On the road again ... with the Watusi

By Mary Alice Blackwell

Published: October 26, 2008

Don’t feed the Watusi.

Or the zebras. They have a tendency to nip.

While I am familiar with the uniquely stripped equines, the Watusi were new to me.

Probably new to many of the people who gingerly poked their white plastic feed buckets in and out of their car windows as they traversed the 180-acre Virginia Safari Park in Natural Bridge.

But there they were — among more than 950 four- and two-legged creatures — who calmly waited to see if anyone disobeyed the drive-through park’s listed rules.

“They are from Africa,” said my friend, who drove so I could offer the approved food to a collection of curious

llamas and camels that had encircled my car.

She would know. She has made several trips to Africa.

She also had the park’s colorful booklet that gives you the lowdown on each of the animals that roam about freely; animals ranging in size from the teeny, teeny pot-bellied piglets to the 2,200-pound Asian swamp water buffaloes.

To my untrained eye, the Watusi looks a lot like a cow … except for its enormous horns.

In fact, these “cattle of kings” are known for their horns that can measure six inches around at the base and stretch 10 feet across, from tip to tip. It isn’t the type of tip, however, that you would like inside your car window.

“We ask people not to feed the zebras, North American buffalo and the Watusi cattle,” said Janet Mogensen, who owns the park with her husband, Eric. “The two cattle breeds, the bison and Watusi, have horns that tend to get banged around near vehicles. So we are trying to save people’s vehicles from getting any kind of scratching or damage.”

And the zebras?

“They tend to bite to steal the buckets,” she added, “and they do have a good set of teeth. A lot of the animals try to steal your buckets, but they don’t try to take your fingers while they are doing it.”

My friend, who was well aware of aggressive zebra behavior, drove by slowly with the windows securely in the upright position. The laid-back Watusi and the prancing zebras were impressive to see. As were the Pere David deer from China, the two humped Bactrian camel from Mongolia, the yaks from Central Asia, the beautifully marked oryx from Africa.

Or is it oryxes?

There are more than 35 species on site, the owner later explained. The husband and wife opened the zoo nine years ago with 200 animals from various zoos. Except for the babies born on site — more than 25 llamas in the past two months and several camels are expected any day — the couple still populate their growing collection from zoos across the country.

This year, they added a reptile exhibit and two Bengal tigers.

These, by the way, don’t roam with the other animals. Once you traverse the park by car, there is another section that you can roam on foot. It includes a kangaroo walk-about, a petting area, Lorikeet landing, a giraffe feeding station and, of course, the Bengals: Tiger Lily and Kahn.

“Our two tigers are just a year old now,” Mogensen said. “They are big babies. They came in last fall as infants, both on bottles from their previous zoos.”

Meanwhile back in my car — a ticket will let you ride through as much as you want all day — I tried to coax some shy little blackbucks over for a snack. One tiny fellow that surely was no taller than my knees gave me look, took a mouthful of feed, then sprang straight up in the air.

“That’s why they call them a spring buck,” my friend said with a laugh as I spilled a goodly portion of the feed inside the car.

That’s one of the hazards. You may need to vacuum after your leisurely drive.

Which brings me to tip No. 2. This definitely isn’t a trip for those in a hurry. You never know when a Rocky Mountain elk might just decide to sun himself in the middle of the road.

“We tell people to allow two hours to do everything,” Mogensen said. “It will take at least an hour to drive through, and you will need another 45 minutes to walk through the Safari Village.”

Oh, and tip No. 3: Keep a firm grip on your bucket. While a bongo may politely nibble at your grain, there are those — and you know who you are, Mr. Dromedary Camel — who have learned that there’s more food to be had if he or she grabs the side of the bucket and yanks it out of your hands.

While there was much laughter, a sloppy lick or two and more than an occasional snout inside the car, my fellow traveler, who, as I have mentioned before, has visited Africa on numerous occasions, refused to roll down her window to enjoy the feeding frenzy.

I, on the other hand, was extremely brave … Well, except when that eerie 8-foot-tall ostrich dropped its limber neck to peer at me nose to beak. A tad bit of screaming and window rolling may have come into play.

At the end of day, a good time and lots of food was had by all.

But, I swear, I didn’t feed the Watusi.

If you go:

What: Virginia Safari Park.

Where: 229 Safari Lane, Natural Bridge.

Fall hours: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. The last car will be admitted at 4 p.m.

Open: Second weekend in March through though Nov. 30. Closed on Thanksgiving.

Cost: $12, $8 for children, and $3 for a bucket of feed.

Wagon rides: At 1 and 3 p.m. only, first come, first serve. There is an additional $4 charge, which includes a bucket of feed.

Info: http://www.virginiasafaripark.com or (540) 291-3205.