffes in her company. Cosha's life was more than just... what we humans witnessed however, and over the years she encountered a number of male giraffes who managed to win her affections. Cosha carried and birthed seven beautiful giraffe babies, three females and four males. Her most recent calf was born earlier this year and is as sturdy, strong, and beautiful as her mother was. Cosha may be gone, but her lineage lives on, not only in her offspring, but in the five grand-babies also brightening this world. It is never easy losing one of our animal friends, but there is some comfort to be taken from the tremendous joy Cosha brought to our lives and the immeasurable service she gave to her species. We'll miss you Cosha and we'll love you forever.

Let me just horn in here and mention that this is a great time to go on safari! The outdoor air is fresh and clean and us animals tend to enjoy the cooler weather. Layer up for comfort and book your next big adventure today! #safariwest #southernwhiterhinoceros

This beautiful addax is one of the most endangered animals you can encounter here at Safari West. Once found roaming across much of North Africa, the addax is now nearly extinct in the wild. Luckily human managed breeding programs likes our are helping to keep this species alive! #safariwest #addaxantelope

Bontebok can't jump. Seriously, they're terrible at it, and in a way, this helped save the species. Critically endangered at the start of the last century, the few remaining bontebok were fenced by a forward thinking farmer in South Africa. Since unlike most other antelope, they couldn't hop the fence and leave, the species was spared extinction and has now mostly returned to its former glory! They may not be number one on most people's "must see" list, but these really are ...beautiful animals and an amazing conservation success story. Safari West's bontebok can be seen out among the giraffes every day of the week. Come say hello! #safariwest #bontebok

Baby zebra alert! Cute but maybe not so cuddly, zebras are definitely a "look but don't touch" species. This youngster can already kick and bite with the best of them! Good skills to have on the open savanna but thankfully less necessary here at Safari West. #safariwest #zebra

It's not a stretch to say this is a pretty sweet deal. Kids stay free on the the 2nd night? You bet giraffe they do! *Lick* we always say, Safari West loves kids! Just because school's back in session, it doesn't mean you can't still get away. With WiFi in select tents keeping you connected to work or classes, there's never been a better time to get away to Safari West! Sunday through Thursday, kids stay free on any 2nd (or 3rd, or 4th) night of your adventure. This amazing a...utumn special is only available by phone so call us today! (707) 566-3667 Toll free: (800) 616-2695 #FallWildChild #safariwest Photo by Nate Woodward.

We're Ready to Welcome you Back! We're pleased to report that Safari West has reopened as of Monday, October 5th! With the fires in our area coming under control we're ready to get back to exploring the Sonoma Serengeti. We're looking forward to resuming our safaris, sending animal lovers out to meet the nearly 1,000 animals who call Safari West home. Should this situation change, we'll update immediately. Looking forward to seeing you all soon at Safari West!

Comments and Reflections on the nearby wildfire with Safari West owner, Peter Lang

Today is World Rhino Day! The myth that rhino horn has medical value has pushed all five living species onto the endangered species list. Use today to spread the word about conserving these amazing creatures and meet a few yourself at Safari West! #WorldRhinoDay

Hello Obi! A little over a year ago, you helped us pick a name for the 41st giraffe born at Safari West. Obi means heart in Igbo, a language spoken in Nigeria and other parts of west Africa and Obi, you still have our hearts today. Photo by Cheryl Crowley. #safariwest #giraffe