If you’re looking for a fun day trip to enjoy the beautiful Louisiana weather, head to the Global Wildlife Center! We recently made the 90 minute trek from Baton Rouge to Folsom, and it did not disappoint. According the their website, the Global Wildlife Center seeks “to be a center of 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” and is the “largest totally free-roaming wildlife preserve of its kind in the country.” I would love to go on an African safari someday, but this might be as close as I get for awhile.
When you pull into the gravel drive, you are instantly surrounded by animals. I heard Etta Mae yelling “Llama!” from the back seat. We paid for our tickets, bought a family-sized bucket of feed, and headed to the wagon. Our friends let us know that the back of the wagon would get the most interaction from the animals, so we took our seats. There were giraffes walking around and Etta Mae was telling them “hi” and waving.
Once the tour began, the animals showed up from every direction. The guide told us about all of the species and gave us plenty of fun facts about the animals. During the 90 minute tour, we saw deer, llamas, giraffes, zebras, and so many more! The best part was that you could feed them directly from your hand or souvenir cup. The only rule was that you don’t pet the zebras. Apparently, they like to use their full set of teeth for more than just chewing food!
Etta Mae had a blast! She threw food to the zebras and “quacked” at the ducks. We only had one little mishap. While Etta Mae was holding a food cup, a giraffe snuck his entire head into the wagon and decided to take bite. She wasn’t too thrilled when he knocked her over while attempting to finish his meal. But, I know that she would definitely love to go back!
You can visit the Global Wildlife Center Website to see the daily tour times. Tickets are $21 for ages 12-61, $15 for kids 2-11, and children under 2 are free. They also offer discounted rates for company gatherings, private parties, and church groups. Several sizes of feed are available in the gift shop which is also full of fun goodies for the kiddos.
Take advantage of this fun family adventure before the Louisiana heat shows up in full force!
