More Lion Country Safari, 1973
Way back on May 27th of this year, I shared some 1973 photos taken by Lou Perry from a visit to SoCal's now-defunct Lion Country Safari. After a too-long wait, here is Part 2!
You can tell that these antelope feel pretty safe on this faux veldt, they could hardly be more relaxed. Some might not be alive, who can tell? My memories of LCS are mostly of animals half-asleep in the Irvine heat.
It's a loaf of Rhinocerworsts! Didn't you know that a group of them is called a "loaf"? There might be a reason for that.
As a kid I got a kick out of the official park Jeeps, painted in zebra stripes. If they didn't sell toy versions of these, they were leaving millions on the table.
Yep, this is about how I remember things. Sleeping animals seeking the cooler shade beneath some scrawny trees. "Honk the horn, ma! Rile the critters up!". This is about when I'd get out of the car for a selfie with the cheetahs. I invented selfies!
I believe that those are lions sleeping near those palms. As I mentioned in the first post, commercials always showed a station wagon with a lion on their hood, but I'm not sure I ever saw one even walking.
I always love to see elephants, such huge, strange-looking animals, though we're used to them now. On the other hand, I sometimes feel bad seeing them cooped up in zoos, but at least they are protected from poachers. And at Lion Country Safari, they had room to wander.
And finally, another look at a giraffe (see the first installment), a creature that seems like one of those odd extinct animals that we know only from fossilized skeletons (like giant sloths) - except that they are real and alive! If you give a giraffe a piece of beef jerky, it will be your friend for life.
MANY THANKS to Lou and Sue!
5 comments:
Major-
I think the words you're looking for are barren and stark. (I know... add O'Reilly to it and you have a law firm). Guests really needed to bring their own 'potted palms' to spruce-up the joint.
Thanks to Lou and Sue and The Major.
Just a side note: My dad did not take these photos…but I’m not sure who did…
I’ll check back later to read all the comments.
Sue
Those elephants and rhinos should win an award. They are out-standing in their field, “rim-strike” unlike those lazy zebra, cheetah and lions. Look at that lone zebra jeepster in its natural habitat. Just thrilling. Where’s Mutual of Omaha when you need them.
I went through one of these in Texas and the zebra had it figured out. They would block the road until you fed them all.
Thanks for the interesting animals today Major!
The two antelope on the right are definitely 'unresponsive'. :-p At least these ruminants and ungulates stay near the cars so people can stare at them in all their magnificent glory. The predators tend to be secretive and out of sight or at a distance. "I think I see a lion way over there... Nope, it's just a bush."
I like the rhinos picture. They look quite impressive... and dinosaur-like. Shouldn't there be some safari members climbing up that palm tree? I think a lot of those animal group names like: a 'murder' of crows, etc., are simply made up by journalists and writers to add interest to whatever it is they're writing.
Speaking of lions, there's a 'pile' of them. Yes, I am hereby proclaiming that a group of lions should be henceforth referred to as a 'pile'. None of this 'pride' nonsense! Seems like there should be more shade provided for the animals?
Then again, as with these cheetahs, if they had more shade, then no one would ever see the animals!
Another 'pile' of lions. One of them is actually up and walking! Probably needs to use the restroom.
The efelumps are mingling with kudu and dik-diks. Sorry, I forgot this is a family blog. (I have no idea what these animals actually are.) I'm guessing there is a nice big pond or small lake nearby for these elephants to caper about and squirt passing cars.
The picture of the giraffe is especially nice."Beef jerky"? I thought giraffes were vegetarians. Now I'm wondering if a giraffe would actually eat, and like, beef jerky. They'd probably chew it once or twice and spit it in your face!
I mostly made fun of these pictures today, but I did enjoy seeing them. Thanks, Major, Sue, and Lou, or whoever took the photos ;-)
Ahhhh.....I can see the billboard around the "other Park" up the road a spell...."off at Moulton Parkway".....and now: this area does NOT even remotely look anything like this....that is some pricy land being sucked up by wild animals just sleeping....and here's the thing about wild animals, (and I think the operating hours of Lion Country Safari should be dusk...to totally dark....)because most of these creatures are nocturnal...which is why: they are sleeping....(duh)...however many like to dilly dally around during the day....and it would be nice if these Park owners would give these guys some shade....for the love of Pete. I like seeing animals, and I very much dislike seeing animals used commercially as well. It's a double edge sword. I suppose it brings light to compromised species: like Rhinos especially....and who doesn't like a ostrich tapping on their windows....I think they might have been somewhat trained to do that...but who knows. There's a few horror animal stories from "LCS" that I won't get into, and my personal memories are "extremely hot day, windows rolled up, no AC"....but the Hippo pedal boats I loved...and they had a sweet little African village too. Jambo! Thanks Lou and Sue and Major. Please be kind to animals and support conservation.
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