Our Journal: Out of Africa Wildlife Park

We had been wanting to go to this Zoo ever since we moved to Arizona. We always just seemed to have the time to go when the weather was just too hot. We decided to take advantage of the time off Jacob had before starting work Monday. We left Friday afternoon and made it to Sedona around 4:30 just before dark so too late to take advantage of any hiking. We were able to check into our room that had an awesome view along with location. We were right in the heart of Sedona and were able to walk to whatever we wanted. We bought some tasty chocolate treats at the local fudge shop, ate dinner and went back to the hotel to settle in for the night. None of us slept very well not being in our own beds but we were still excited to get the day started. We drove to Camp Verde after breakfast and arrived at the park just at opening. It was 35 degrees this morning and I forgot my coat! Thankfully Jacob had an extra sweatshirt and I had packed heavily for Nadia ;) We had so much fun today I can't even describe! Nadia fed the giraffe's carrots while they stuck their head in the bus we were in. Some were even brave enough to feed them with their lips! Of course they were left with a very wet face! Ewww. We had to be careful around the Zebras because they do bite along with most of the other animals. I will admit that it was a little eerie and fascinating at the same time. The enclosures were pretty open. Boom Boom the Rhino was very interesting to see. His trainer was able to enter his area and pet him. We were only 5 ft away from him ourselves it felt like. I'm telling you, I have never been this close to these animals. Three Bengal Tigers were housed together and at one point started playing. That was the fiercest playing I have ever seen, leaving one with a cut. They separated them shortly after that. Nadia went into the hands on area and pet the large Iguana and Boa Constrictor. Aack! I am trying my hardest not put my fears onto Nadia so I stayed strong. I was even going to hold the Macaw but it got a little testy, trying to bite its handler. I thought I would just let it be! We were able to see 2 bears and Hyenas. Jacob swears that Hyena was licking its chops and growling at Nadia. I was getting food so missed that one, thankfully! There are 32 big "cats" and at one point during feeding they were all "talking" to each other. There is a short video of it posted previously but it does NOT do it justice. It was awesome to hear. Nadia was getting very tired by the time we went to see Tiger Splash, but once it started she was having a blast. One of the main things they try to get across is these animals are not trained. There is NO such thing, they are only interacting with their natural behaviors. I wanted to ask if they had ever had a breakout but didn't! After Tiger Splash was over we took a walk around the rest of the animals then left. It was a long day for everyone and Nadia was out before we left the parking lot. What a wonderful weekend!