Taman Safari Indonesia, what a wonderful place to visit. Located at Bogor, West Java, about a 2 hour drive from Jakarta.
This wildlife park is one of the best I have ever had the pleasure of visiting. The animals roam freely in large areas.
Cars can be driven through the areas and animals may be fed. The trip from Jakarta to Bogor was quite lengthy, not in miles, but because of the hideous traffic conditions which are part and parcel of Indonesian travel.
Cars can be driven through the areas and animals may be fed. The trip from Jakarta to Bogor was quite lengthy, not in miles, but because of the hideous traffic conditions which are part and parcel of Indonesian travel.
Driving through little villages, paddy fields of rice and miles of other interesting countryside, the approach to the park is dotted with hundreds of little stalls selling carrots and bananas for the animals.The entry fee is quite cheap and once inside the compound one is able to drive wherever the road takes them. First animals noticed were Elephants lining the driveway . All waiting for some bananas. The Elephants come right up to the vehicles and gently take the offered treats from one's hand.
Hippos, with mouth open wide lazing in the rivers are next up. The hippos love carrots. Not to be approached , the carrots are thrown from the car window and they expertly catch them, making strange noises until some more are tossed at them.
Hippos, with mouth open wide lazing in the rivers are next up. The hippos love carrots. Not to be approached , the carrots are thrown from the car window and they expertly catch them, making strange noises until some more are tossed at them.
I never realised how big the river horses teeth were until seeing them in a natural environment, mouths gaping.
Moving on, there are the obligatory monkeys, apes and all their relatives. These guys are pretty cheeky and if the window of the car is down too much, they will climb inside.There are Wildebeest, Zebra, Buffalo, Giraffes, Lions and Tigers plus bears of all kinds as well.
The only place windows are not permitted to be open is inside the big cats enclosure. This is separate from all the other animals, for obvious reasons.
No feeding of the big cats is permitted either!
All of the other animals mingle freely as they would in the wild, with no fear of being attacked by a big cat.
The grounds and surrounds are immaculate. The animals so healthy and happy looking.
I was fascinated by the Komodo Dragons. Such fearsome looking reptiles and no doubt they are if one believes all the stories written about them.Whilst admiring a huge Komodo, aptly named Beamer, the carer asked if I would like to pat him. Oh my gosh.
I decided to throw caution to the wind and get into the enclosure and pat the beast. Mind you, I half hid behind the carer as I gently touched the skin of Beamer.
It was so smooth and soft and I swear he beamed a little more.
Either that or he was hungry. Not wasting too much time in the enclosure, I retreated and thanked my lucky stars I was still in one piece. Needless to say, my heart was racing 100 miles an hour for quite some time afterwards.
I decided to throw caution to the wind and get into the enclosure and pat the beast. Mind you, I half hid behind the carer as I gently touched the skin of Beamer.
It was so smooth and soft and I swear he beamed a little more.
Either that or he was hungry. Not wasting too much time in the enclosure, I retreated and thanked my lucky stars I was still in one piece. Needless to say, my heart was racing 100 miles an hour for quite some time afterwards.
Seeing I was on a roll as far as bravery went, I then spent some time holding a huge python. Once again the skin was soft and velvety.
A visit to Taman Safari Wildlife Park is a must if travelling in the Jakarta region of Indonesia.
Text & Photos (c) 2021 - Jennifer Lockhart
NOTE: Jennifer has written this blog of her much loved experience and is not connected to the Wildlife Park in any way!
Text & Photos (c) 2021 - Jennifer Lockhart
NOTE: Jennifer has written this blog of her much loved experience and is not connected to the Wildlife Park in any way!
