donald bale

me as a person who walked with the elephants in their section on a daily basis can testify that seeing all of the animals up close and personal with just a car window between you is something you will cherish and never forget.

Thanks Harry there are a few changes since '75, the barn had slide doors instead of rollup doors. The separate paddocks for the elephants and rhinos were surrounded by the log fences like they were in the drive-thru section. I also noticed while you drive through the African plain section you can see the barns, in my days there the trees were so thick along that fence line you had to really look hard to see part of the rhino barn, you could only see the top half of the giraffe barn. So thank you again Harry for the pics I really enjoyed seeing the updated photos.

Harry are the any current photos of the elephant barn inside and out, i'm kind of curious as to what it looks like now compared to what it looked like in '75.

Ok jdc first of all the "winter housing" you are referring to is daily housing for the elephants and rhinos as well as their daily feeding of fruits, grains and vegetables. They have troughs along one side of their pens of which there are 4 sections, the rhinos have 4 sections of pens as well with each pen that has concrete troughs that hold their daily fruits, grains and vegetables as well as drinking water for them. Outside the bay doors is their own paddocks they use during the off season so the barn can be cleaned every day. I know this because I did exactly that every day for 2 years back in '74 through part of '76 as well as walking with the elephant during the open season, this was back before they were put inside of a fenced section within the elephant/rhino section. I'm pretty sure things still run the same to this day. As far as getting out of the rover in a lion or tiger section I doubt it would happen unless the animals are behind some kind of inclosure. Please do take the excursion if you get a chance i'm sure you will really enjoy it.

Harry keep on a rolling and have a happy birthday

OK jdc12192 i'm wondering if you made it into the safari or not, it's been over a year now and have not heard?

Randy did you take over the lion section from Tommy Lear when he left the first time? Do you remember Winks and if so what was his real name? These are questions I got from an e-mail from Gary...

I think I remember you telling that story at Cassville Tavern but I might be mistaken, memory isn't what it once was......

Randy that was great, some days could really be a challenge couldn't they.

Randy just tell stories, Gary and I were only there 2 yrs. you were there about 9, we would love to hear about things after we left and I know Harry would love them too.

Randy welcome to this site. I'm glad to see another warden joining, we are a dying breed and need to let others know of our exploits there.

I remember Cassville Tavern well I loved their cheesesteak sandwiches. I also remember spending many nights there drinking with other wardens....... AHHHH GOOD TIMES

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Harry, I hope you have many many more to come.

as a former warden of the elephant/rhino section this made me sit up and take notice but I am a woodworker too so I really enjoyed seeing these pictures and really amazed at its size.

just you and me my friend, hopefully others will speak too, it would be great to hear from newer wardens too.

Other than a few rhinos and and such getting too close to the section gates I remember one evening a rhino got out the swing gate between the elephant/rhino barn and the giraffe barn. There is a section of a wooded area stretching from the giraffe barn towards the African plains/elephant sections gate, it was like a long wedge of woods. Butch, Gary, me and a few others spent most of the night trying to corral the rhino by foot and with a tractor with head lights which Butch was driving. For hours we would herd him in the right direction just to have him charge back in the other direction, but finally we did get him turned back into his own pad at the rhino side of the barn.

I am still here my friend, but yea, i wish more safari wardens past and present would join in.

thanks, it was a good video. i'm kind of interested to see how this ride stands up when it is raining and especially when the heat gets up there, is there any kind of fans or air conditioning vents in these trucks?

why post a video if we can't open it????????????????

If the new safari trip is anything like the video shows it will be a great experience for the people on board.

to 29yrswithaGApass, i was wondering if you have a section that has safari members listed, not just wardens but gate guards and others that worked in the confines of the safari, it occured to me when dave barnes signed up that others could be members from the safari section but using screen names. i joined in my name just so past friends could find me easily, i'm pretty sure that's why gary joined in his name too. how about adding a safari members section if you don't already have one.

we wore hats not helmets, at least not in the first two years of the safari park. if you go thru pictures of the safari posted by the safari people you will see what they look like. j.c. wilson doesn't sound familiar to me but some of the others might know.

hey Jake it is good to hear from you. i was wondering if any of the old crew would find this site and please keep it up with the stories, it really brings on a smile when i hear from and about the safari in the old days. by the way the bear guy that was a jackson cops son was Bob Barry. take care and keep in touch also get some of the old crew on this site if you can.

It has, i still have a big smile on my face.

Not only 29 elephants but 16 rhinos too, to watch, feed and clean up after, day in and day out. But it was one heck of an experience that not very many people can comprehend.