, England The predecessor of safari parks is Africa U.S.A. Park (1953–1961) in Florida. The first lion drive-through opened in 1963 in
Tama Zoological Park in
Tokyo. In double-glazed buses, visitors made a tour through a one-hectare enclosure with twelve African lions. The first drive-through safari park outside of Africa opened in 1966 at
Longleat in
Wiltshire, England. Longleat, Windsor, Woburn and arguably the whole concept of safari parks were the brainchild of Jimmy Chipperfield (1912–1990), former co-director of
Chipperfield's Circus, although a similar concept is explored as a plot device in
Angus Wilson's "
The Old Men at the Zoo" which was published five years before
Chipperfield set up
Longleat. Longleat's
Marquess of Bath agreed to Chipperfield's proposition to fence off of his vast Wiltshire estate to house 50 lions. Knowsley, the
Earl of Derby's estate outside
Liverpool, and the
Duke of Bedford's Woburn estate in
Bedfordshire both established their own safari parks with Chipperfield's partnership. Another circus family, the Smart Brothers, joined the safari park business by opening a park at
Windsor for visitors from London. The former
Windsor Safari Park was in
Berkshire, England, but closed in 1992 and has since been made into a
Legoland theme park. There is also Chipperfield's "Scotland Safari Park" established on
Baronet Sir John Muir's estate at
Blair Drummond near
Stirling, and the American-run "West Midland Safari and Leisure Park" near
Birmingham. One park, along with Jimmy Chipperfield at
Lambton Castle in
North East England, has closed. Between 1967 and 1974,
Lion Country Safari, Inc. opened 6 animal parks, one near each of the following American cities:
West Palm Beach, Florida;
Los Angeles, California;
Grand Prairie, Texas;
Atlanta, Georgia;
Cincinnati, Ohio, and
Richmond, Virginia. The first park, in South Florida, is the only
Lion Country Safari still in operation.
Royal Burgers' Zoo at
Arnhem, opened a "safari park" in 1968 within a traditional
zoo. In 1995, Burgers' Safari modified this to a walking safari with a
boardwalk. Another safari park in the Netherlands is
Safaripark Beekse Bergen. Most safari parks were established in a short period of ten years, between 1966 and 1975. •
Africa •
Egypt:
Alexandria (
Africa Safari Park, 2004) •
Americas •
Brazil:
São Paulo (
Zoo Safári, 2001 - this park was formerly known as Simba Safari from 1972 to 2001) •
Canada: • Ontario:
Hamilton (
African Lion Safari, 1969) • Quebec:
Hemmingford (
Parc Safari, 1972),
Montebello (
Parc Omega, 1985) •
Chile:
Rancagua (
Safari Park Rancagua, 2009) •
Guatemala:
Escuintla (
Auto Safari Chapin, 1980) •
Mexico: •
Amacuzac (
Zoofari, 1984),
Puebla (
Africam Safari, 1972) •
United States: • Alabama:
Hope Hull, Alabama (
Alabama Safari Park, 2018) • Arizona:
Camp Verde (
Out of Africa Wildlife Park, 1988) • Arkansas:
Gentry (
Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Safari, 1970) • California:
Escondido (
San Diego Zoo Safari Park, formerly
San Diego Wild Animal Park, 1972) • Florida:
Loxahatchee (
Lion Country Safari, 1967) • Georgia:
Pine Mountain (
Wild Animal Safari, 1991),
Cleveland, Georgia (
North Georgia Wildlife and Safari Park, 2018),
Metter, Georgia (
Wild Georgia Safari Park, 2018),
Hartwell, Georgia (
Lake Hartwell Wildlife Safari, 2021),
Atlanta (
Atlanta Safari Park, 2023),
Madison, Georgia (
Georgia Safari Conservation Park, 2024) • Louisiana:
Delhi (
High Delta Safari Park, 2009) • Nebraska:
Ashland (
Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari, 1998) • New Jersey:
Jackson Township (
Great Adventure, 1974, now
Six Flags Great Adventure) • New York:
Chittenango (
Wild Animal Park, 2010) • Ohio:
Port Clinton (
African Safari Wildlife Park, 1973) • Oregon: Winston (
Wildlife Safari, 1973) • Texas:
San Antonio (
Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, 1984),
Glen Rose (
Fossil Rim Wildlife Ranch, 1984), near
Dallas (
Texas Zoosafari Park, 2023) • Virginia:
Natural Bridge (
Virginia Safari Park, 2000) •
Asia •
Bangladesh:
Gazipur (
Gazipur Safari Park, 2013),
Cox's Bazar (
Dulahazara Safari Park, 1999) •
China:
Shenzhen (
Safari Park, 1993),
Shanghai (
Wild Animal Park, 1995),
Qinhuangdao (
Qinhuangdao Wildlife Park, 1995),
Guangzhou (
Xiangjiang Safari Park, 1997),
Jinan (
Safari Park, 1999),
Badaling (
Safari World, 2001) •
India:
Etawah (
Etawah Safari Park, formerly
Lion Safari Etawah, 2019),
Rajgir (
Rajgir Zoo Safari, 2022) •
Indonesia:
Cisarua,
Prigen and
Bali (in Bali includes a Marine Park too) (
Taman Safari, 1990) •
Israel:
Ramat Gan (
Ramat Gan Safari, 1974) •
Japan:
Miyazaki (
Phoenix Zoo, 1975),
Usa (
Kyushu Natural Animal Park African Safari, 1976),
Mine (
Akiyoshidai Safari Land, 1977),
Tomioka (
Gunma Safari Park, 1979),
Susono (
Fuji Safari Park, 1980),
Himeji (
Central Park, 1984) •
Malaysia:
Alor Gajah (''
A'Famosa Resort, 2001), Gambang (Bukit Gambang Safari Park'') •
Pakistan:
Lahore (
Lahore Zoo Safari, 2009, formerly
Lahore Wildlife Park, 1982) •
Philippines:
Busuanga (
Calauit Safari Park, 1975),
Morong (
Zoobic Safari, 2003),
Carmen (
Cebu Safari and Adventure Park, 2018) •
Singapore: (
Night Safari, 1994) •
Taiwan:
Guanxi (
Leofoo Village Theme Park, 1979) •
Thailand:
Bangkok (
Safari World, 1988) •
United Arab Emirates:
Dubai (
Dubai Safari Park, 2017) •
Vietnam:
Phú Quốc (
Vinpearl Safari, 2015) •
Europe •
Belgium:
Aywaille (
Le Monde Sauvage, 1975) •
Denmark:
Givskud (
Løveparken, 1969), Knuthenborg (
Knuthenborg Safaripark, 1969),
Ebeltoft (
Ree Park – Ebeltoft Safari, 1991) •
France:
Thoiry (
Wow Safari Thoiry, 1968),
Peaugres (
Safari de Peaugres, 1974),
Sigean (
Réserve africaine de Sigean, 1974),
Obterre (
Haute Touche Zoological Park, 1980) owned by the
National Museum of Natural History,
Port-Saint-Père (
Planète Sauvage, 1992) •
Germany:
Gelsenkirchen (
ZOOM Erlebniswelt Gelsenkirchen, 1949),
Stuckenbrock (
Safariland Stukenbrock, 1969),
Hodenhagen (
Serengeti Park, 1974) •
Great Britain:
Longleat (1966),
Woburn (1970),
Knowsley (1971),
Bewdley (
West Midlands Safari Park, 1973),
Blair Drummond (1970),
Highland Wildlife Park (1972) •
Italy:
Bussolengo (
Parco Natura Viva, 1969),
Fasano (
Zoosafari Fasanolandia, 1973),
Pombia (
Pombia Safari Park, 1976),
Murazzano (
Parco Safari delle Langhe, 1976),
Ravenna (
Safari Ravenna, 2012) •
Netherlands:
Hilvarenbeek (
Safaripark Beekse Bergen, 1968) •
Portugal:
Santo André (
Badoca Safari Park, 1999) •
Russia: near Kamenka (Kudykina Gora, 2009) •
Spain:
Penagos (
Cabarceno Natural Park, 1990) •
Sweden: Smålandet (
Markaryds Älg & Bison Safari) •
Oceania •
Australia • South Australia:
Monarto (
Monarto Safari Park, 1983) • Victoria:
Werribee (
Werribee Open Range Zoo, 1983) ==See also==