Seminole County to Buy Land for New Safari Park at Central Florida Zoo

- Michelle Snow

The Central Florida Zoo will expand thanks to land bought and donated by Seminole County.

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Nearly 17 acres were bought by the county and it will be used to build a Wild African Safari Park at the zoo.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, plans show visitors traveling by shuttle buses or trains across an area similar to an African plain to see animals native to that continent, like giraffes, zebras, wildebeests and gazelles. Animals will be separated from visitors by a natural barriers such as moats.

It isn’t a done deal, though. Zoo officials said they still need to raise nearly $6.5 million to build the open-range attraction. If they do raise enough funds, construction could start as early as 2014, with a estimated opening in 2018.

The safari park would be the largest expansion for the zoo since it moved to its current location in 1975.

About Michelle Snow

Michelle is the owner and editor of CitySurfing Orlando. She also owns Zengrrl.com, is a freelance writer specializing in travel and entertainment, has authored/co-authored four guidebooks on Orlando and Florida, and is head editor/writer at TheDisneyBlog.com. She's lived in Orlando near Walt Disney World since 1995, and still finds there's so much fun to be had in Central Florida.
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