Let’s face it, we can’t all afford to go on a safari in Africa, or see the jungles of India and witness the wildlife. But luckily for us, the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park has a Photo Caravan tour where you, your friends, and family can participate in a safari for a reasonable price.

The Photo Caravan first started when the Wild Animal Park wanted to find a way that guests could experience the animals up close but still be safe. When guests go on the Caravan, they have the opportunity to feed giraffes acacia leaves and the rhinos apples, like I did (that’s me pictured above)!

When the other high school interns and I found out that we were going to go on the Caravan, we were very excited, but also didn’t know what to expect. None of us had ever been on a Photo Caravan or anything like it before, and I know that I was kind of nervous being close to animals that weigh as much as cars. It seems kind of scary being that close to rhinos and giraffes, but our Photo Caravan guide, Vicki, says that the Photo Caravan tour is “safe for everybody.” And she was right; it was safe, interesting, and a lot of fun!

We started the tour going through the gates of the African exhibit of the Wild Animal Park. Vicki started the tour by pointing out the bonobos in the Park. We didn’t get very close to them, but it was still very fascinating to see them. The Caravan then toured us around the field exhibit where Vicki told us facts about the animals we saw. I must say that I had never seen or heard of a Javan banteng before I went on the Photo Caravan. I never knew that there were so many different types of gazelle in the wild!

The animals are safe and comfortable as well. Vicki explains that all of the animals at the Wild Animal Park are used to seeing humans and trucks move through their field exhibits, so the Photo Caravan doesn’t bother them at all. It’s nice to see that the animals are doing what they would normally do in the wild. Vicki says “The rhinos and giraffes share a habitat in the wild, and they’re able to share a habitat in the Park.”

There were two parts of the Caravan that were really exciting to me, the first being feeding the giraffes. The giraffes seemed to recognize the Photo Caravan truck, because right when we got close enough in their exhibit, they came on over, and Vicki started to feed them leaves. Everyone on the Caravan got an opportunity to hand leaves to the giraffes and watch them grab the leaves with their tongues. I thought that it was fascinating that all of the giraffes had distinct patterns on their skin; by the end of the tour I could start to tell them apart.

The second exciting part for me was when I got to feed and touch the Indian rhinos. Everyone got a chance to feed them apple slices and touch them while on the truck. I had figured that the skin of the rhinos was like armor just by looking at them, but touching them had confirmed my beliefs. Their skin almost felt like concrete, except the rhinos seemed to enjoy the interaction as much as I did.

So how realistic is the Photo Caravan compared to a real safari? It turns out that it comes pretty close, in my opinion. During the Caravan, I was lucky enough to be able to touch the rhinos and get really close to the animals. It was very neat to have the unique experience of feeding a giraffe, not many people can say that they’ve done that (unless they have taken the Photo Caravan). The best part was knowing that I touched a rhino and fed a giraffe in my home town of San Diego. Who knew that all of those amazing animals could be in your own back yard?

The Photo Caravan also provides a complimentary snack and beverage. Just don’t forget to bring your camera!

Laura is a student at High Tech High in San Diego Zoo.

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