African Lion Safari
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| African Lion Safari | |
| Date opened | August 22, 1969 |
| Location | Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
| Land area | 750 acres (3.0 km²) |
| Coordinates | |
| # of Animals | 1,000 |
| # of Species | 130 |
| Accreditations/ Memberships |
CAZA |
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African Lion Safari is a safari park on the northern outskirts of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, near Cambridge, about 80 km west of Toronto. It features more than 1,000 animals, representing at least 130 species, including Asian elephants, peregrine falcons, cheetahs, African lions, chimpanzees, baboons, deer, donkeys, giraffes, zebras, hawks, macaws, bison, and others. African Lion Safari is open from May to early October.
Visitors can drive through the 300 hectare (750 acre) game reserve, where animals roam freely within large fenced areas. Guided tours on air conditioned buses are also offered for an additional cost.
In addition to the reserve, African Lion Safari runs regularly-scheduled shows through the day featuring birds of prey, parrots, and elephants. The elephant swim is another popular attraction, taking place twice a day. Other attractions include a water park, a boat cruise, a scenic railway, a playground, and other activities, as well as a restaurant and a gift shop.
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[edit] History
The park was founded by Gordon Debenham "Don" Dailley, a retired Canadian Army colonel, and opened its doors on August 22, 1969. Dailley, initially partnered the Chipperson family from England, purchased five farms in the Rockton, Ontario area and imported 23 lions from a reserve in Florida. He bought out the Chippersons in the early 1970s.[1] Dailley's sons Don and James, along with their sister Ginny, took over operations in 1989, following their father's death. It remains privately owned and operated.
The original size of the park was 80 hectares (200 acres) and the only significant feature was the drive-through reserve. In 1971 the park began working with Asian elephants and in 1985 they started to make a concentrated effort to breed Asian elephants. Over the years sucessful breeding of 30 endangered species and 20 threatened species has occurred in the park.
[edit] Misfortune
There have been some unfortunate events at the park over the years:
- In November 1989, a 21-year-old part-time employee and biology student at McMaster University was crushed to death by a five-tonne bull elephant named Tusko while trying to break up a fight between it and another elephant.[2][3]
- In April 1996, a couple driving through the game reserve lowered the windows to their car and were mauled by four female Bengal tigers. They later launched a lawsuit against the park (and also lawsuits against each other, each accusing the other of being partly responsible for the incident) which took many years to resolve. Finally in January 2005, a court awarded them and their families $2.5 million.[4]
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ "Elephant walk; Early years were lean for African Lion Safari: Now it's a $50m miracle," Meredith Macleod, Hamilton Spectator, July 17, 2006, p. A11
- ^ "Elephant's fate hangs on inquest in trainer's death," Leslie Papp, Toronto Star, November 22, 1989, p. A12,
- ^ "Owner outraged: Labor Ministry persecuting Lion Safari, Dailley says," Kitchener-Waterloo Record, June 27, 1991, p. B3
- ^ Cowles v. Balac, 2005 CanLII 2038 (ON S.C.), accessed November 5, 2006
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