Our African Safari!

Everyone who comes to Toronto makes a point of visiting the CN Tower & Niagara Falls.  Most tourists will make an appearance at the Ontario Science Centre or the Toronto Zoo.  A few will be dazzled by the theatre district, the Royal Ontario Museum and Casa Loma.

Very few make it to the African Lion Safari . . . in fact, if it wasn't for the sign between here and Buffalo advertising the African Lion Safari, I would not have known that it existed.  We decided to try our chances today at this "off the beaten path" attraction.  It turned out to be a GREAT DECISION!!!

My kids were immediately impressed/intrigued by the various signage . . .

Now, for those of you who have spent time in Monterrey, Mexico and are familiar with Bioparque Estrella, the obvious question is:  "Is it really dangerous?"  There were several times in Monterrey that I was certain that one of my children would lose a limb or possibly an eye during the safari.  Alas, I will confess that at no time did I truly feel as if my life was in peril during this safari.  But, nevertheless, even without the threat of mortal danger, we still had an amazing time.  The safari consisted of an hour drive through grasslands where visitors (from the safety of their own vehicles) could see lions (hence the name African Lion Safari).

You could also see many other members of the animal kingdom - from bison to kangaroos to giraffe.  The entire safari was narrated by my three children's questionable vast knowledge of animal trivia.  Scott managed to navigate the trail without harming any children animals.  I was the official "safari photographer" and I'm happy to report that no one complained about my constant occasional requests to stop the vehicle.

The part of the safari that elicited the most laughter was the area where the baboons lived.  They frequently tried to "hitch" a ride with a passing vehicle.  My kids were overjoyed by their antics.

There were also lots of ostrich . . . I HATE OSTRICHES (probably caused by flashbacks from Bioparque Estrella) so I did not take their photos.  I did think the eggs were kind of cute . . .

Aside from the safari, the park has several shows/exhibits.  For example, African Lion Safari is also home to several elephants. 

There are elephants who can paint:

There are elephants who can move logs:

There are elephants who are not afraid of mice:

And elephants that you can ride (if your parents are suckers and willing to pay the 5 extra bucks):

There are also lots and lots and lots and lots of birds:

So in conclusion . . . YEAH for African Lion Safari, YEAH for living in Toronto, YEAH for getting to spend time with my husband & children, YEAH for a digital camera so I can take a zillion photos, and YEAH for family and friends who humor me by reading this long, long, long blog entry.