Fun at Global Wildlife Center in Folsom, LA!

This week Miss Grace and her class got to go to the Global Wildlife Center in Folsom, LA!

The Global Wildlife Center aims for excellence in education; to create a perfect place in which threatened and endangered wildlife, from around the world, live and flourish in a free-roaming natural environment. The Global Wildlife Center is home to over 4,000 exotic, endangered, and threatened animals from all over the world. 

At Global Wildlife Center, education is paramount. Children are taught the value of wildlife conservation and education through experience. The effectiveness of touch as a teaching tool is evident every day at Global Wildlife Center. Here children are able to wiggle a camel's hump, rub the giraffe's eighteen inch tongue, and feel the wooly fur of bison.

While on tour, the children are able to witness first-hand the fascinating natural behaviors these animals exhibit in our free and wild atmosphere. The educational and entertaining safari tours instill the importance of life and conservation of natural resources in our children’s minds, and through the 

development of a personal experience, secures the future of wildlife...for their children. 

As you cross over the cattle guards you are surrounded by animals, especially when a wagon train is leaving!

Here come the deer!

Up close enough to touch outside your window!

It's a Fallow Deer, who is growing out it's antlers!

Is it an emu?

Nope, a Rhea! Looks like an emu though, doesn't it?

Yup, the wagon train is pulled by good old John Deere!

Can you see all the animals already flocking toward it?

Yup, they know a 'meal train; when they see it!

Which leads to come discussion in the car re 'natural behaviors' and 'authentic environment', but hey the kids were on the bus, and we weren't gonna quash their delight with intellectual queries....

Which leads to this query: who anticipates the wagon train more- the kids, below, or the animals, above?

Because THIS is the scene when the wagon train stops:

YIKES!!!!!!!!!

It definitely seems like there are at least 2,000 of those animals surrounding the wagon trains!

Unfortunately Mama Giraffe, was not willing to come to the trains, as she has a 2 week old baby!

Pretty tall for a 2 week old, don't you think? But the kids loved seeing her even from that far away!

Now the llamas had no problem coming over to the trains! 

If you go, remember to rub their heads for good luck!

Ready for my close up!

Sometimes you really felt like you were on a wagon train in the old West:

Yup, a Texas Longhorn will do that for ya!

Which is a pretty cool experience for the kids!

Ever seen a Mallard Duck that Can't fly?

They came and started eating so much off the wagon trains that they got too heavy to fly!

They have about 5 ducks there right now!

The Kudu antelope can be rather 'pushy'....

"ok, how about I smile for ya? NOW will you feed me?"

The ones on the other side of the train were a bit more 'forceful'...

And as the guide said, when you loose your cup, you loose your cup!

The kids loved petting the bison and it's curly wool coat!

They only have one, but he's been prolific and they have 4 'beffalos'. 

They're the large black rumps in the crowd picture up above!

I had to show you a close up of the antlers on the Pere David Deer! 

Grant's Zebras, or as we called them the 'Three Amigos"

(that's an Eland in the background with Addax deer)

The Baby Zebra- lot's of "awwwwwws" when she came around!

How pushy were the 'Three Amigos'?

Unfortunately they are also known as 'the biters' for obvious reasons.

(you can see the food in this photo- it's pellets or corn, wheat and other goodies...)

We did ask about how they kept so many, if they had gotten rid of the ostriches (attacked shiny things like cars), and elephants and rhinos (want to fight anything bigger than they are), but because they are endangered, they keep them, and they are breeding well- there were multiple pregnant females there too.

"Wait, you're leaving?

Don't go! I haven't gluttoned myself yet!"

All in all it was a fun day and the kids enjoyed themselves immensely and all want to go back AGAIN!

Notes:
If you are planning on visiting I have to warn you it's about $50 for a family of 3, with only the basic amount of food (1 cup each) to give to the animals.

Our train went through 6 FULL buckets in the about one hour ride. I'd say there were about 16/17 cups in each (website says 20). Kids can't help it, they want to keep feeding the animals. So you might be cautious and buy the family bucket of feed. Which when you add the souvenirs into it, means a $120-$140 day. But the experience is well worth it, per the kids!

They have a large picnic area with about 10 benches and it's a perfect lunch spot.

If you can schedule a field trip, the rates are better and they offer a great learning guide for the teachers in advance, so they can get the kids ready for what they will see, and about the conservation program. They do speak to you about the program and animals on the wagon ride, but lets be honest, the kids are too hyped up and excited to listen! ANd it's pretty cool to eat lunch while watching the kangaroos go hopping by!