Lion Country Safari, 1973
Sue B. sent me some scans of photo prints, pictures that her dad (Lou Perry) took at Lion Country Safari, a drive-through safari park located outside Irvine, California, which opened in 1970. Allowing guests to drive their own vehicles through open enclosures, it was the first cageless safari park of its kind to open in southern California. I visited LCS once or twice when I was a kid, it was always a fun thing to do.
I suppose Southern California made for a pretty good simulation of the African veldt, all the critters seemed very at-home. You could just tell! In the distance, trucks with campers, station wagons, and other vehicles move slowly along the roadway, everyone is hoping that one of the animals will come right up to their car!
Like this ostrich. What a goofy bird! But how often do you get to see one right outside your vehicle window? No more than four or five times a year, typically.
Lou was aboard a bus, apparently - perhaps certain bus lines offered tours of LCS? Maybe Sue can enlighten us. This kid with the mouse ears is a fun touch. A giraffe is blocking the road! Feeding the animals was forbidden, but why else would he be there? He sure seems to be hoping for a snack. And mouse-ear kid is just the thing for a giraffe, as we all know. Tender and juicy.
"This bus is full of deadbeats!", the giraffe said in his Brooklyn accent (don't ask). He'll go try some other chumps - I mean guests.
Zebras are always fun to see, with their bold pattern of stripes. Fun fact: one in every thousand zebras is born plaid! I swear on a stack of pancakes. The put a feeding station (with genuine African alfalfa) right near the road, which is pretty clever.
"Say, why was it called LION Country Safari, anyway?". Well Timmy, there actually were lions. Commercials always showed a car with a lion on the hood, but when I visited they looked more like the sleepy cats in the next two photos. "Honk your horn mom! Ron, roll down your window and offer them a cookie!".
Folks who lived in SoCal around then might remember one particular lion - Frasier! He was an elderly lion that was given to the facility in 1970 from a circus in Mexico. Already 18 years old, the lion was toothless, ill, and arthritic. He became a major attraction at the park when, despite his advanced age, he fathered litters totaling 35 lion cubs by the park's pride of six lionesses.
There will be a PART TWO, coming up soon! THANK YOU, Lou and Sue!
22 comments:
Major-
In spite of living in So. Cal. when LCS was operational, I never made it there - and if these images are any indication - it fails to inspire enough curiosity to excite one to attend. On the other hand... everyone remembers Frasier-! Especially with the help of LIFE Magazine, who called him “the country’s reigning sex simba.” (I see the jokes just write themselves, now-!)
Thanks to Lou and Sue and The Major.
"Maybe Sue can enlighten us."
Major, I never had the pleasure of going to LCS, but I know my mom went at least once.
Side note: These photos were in my dad's possession, but I'm pretty sure he didn't take them. There were no markings on the backs of these photos, and my dad was a stickler for organizing and marking/coding his photos and slides. Since I know that my mom went to Lion Country Safari -- it's possible that one of her friends or relatives [that were with her] took these pictures and then gave her a set. Or my cousin Stu could've taken these, and sent my dad a set.
On a good note, you can now feel free to 'poke fun at' these pictures -- as I noticed that the Jr. Gorillas are usually too kind to 'make fun of' any of my dad's pics ;o)
These are not Brittish zebras, (that rhyme with Debras). Nope, these are zeeebras, 'cuz they're in Southern California, USA!
I wonder how many vertebrae ostriches have in their necks? I'm guessing none. They get their rigidity from all the stuff they swallow: sticks, ice cream scoops, buggy whips... that sort of thing.
How rude! There are tons of kids on that bus. The driver could've easily tossed at least one of 'em to the hungry giraffe!
A nice sharp photo of zebra butts.
There are still plenty of kids on the bus (minus the one or two that were tossed to the giraffe), toss another one out to the lions. That'll wake 'em up and get them moving around!
Hmm, Frasier the lion was considered old at 18? I would've thought that lions had a longer lifespan than house cats, who often live to that age.
Sue, you're right. I decided to poke fun at these photos for the reason you gave. And knowing that they might not be your dad's photos anyway just makes them even more pokable. :-p
Thanks to Lou & Sue & Major & whoever took these photos.
I am wondering why that ostrich and giraffe are so close to the vehicles. Are they normally that curious? Or did they spray the cars with ostrich and giraffe pheromones as they entered the park, just to give the guests the best possible interactive experience?
I also never made it to Lion Country Safari, even though my brother and I wanted to go, after seeing the commercials. They did have some rides in a separate section of the park. I think my mom might have thought it was just a little too far to drive, even though it was only about another 20 minutes beyond the drive to Disneyland.....which we went to a lot. Disneyland and Knott's were about as far south into Orange County that we would go.
"Mouse Ear Kid" is holding a pamphlet with a zebra-striped border in that first bus pic. It might be this one that I posted back in 2017, although the photo that is visible looks different. It's probably a variation of that pamphlet.
Lion Country Safari Brochure - 1970s
Airport Bound? I would hate to be airport bound! Where would you sleep every night? On the ground, I suppose.
In addition to Frasier (who also had a self-titled theatrical movie made about him), let us not forget poor Bubbles the hippo. She escaped after refusing to be contained, and then roamed around the Irvine countryside for 3 weeks! I remember sharing Los Angeles Times articles about both Frasier,and Bubbles, during "current events" in elementary school.
I wish I had been able to experience Lion Country Safari, but even more than that, I wish I had been able to visit Discount Lion Safari:
The Simpsons - Discount Lion Safari
Thank you Lou, Sue, Major, and whoever took the photos!
Great pics today, Major and Sue. That landscape is indeed somewhat veldt-like. I have the vaguest memory of going to the Lion Country Safari just outside of Atlanta some time in the early '70s. It's long gone now, but I believe the one in Florida might still be in operation.
We never ventured to Lion Country Safari either, though I seem to remember a fair amount of advertising (TV? Print? Hey, my memory ain't THAT good). Thanks Lou and Sue, and Major!
Chalk up another Junior Gorilla who never visited LCS. I remember ads for it, probably in Disney News or Vacationland. Too far to drive and, judging from these photos, too little payoff. Have to say, these pictures look pretty dull.
There’s a similar park here locally (near Calistoga) called Safari West that is a similar concept, but you ride through on their safari vehicles. The critter paddocks are smaller and you do get right up close to some of them. There are also fancy tents furnished for overnight stays so guests can pretend you’re on safari, hence the name. We visited once for a friend’s retirement party, it’s a snoozer of a spot though.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ldwd9fvjt3GJjwwj7?g_st=ipc
I think both places prove Walt’s notion that animatronic animals are a better show and cost less to feed, once you amortize the cost of building them.
Thanks Major, Sue, and Lou’s nameless donor.
JG
I was fortunate to have visited LCS three times in my early 20s. Every time it was like the photos. Ostriches and giraffes getting very close to cars with zebras a bit farther away. The lions were always way off the road sleeping in the shade. I saw a hippo once but it was pretty far away. Fun place for what it was.
JB said 'butts' hee hee! On this blog we say 'backside of zebra'.
I went there in the 70's but since I haven't thought of it since then it must have been a snoozer.
Thanks Major, et al.
Zach
I live about 4 miles away from where LION COUNTRY SAFARI was . It’s mostly residential communities now. There’s a 1970’s CANNON episode filmed entirely at LCS. I think I’ve mentioned this before but I think automobile drive thru parks are terrible ideas … placing these animals so close to drivers … and the exhaust spewing automobiles of the 1970’s is sad. I understand the importance of some animal type zoos for preservation , study and rehabilitation as well as education and understanding … but I’ve never really been into animal shows and attractions .. at the San Diego Zoo was was enthralled by the SKYFARI … at the SAN DIEGO WILD ANIMAL PARK , The Wagasa Bush Line Monorsil & the NAROBI Village …. And at Sea World I love the Sky Tower , Sparklets Water Fantasy , and the Von Roll BAYSkyvride . And the animated mechanical animals and tikis at Hawaiian Punch Village. I do like animals - they are delicious ( IM KIDDING!) but I’ve just never cared for the animal part of animal attractions … I also do love the landscaping and grounds … to me places like Japanese Deer Park and Marine Land seemed dull to me .
At one more thing : I get enough dings and dents from my fellow California drivers engrossed on the their cell phones and juiced up on their sugar-caffeine Starbucks and wouldn’t need a sedated elderly lion or a angry ostrich to scratch or dent up my car. But I guess a lion is safer than a bad Tesla driver going thru a red light any day or 14 year olds cutting directly across an intersection without right of way on their E BIKES!!!
Nanook, my guess is that Lion Country Safari would have been much less fascinating if I’d been a little older. At the age of seven, it was cool to see lions, giraffes, zebras, etc! “Sex simba”, not bad.
Lou and Sue, ah, you probably told me that your dad didn’t take these when you sent them to me months ago. And I forgot. Sorry about that! I think I have a few terrible Instamatic photos that I took myself - not worth publishing.
JB, I dunno, one of those zebras has a monocle, and we all know how much the Brits love a monocle. They also like to eat kidneys! Just like lions. Giraffes have helium in their heads, so the neck actually does not support any weight. I learned that on the Joe Rogan show. You don’t see zebra butts on other blogs, which is why GDB won a prestigious award. VERY prestigious. Lions are just big cats, so I guess I’m not that surprised that their lifespan (in captivity) is about the same.
TokyoMagic!, good point, I do wonder if maybe certain animals were fed from vehicles, possibly when guests weren’t there, so that the animals then expected food to come from those metal thingies. Otherwise you’d think that they would just go find some shade, or some grass to munch on. As for ostriches, who knows what goes on in their heads? I’ve heard that their brains are smaller than their eyeballs. Good eye on that pamphlet, I have one of to LCS (not LDS!) pamphlets, but they unfold to an unwieldy size, which is why I haven’t scanned them. Maybe I’ll try again someday. Or I’ll just link to your scan! You know, sometimes you just gotta be airport bound. Imagine working at an airport. Maybe you would grow to love it? I do remember Bubbles, and how they tranquilized her in water, so she drowned. So stupid. “Gee boss, I guess I messed up!”. I wish I’d gone to Discount Lion Safari too!
Pegleg Pete, I knew that there were other Lion Country Safaris, or at least that there was one in Florida, but I did not know that Atlanta had their own version!
Steve DeGaetano, I definitely remember the TV commercials, which always showed a car with a lion that had jumped up on the hood. Of course when I went, the lions were always asleep as in these photos.
JG, I haven’t looked at a map so I don’t know how far LCS was from Huntington Beach, but it must not have been too bad, since we went at least twice. I think we did a birthday party that involved a trip there. “Safari West”, yet another place I’ve never heard of! Fascinating. Even if it didn’t look that amazing, I miss the days when you could potentially sleep near elephants and lions in SoCal! There’s nothing quite like that now. Good point about animatronics, Walt definitely knew what he was doing.
zach, I’m OK with the word “butts”, but you can’t say the “A” word. Think of the children!
Mike Cozart, it’s astonishing to think of a time when all that land was just *there*, undeveloped for entrepreneurs with big ideas. Wow I can’t imagine an episode of Cannon at LCS! Was there a murder, or a body that was disposed of there? SoCal has (or had) such a strong “car culture” that a drive-thru amusement park probably seemed like a no-brainer. I agree with you, it is far from ideal. I do enjoy zoos, though I don’t go now that my niece and nephew are all grown up. Sometimes I feel bad for the animals, though zoos have improved so much. I still remember seeing some chimps in a horrible cage in Virginia, there was nothing in there, it was like a jail, and it was COLD. Even as a kid it broke my heart. The other parks you mentioned (Japanese Deer Park and Marineland) were loved by me, but I was a little kid, and I think just a change of scenery was enough to be enthralled. As I said to Nanook, I might have been bored silly if I’d been a bit older. Ha ha, e-bikes, the scourge of the nation!
I have been to LCS. In your face, LOSERS!!!
Man, no idea what that guy's issue was. How rude.
I have (mostly) great memories of our one visit there in early '76. It wasn't Disneyland or Knott's, but it was unique and fun in its own way.
We had an ostrich (perhaps this same one) come up and start pecking on the front passenger window of our '72 AMC Ambassador Wagon. Not sure if he was hungry or desperately trying to communicate via Morse Code -"T-O-R-T-U-R-E." Or possibly "T-O-U-R-I-S-T-S." They might actually mean the same thing to an ostrich.
As I would like to sleep tonight, I will not dredge up my harrowing recollection of the ride on the Jeep. You can read about it HERE, at the bottom of the comments.
Thanks, Major!
^ Thanks for sharing, Chcuk!
Are zebras white with black stripes—or black with white stripes??
LCS. Back in the day when the 405 was two lanes in each direction. I recall going there a couple times. It wasn't far from Costa Mesa. As for me, in later years I was fortunate to travel in Kruger in my rental car, and also visited a couple of nearby wildlife sanctuaries. One in which one could walk through...the hippos were in the lake as I walked by. In my car and Land Rover, I was challenged by elephants and even backed up the car to allow two rhinos to pass along the road unimpeded. I got the clue when facing them one began to paw the ground. My best experience was jumping out of the Land Rover with our guide with rifle in hand and walk toward a rhino to get a closer look. I can tell you I knew exactly how many steps I was away from the vehicle in case it charged us. And an ostrich took a liking to my side view mirror. Liability laws are different in Africa Here's a little more on LCS. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=148301. KS.
MAJOR: the CANNON episode had to deal with Jake Cannon was summoned to the park by the owners wife - they were long friends of Cannon and he had been killed by a older lion in the cage… but he was a world renowned animal trainer - doctor. It turns out he was murdered by a business partner who 1) was taking the empty animal crates coming in … and returning them filled with illegal drugs … and the murdered guy had discovered what had been going on… and the murderous partner also wanted to sell off all the land to developers against the other partners wishes …. So he killed him off.
The murder Tamer sabotaged the tranquilizers used on the lions to administer medical care and examinations … but the tranquilizer was altered to not be sedated very long and some other drug also added that made the lion go crazy and attack the good doctor - tamer .
In the episode you can tell they filmed while the park was fully operating and you can see the line of cars passing the animals , and guest gawking at the actors being filmed. At star of the episode Cannon is given a full
Tour of the park so you can see very good color film of the actually park in action .
Mike, I've seen that episode of "Cannon"....it's a good one! And there is an episode of "Mannix" that was filmed at Japanese Village and Deer Park. I was too young to be watching those shows in their original run, but I have really gotten into them in recent years. I was watching them on MeTV every night, but then my brother gave me both complete series on DVD for my birthday.
TOKYO; me too! Columbo , Cannon , Barnaby Jones and Hawaii 5-0!! I love them! The period of time and the music and story.
TM! - That Simpsons reference is how I always think of drive-thru safaris. There was even one in NJ, that was particularly terrible. Closed before I was born, so no first-hand experience. I think there's still one at Six Flags Great Adventure, but I think they drive you in safari trucks now.
Dean Finder, there is still a LCS in Loxahatchee, FL. I just read some reviews, and they are mostly all positive. People comment about how expensive it is, but they seem to think it's worth it. Maybe it's a nice experience, because of the amount of money that they charge.
There was an attraction at Busch Gardens, Tampa, the one time that I visited. It was called Rhino Rally and they took you around in a jeep to view the real Rhinos. There was even a neat part where the jeep pulled aboard a small raft and we "floated" across a river to the other side. But I see that they have taken that attraction out. But I think that park still has a double-decker bus or truck ride that allows guests to feed the giraffes from the upper deck, for an upcharge. But I didn't pay to do that when I was there. And then of course, there is still Disney's Animal Kingdom and their "jeep" ride past the live animals (with the exception of the animatronic baby elephant at the very end).
Here in Oregon we still have Wildlife Safari, located in Winston, Ore. (About 90 minutes south of Eugene, where I live). It's been there for many years (1972), and it's a drive-thru park (your own vehicle). They're known for their cheetah breeding program but they have all kinds of critters: lions an' tigers an' bears! Plus hundreds of other animals. I went there sometime in the late '70s or early '80s. I guess it's still popular and going strong.
Thanks, everyone, for sharing your fun memories -- and adventures....
KS, between your DL shenanigans and African safaris -- you're lucky to still be in one piece. Rhinos and hippos and elephants, oh my!
Thanks, Major.
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