The Wilds

Safari park and conservation center

The Wilds is a combined safari park and conservation center located in Cumberland, Ohio. At nearly 10,000 acres, it is one of the largest wildlife conservation centers in the United States. They attempt to breed many rare and endangered species from around the world. It is also “home” to numerous indigenous species. The Wilds houses many of these species in natural open-range habitats on land that was formerly coal surface mining land, but that has been reclaimed and turned into grassland habitats. They are also concentrating on several conservation projects designed to help reduce the decline of wildlife habitats and where possible are working to re-introduce endangered or formerly extinct (in the wild) animals back into their native habitats.

We chose to take the open air bus tour which lasts about 2 hours. I had taken this tour probably about 15 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. The Wilds recommends you arrive at least ½ an hour before your reservation time. This is because you park some distance from where you will board your tour bus. They provide shuttle service between these 2 areas.

We were happy that the bus was not crowded on our particular tour which meant that Lynn and I could sit on opposite sides of the bus and switch seats or share seats for photo opportunities.

A side note about photography – plan for both near and far subjects! I had the 150-600mm lens which was great about half the time. The other half of the time, the critters were too close to the bus for my lens. Lynn had the 50-300 lens so she could get those photo ops as well as the distance scenery shots. The tour drivers stop frequently so people can observe and take pictures, but the bus remains running all the time and there is quite a bit of continuous vibration going on. When the bus was moving, the dirt roads proved to be quite a kidney wrenching experience (very, very bumpy) and not conducive to photographing much at all. A pair of binoculars would be equipment I would recommend for all tour guests as not all the critters are hanging close all of the time. They have large areas to roam in and roam they do! You are not likely to see every animal on any 1 trip.

In addition to intense vibrations of the running bus, wildlife photographers need to take a deep breath and accept that the bus will stop where the tour guide chooses so you get what you get - you have no choice in angle, background, lighting, distance or even whether there is a tree smack dab in front of your subject – sigh….For some unknown reason, our guide always drove past the herds and then stopped.

We wanted to schedule our tour as early in the day as possible mainly to avoid the heat of the day. We figured the animals would be more active and we would be less likely to wilt as quickly! But, we also had a 2 ½ hour drive from Pittsburgh (3 if you count the need to arrive ½ hour early) and we wanted a reasonably humane start time from home. So we booked a 10 AM open-air safari.

After you park (fee), there's a relatively short (depending on where you end up parked) hike to the shuttle bus which takes you to the visitors center. You need to sign in there and then if time permits you can wander around the buildings. We walked over to view the Hellbenders on display and then just wandered and enjoyed the views over the valley. You can also observe the crazy zip-line people doing their thing! There are restroom facilities here as well.

(Lynn 7480, 7491, 8409, 8412)

So off we go! Come along and enjoy a virtual safari ride:

Pere David's Deer . They are thought to have gone extinct from their native habitat on mainland China in the early 1800’s. The only surviving populations were in wildlife parks in Europe. They have subsequently been re-introduced into protected reserves in parts of China. B. Smith photo

Part of the herd of Pere David's deer enjoying the lake. They have some characteristics and behaviors which make them stand out among the many species of deer. Physically they are an odd sort of combination of animals: a tail like that of a donkey, a neck like that of a camel, antlers like deer and hooves like cows. The antlers are unique in that the main beam grows almost straight up and the long tines point backwards. The males sometimes grow and shed 2 sets of antlers per year. B.Smith photo

A unique behavior is that they are quite fond of water, often wading in shoulder-deep and standing mostly submerged for lengthy periods of time. They are also quite adept at swimming. While they commonly graze on grasses, they are also known to graze on aquatic plants. B.Smith photo

Part of the bison herd grazing on a distant hillside. These animals belong to a private owner who's land is adjacent to The Wilds. B. Smith photo.

Persian Onagers (Equus hemionus onager) B.Smith photo

Persian Onagers are one of six subspecies of wild ass. B.Smith photo

They are endangered in their native Iran with fewer than 700 remaining in the wild. B.Smith photo

B.Smith photo

Greater One-horned Asian Rhino (Rhinocerous unicornis). This endangered species (also known as “Indian Rhino”) is the largest of the rhino species and is native to India and Nepal. Their hide has folds of skin which gives an armor-plated appearance. B.Smith photo

They are mostly solitary (except when raising young) and have a semi-prehensile upper lip which allows them to grasp food and bring it up to their mouth. B.Smith photo

Red-crowned Crane (Grus japonensis). These are one of the largest crane species standing up to 5 feet high and with a wingspan of up to 8 feet. B.Smith photo

The red patch on the crown is actually a patch of bare skin which becomes brighter during mating season. B.Smith photo

Przewalski’s Horse (Equus ferus przewalskii). (Also known as the Asiatic wild horse or Mongolian wild horse). It is pronounced either “sheh-VAHL-skee” or “per-zhuh-VAHL-skee”. This species, a former native of much of Europe and parts of Asia, went extinct in the wild in the late 1960s. It has now has been reintroduced into parts of Mongolia and China. B.Smith photo

This small, stocky horse has a large head, a thick zebra-like erect mane and short legs with zebra-like stripes behind their knees. They stand 4.3 – 5 feet (1.3 – 1.5 meters) tall at the withers. B.Smith photo

All Przewalski’s horses alive today are descendants of approximately a dozen horses captured in the early 1900s. B. Smith photo

Dhole (Cuon alpinus) (also known as Asian Wild Dog) An endangered species living in the jungles of India and Southeast Asia. They usually live in packs and engage in cooperative group hunting and group care of the young. B.Smith photo

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). An endangered species living in Sub-Saharan Africa and Northern Iran. Only about 7,000 cheetahs remain in the wild. B.Smith photo

They are the fastest land mammal in the world, but can only sustain their 70 mph speed for less than half a mile. B.Smith photo

Special paw pads and semi-retractable claws provide great traction. Large nostrils and lungs provide quick air intake that allows cheetahs to breathe more easily while running and suffocating their prey. A large liver, heart and adrenal gland facilitate a rapid physical response. A greyhound-like body is streamlined over light bones. Cheetahs have small collarbones and vertical shoulder blades, which are not attached to the collarbone, as well as hips that swivel on a flexible spine. These structural adaptations help lengthen their stride and provide superior acceleration. The cheetah's tail acts as a rudder for quick turning, counteracting its body weight. B.Smith photo

Cheetahs have a unique social order among felids. Adult females are solitary, while adult males are not. Adult females interact with adult males only long enough to breed, and females raise their cubs on their own. B.Smith photo

African Painted Dog (Lycaon pictus). Fewer than 5,000 painted dogs remain in their native range of Southern, Eastern and Central Africa. Also known as African wild dogs, painted wolves, and cape hunting dogs. B.Smith photo

Each animal has its own unique coat pattern. The wild dog’s short hair is in yellow, gray, white and black patches. No two dogs have the same markings and colorations. It is their unique fingerprint and may aid pack members in recognizing each other over distances of up to 100 meters., B.Smith photo

They are pack animals which assists them in hunting prey much larger than themselves and with having an 80% hunting success rate. They are strongly bonded. They’ll even look after injured dogs, bringing them food until they recover. B.Smith photo

Body weight of adults range from 18 to 36 kg (40 to 79 lb). B.Smith photo

They have only four toes per foot, unlike other dogs, which have five toes on their forefeet. B.Smith photo

Sichuan Takin (Budorcas taxicolor tibetana). The Takin inhabits dense bamboo forest in Western China B.Smith photo

They are herbivores and will feed upon almost any vegetation they can find. They will even stand on their hind legs and prop their legs up on a tree to reach additional food.. B.Smith photo

Grevy’s Zebra (Equus grevyi). A native of Northern Kenya and Southern Ethiopia, their numbers are fewer than 3,000 in the wild. B.Smith photo

The Grevy’s is the largest of the three species of zebra and can be distinguished by a large patch of white found on either side of the tail. B.Smith photo

They also have the largest ears and narrowest stripes of any zebra species. B.Smith photo

Common Eland (Taurotragus oryx). Eland are the second largest species of antelope and are native to Eastern and Southern Africa. B.Smith photo

Interestingly, the females grow longer horns than the males. The horns can reach up to 3 feet in length. B.Smith photo

Ostrich (Struthio camelus). Ostriches are the largest birds in the world. B.Smith photo

The are flightless, but can run at speeds up to 43 mph. B.Smith photo

Southern White Rhino (Ceratotherium simun simun). White rhinos have two horns, poor eyesight and a keen sense of smell. B.Smith photo

• White rhinos are grazers. Its wide, square upper lip is adapted for feeding on grasses. B.Smith photo

Unlike the solitary Greater One-horned Asian Rhino, these White Rhinos prefer to live in social groups. B.Smith photo

Females have longer but thinner horns. The male horns are shorter, but larger overall. B.Smith photo

During very hot periods, they cool and rid themselves of external parasites by bathing in mud in shallow pools. B.Smith photo