Southland Safari (by reservation only) — Attraction in Tennessee

It was a fantastic experience from the cabins, to the tour, to the encounters. Everything is new and well taken care of. They provided everything in the cabin area. They had charcoal and wood for cooking out. They have a stocked pond for fishing. There were several swings and rockers for relaxing. Best of all was a petting zoo you could visit anytime and lots of feed was provided to give them. The safari was also top notch. There are lots of unique animals to view, even some endangered ones. Again, you are provided with LOTS of food so you don’t have to ration it. There are even times when you can hand feed the animals, like the bison and emu. The BEST moments of all were the animal encounters with the sloths, giraffes, and kangaroos. It. Was. Awesome! You were allowed to take your time with each one and get some one on one time. We never felt rushed. We loved every second of it. I also have to mention the people that work there. It is a family business and their passion shows in everything they do. They said they put the animals first, customers second, and themselves last. I honestly felt like the customers may have been tied for first. They were all so sweet and very knowledgeable about the animals. This place is a hidden gem. It’s great fun for kids and adults. I’ve actually been to Africa for a safari. This is the closest thing to that I’ve ever seen. There were even some things that I liked better. If you like animals, I would suggest you go soon before the rest of the world...

"We met the smartest man in Southland Safari". We asked him and he told us. Oh boy I could probably go on forever about our VIP tour and stay here and I hardly, if ever leave a review. Our 1pm VIP tour on July 1st this past Tuesday was FANTASTIC. My wife, my special needs son and I stayed 2 nights and spent an entire day planned around doing everything possible here. From the different animal encounters to the VIP tour and hanging out with our guys Benny the rhino and Larry the kangaroo. Cabins are cozy with shared grills, fishing pond and a "pretty much whenever you feel like it" petting zoo/feed the animals. Feed was free and abundant. Mr. Mike was a highlight of our experience, making the tour witty and unforgettable. You can tell he (and the rest of the hard workers there) love this place and want everyone coming through to as well. 100%. What warmed my heart the most was Mr. Mike making it a point to engage with my son and give him the best possible experience. We want to come back every couple years if we're able to. They are more than a safari, helping the animals there thrive. I know, blah blah blah guy shhhh already. But they earned it. Not to mention when I called Miss Tasha herself answered and talked with me about everything. A+

TL:DR.... Just go for it. Can't suggest the VIP...

Rhino encounter – a once-in-a-lifetime event!! I have been fortunate to have experienced some up-close encounters with amazing animals – some right here at Southland Safari. They are treasured moments! On Friday, we met Benny – the 4-year-old Indian Rhino. Michael called him a big puppy, and that is SO fitting! He was SO sweet and gentle. We took the private tour, which is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Touching this magnificent animal, scratching him, feeding him and looking into his eyes was priceless! I scratched under his chin and he loved it! He loved the attention! We also got to pet Jack and Diane -the “painted donkeys” (I’m not sure what their official species is) and Doug, the emu. Standing next to Benny and seeing him WANTING to interact is one of the coolest feelings! I was able to touch his horn, face, ears and the folds in his skin. It was INCREDIBLE!!! We got back into the truck and started driving away and Benny actually ran after us in a very playful way!!!!! That was certainly thrilling enough, but we also stopped by the White Rhino pen for the newest edition to see Chopper. He’s an 11-year old, 6,000 pound male. These encounters at Southland Safari are not like the encounters at zoos I’ve been to. They are highly interactive and very personal. YOU WILL NEVER FORGET...