Visitors will also be able to meet Bridi, the first African female giraffe born in Sharjah Safari. Wuhaida's birth is the result of the safari's breeding programme, supported by the UN, that focuses on African native species. One of the star attractions is Wuhaida, the first female southern white rhino born in Sharjah Safari in August last year. Across 12 environments, each representing a region in Africa, visitors will be able to experience the life and terrain of the animals and birds that live in them.Ĭurrently, about 600 animals including lions, giraffes and rhinos call the Sharjah Safari home, with about 300 more expected to arrive later this month and in March. The UAE's latest wildlife attraction was designed to replicate a real African safari. All photos: Antonie Robertson / The National I am glad I went and would recommend it anyone else interested in being immersed in the quiet and solitude nature has to offer.Sharjah Safari covers an area of eight square kilometres. There is no visitor's center or facilities there, so you need to plan meals and bathroom breaks accordingly. If you like photography, bring a tripod and a good zoom. Make sure to bring binoculars with you, so you can really enjoy the entire experience, as the vistas are expansive. It's late winter, so they probably haven't had time yet, to do their annual maintenance. There was a lot of debris from fallen trees and I could not determine where, or if, there had ever been a trail or path through or beyond that area. I was a little disappointed in the Nature Trail, which all of a sudden just ended, on the edge of a field, with no signs or blazes or path, showing which way to go. It has a nice variety of settings, to attract various types of animals, with mixed pine and hardwood stands, open, mowed & un-mowed fields, marshes, ponds, and of course, the lake. Nice viewing platforms and lazy, winding roads to observe nature. I saw some gorgeous hawks (harriers?) which I have to look up in order to identify. The office is only open during the week.Įven though I was here on a Saturday, I had the place to myself, with nothing but the sky, water, fields, woods, birds, and breeze, for company. On the drive we saw several different kinds of ducks, a couple herons and egrets and hawks. We saw a small gator trying to get a duck and went back to the car. It was like a levy and swampy on both sides. The person at the visitor center told us to park at the gate without blocking it and walk in. Ww did walk along a levy in a section in Georgia. The walking trail in the Alabama section was closed. Also got out at a a viewing platform and an observation tower. We got out of the car at a place called the Goose Pen. There are woodlands, old fields, grasslands, open water and marshland. There are many different types of land which attracts lots of different birds. We picked up a map of the wildlife drive at the visitor center. Watchable wildlife and ecotourism is a thing! With an underused resort state park right next door, this could be a jewel in Eufaula's crown. Maintain the trail, clean up the signage, advertise this treasure a bit. But there's no interpretive center per se.įor Eufaula, Chamber of Commerce, and Economic Development Board find ways to help the feds clean up a bit. The headquarters is worth a quick stop to see taxidermied animals and pick up some guides. It's managed by the US Fish and wildlife service. Talking to one, both of us were surprised at the amazing biodiversity represented here! Egrets, ibises, hawks, eagles, gators, coyotes.and fox squirrels the size of small dogs! Over 11,000 acres that include land on both sides of the Chattahoochee River. Have I been coming here for a decade and just now finding this place? I passed two other cars in 4 hours. Interpretive signs were mostly weathered and cobweb covered. The infrastructure was not well cared for. Keep your eyes open on the gravel for Killdeer, who sometimes lay their eggs right in the middle of the road.įor a struggling community and economy, this is the best-kept secret they should leverage. And pause at the pump stations to look for alligators. Stop at the observation towers to look over the landscape, take in the birds and wildflowers. Then take the Wildlife Drive slowly with the windows open. If you're a hiker, brave the overgrown trailhead for the Nature Trail. My recommendation for you is to pack lots of water, food, and a great quality set of binoculars.
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