The Preserve — Attraction in Town of Sanford

What an awesome experience! The Preserve is absolutely breathtaking, a very peaceful wooded drive. We were there the second day it opened, and it was magical! There are animals I have only seen in photos, and some I have only seen from a distance - now at my car, looking down on me! You can go at your own pace. Pull over and watch a herd of Brahma cattle, watch the antics of the ostriches or llamas, spot baby animals including baby bison and water buffalo, be amazed at the size of the horns on the Watusi cattle and Texas Longhorn cattle, feed the animals, and chat with the rangers who make sure everyone is having a great experience. When we were there Saturday, Ranger Nick enticed the red deer to come closer, gave hints on how to attract some of the animals, and let us know that the baby bison was ahead. Another Ranger (Ariel?) told us about the 'bug sausages' and helped to redirect an ostrich who was blocking the road, looking for us to pay ransom to pass! I had 2 friends in the car with me, and we were hysterical as Kandie and Kamila (the Dromedary camels) reached across me through my window to get to the food my passenger had! I have not laughed that hard in a long time! You can purchase feed at the beginning, and also about 1/3 of the way through if you are running out. There is also a feed station (an adorable old safari truck!) at the giraffe enclosure where you can purchase lettuce to feed Tajiri and Desmond, the Reticulated giraffe who moved over from Animal Adventure Park. (Tajiri was born at the park in 2017). And if you still have pellet food left, the Grant's Zebra are the last enclosure you pass, and you can feed them. There are 4 paddocks, with animals specific to that area of the world roaming free. The last area, Giants of Asia, contains a Southern White Rhino, Reticulated Giraffe and Grant's Zebra, all in their own enclosures, and there is no direct contact with them except Giraffe feeding from your car. Our drive took about 2 hours. You can do it in less time - but why would you? We didn't want the drive to end! I have been to several safari parks. This one, by far, was the best experience. Make a day of it and visit Animal Adventure Park and The...

I was one of the people that benefited from a "sneak peak preview" of the Animal Adventure Preserve prior to its being open to the public.Currently there are many more animals that have learned how to find their treats! roaming the grounds.

Visiting Animal Adventure Preserve allowed a peaceful , scenic, and interactive three mile drive through 100 acres of outdoor beauty. The ride afforded the opportunity to commune with nature and have a memorable experience both feeding and observing animals from the comfort of your own car!

Individuals with mobility or sensory issues will fully enjoy this experience. Guests are able to control the amount of interaction with the animals by simply opening or closing the windows of their vehicles or holding the feed bucket outside the car window instead of in! There is ample room to pull over to the side of the trail to take in the beauty, no rush!

The park rangers were amiable and helpful, and it was apparent that both the two and four footed inhabitants were well cared for. The trail itself was cleaner than I had expected given the amount of large animals congregating along the route. There also were stations with animal feed and fresh water close to the path for the animals to enjoy at will.

Don't miss this new Animal Adventure experience, guaranteed to fill your car with smiles and belly laughs along the way! Oh and for the camera buffs out there, did I mention the wonderful photos you will amass for your photo journal. Transport yourself into another world for a part of your day and Reserve the Preserve! You will not be...

There were 5 other cars ahead of us at our 3pm "reservation" so there was a lot of waiting. Of our $50 worth of feed (not much) a lot was left over at the end and the animals seemed uninterested. It was 90% cows, some emu, alpaca, camel, ostrich, deer and buffalo that were available for interaction. At the end, you could view a juvenile rhino, 2 giraffe and zebra inside their enclosures. Much like the sister park, it's very depressing. The enclosures are bland and empty save the animals themselves, with no signs of even attempting to replicate their natural environments or provide stimulation. The animals in the sister park show signs of stress such as cage chewing and pacing. I had hoped it would improve with time and that it was just "new" when we first visited but sadly, that...