Six Flags Great Adventure announced some big changes for its popular Six Flags Wild Safari attraction on Monday.
For many years guests of the safari have followed the path through the 350 acre sanctuary seeing all different animals they might have only seen on TV.
After Sept. 30 they will no longer be able to do that.
"Six Flags Wild Safari has been an institution for many families whose first glimpse of exotic animals was with their faces pressed up against the car window," said Safari Director and Chief Veterinarian Bill Rives. "That chapter of our history is now drawing to a close."
The area has been described as the world's largest drive through safari outside of Africa according to the company.
Park President John Fitzgerald said that while there will be changes, all the animals will remain at the Jackson facility.
"Animal preservation and education has been a cornerstone of Six Flags Great Adventure since we opened our gates in 1974," he said. "While significant changes are on our horizon, our veterinary and animal husbandry staff will continue to provide excellent care for the more than 70 species of exotic and domestic animals that live here at Six Flags."
Fitzgerald did not release any information about what changes were still to come but said those announcements would be made when the park releases details about the 2013 season on Aug. 30.
Vince Portelli
2:20 pm on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
One of those baboons owes me a windshield wiper!
Kat
3:06 pm on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
On a drive thru years ago my husband rolled down the drivers window and let out a HUGE sneeze....right on an unsuspecting baboon who was a little too close to the car. My son is still laughing about it years later. Ahhh memories...
Christopher Woodring
3:21 pm on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Better a wndshield wiper than a convertible top : )
Lost Soul
3:12 pm on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Umn let me guess; premier parks has destroyed the 6 flags name in their quest to
re-make the 6 flags name into one huge world wide carnival park; they are in way over their heads from day one and are sooo bloody clueless . . .
Before i stopped working at great adventure some yrs after the new owners took their was chit chat of closing the safari park and inventing a small zoo then adding rides though out the safari park a much better way to make moneys - n o t - but tell the new owners that as they destroy the legency of 6 flags . . .
Jessica
4:30 pm on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
I think i have only been through the safari twice in all the years that I have been to Great Adventure. The prices for the 3 different park admissions just got way out of hand and the safari was the one that got the axe. It's a shame because from what I remember of it, it was really cool.
Richard Dean
4:53 pm on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Sorry to say I never did that safari and never planned to. We did do one at a smaller place in Georgia, riding in old windowless vehicles they provided in which the animals came right up to us, even sticking their heads into the vehicle. Ax for Great Adventure, in the 40 years it has been open I only ever went once, 12 years ago and found the place extrremely dirty not giving us any reason to return. Instead we go to Disney in Florida almost annually.
Steve
4:54 pm on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
I remember doing the drive though as a kid, it was great, especially the baboons. I was hoping to take my son when he got a bit older but i guess now i have until the end of next month.
Steve
10:36 pm on Saturday, September 22, 2012
I took my son today, it was great. There were a lot of cars.Even though he is only two he had a great time. They no longer let the baboons climb all over you car. Next year you will have to take the guided tour as a passenger in their trucks if you want to do the Safari. Not sure if it will cost more per person then it did when you drove yourself through.
FourScore
5:06 pm on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
I think they originally included the drive-thru safari park in order to compete with Jungle Habitat.
Baumerjet
2:26 pm on Wednesday, August 22, 2012
They owned "Jungle Habitat" in West Milford years before they opened "Great Adventure." Heck even "Bugs Bunny" was "Habitat's" mascot...
Emanon
7:38 pm on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Remember Jungle Habitat in West Milford .......that banged up several years ago. I guess insurance cost are so high........and some people are quite stupid ......Like" Oh look what a cute lion" and then the poor lady reaches out to pet the lion and.half her face is ripped off, and consequently huge insurance settlement has to be paid. .........amusement parks can no longer take those chances.
Steve
1:58 pm on Wednesday, August 22, 2012
I went to Jungle Habitat as a kid. To bad it did not make it.
Baumerjet
2:27 pm on Wednesday, August 22, 2012
See my previous post - it was due to the birth of "Great Adventure" that Six-Flags Corp. closed "Jungle Habitat."
Mary E Rowlands
9:42 pm on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
It's too bad they don't put a monorail through it. That way it would be enclosed and probably safer. In other words they could exert more control. BTW we took my son when he was a little guy. He roared with laughter at the baboons!
Baumerjet
2:29 pm on Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Actually, I think that's what's planned.
Last October I was sent a survey that detailed just such a change. Including a new "Destination Africa" exhibit at their Discovery Village main gate.
Richard Dean
8:04 am on Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Jungle Habitat by Warner Brothers was only open for several seasons in the early 1970's. The giant movie company advertised so much on the 6 commercial tv stations and the dozens of radio stations in the NY City area that for the first several months it caused massive gridlock on all of the roadways leading to the park in the many places of Passaic County and nearby Morris County, Bergen County and even NY State. When it closed up many of the animals were just left to die of starvation.
Richard Dean
8:13 am on Wednesday, August 22, 2012
As I now see this Great Adventure story was in the Fair Lawn Patch with it also appearing in the Tri-Boro Patch for Butler, Kinnelon and Bloomingdale, I should explailn that I am a lifelong resident of Butler with family ties to West Milford going back to the 1820's.
One reason that Warner Brothers located Jungle Habitat where they did was the same reason that Hugh Hefner built the Playboy Club Hotel in McAfee, Vernon Township, with 500 large guest rooms at the time was simple. The state was then planning a northwest extension of the Garden State Parkway from Paramus using the already built NJ 208 corridor from Route 4 to Oakland and then continuing through Wanaque, Ringwood, West Mlford, Vernon and Wantage to High Point State Park and probably a connection to I-84 in Orange County.
Mikey
8:41 am on Wednesday, August 22, 2012
My guess is that they will run buses through the park in place of private cars. That's good for me because there is no way I would want to risk my car just to see some wildlife. They probably heard the same complaint from lots of people, hence the change.
Richard Dean
8:50 am on Wednesday, August 22, 2012
The world's most famous monorail system is at Walt Disney World, but they have not expanded it since EPCOT opened 30 years ago because of the expense. At Disney's Animal Kingdom they use transports that resemble African safari trucks with it working out very well.