Lion Country Safari

What Lion Country Safari does

Lion Country Safari, Inc. operates a 320-acre drive-through wildlife preserve and an adjacent 55-acre walk-through adventure park on a single site in Loxahatchee, Florida (Western Palm Beach County). Founded in 1967 as the first cageless zoo in the United States, the company houses roughly 900-1,000 animals across 85-90 species from six continents, including what is reported as the largest zebra herd on record in the Western Hemisphere, one of the largest U.S. giraffe herds, and a significant white rhino breeding program. Revenue is generated through admission tickets (drive-through + Safari World walk-through), annual and multi-attraction passes (including the Summer Savings Pass bundled with Zoo Miami and Cox Science Center), premium paid encounters (giraffe feeding, lory feeding, Flamingo Mingle, Wild Bites adult evenings at $250/person, Family STEM Sessions at $150/session), on-site food service at Table67 Restaurant (operated by The SSA Group), merchandise, group and school programs, and a KOA campground (closing April 30, 2026 for repurposing). Distribution is direct-to-consumer via walk-up gate sales, an e-commerce ticketing platform with Apple Wallet integration, group sales, and channel partnerships with regional attractions.

The business is AZA-accredited, Certified Autism Center-designated, and participates in multiple Species Survival Plans (rhinos, giraffes, zebras, siamangs, chimpanzees). It pursues conservation partnerships with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, Grevy's Zebra Trust, and the Tonkolili Chimpanzee Project in Sierra Leone. After 58 years of founding-family ownership, Lion Country Safari was sold to the Larry Ellison Foundation for $30 million in November 2025, with operations continuing under existing leadership and a stated continuation of conservation, animal care, and guest experience priorities.

Name

Lion Country Safari

Legal name

Lion Country Safari, Inc.

Website

https://lioncountrysafari.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Lion Country Safari operates a 320-acre drive-through wildlife preserve and 55-acre walk-through adventure park in Loxahatchee, Florida, serving roughly 500,000 annual visitors with admission, premium encounters, education programs, and F&B under AZA accreditation since 1967.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Safari Park

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land (48711)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Safari Parks & Drive-Through Wildlife Parks (THAAAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Zoo & Aquarium Parks (Ticketed Wildlife Attractions) (THAJAEAE), Safari & Game Drives (Land-Based) (THAAAEAC)

Keywords

• Wildlife safari park
• Drive-through safari
• Animal encounters
• Wildlife conservation
• Zoo attraction

Headquarters

HQ city

Loxahatchee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: Entry fees for drive-through safari and walk-through adventure park. Standard admission provides access to both the preserve and Safari World with rides, encounters, and attractions.
2. Food and Merchandise: On-site food service provided by The SSA Group at Table67 Restaurant, plus gift shop merchandise and gift items.
3. Premium Experiences: Special ticketed events including Wild Bites adult evening experience ($250 per person), backstage giraffe encounters, and Flamingo Mingle encounters.
4. Annual Passes and Memberships: Annual passholder memberships providing unlimited visits with perks including digital pass cards for Apple Wallet.
5. KOA Campground: On-site campground operated in partnership with Kampgrounds of America offering 230 sites including cabins, pull-through sites, and tent sites. Closed April 30, 2026 for repurposing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Lion Country Safari operates a 320-acre drive-through wildlife preserve and a 55-acre walk-through adventure park in Western Palm Beach County, Florida. Visitors self-drive through naturalistic habitats where large herds of animals including lions, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, and ostriches roam free, then explore the walk-through Safari World for animal encounters, rides, and educational experiences. The park also offers premium experiences, annual memberships, on-site camping, school programs, and group/private event hosting.

Product overview

Lion Country Safari is a drive-through wildlife park and walk-through adventure park offering multiple interconnected experiences. The core offering consists of the Drive-Through Safari (4-mile self-guided vehicle route through animal habitats) and Safari World Adventure Park (55-acre walk-through area with animal encounters and rides). The company sells annual passes and multi-attraction passes (Summer Savings Pass with Zoo Miami and Cox Science Center), and offers premium add-on experiences including Flamingo Mingle Encounters, Giraffe Feeding, Wild Bites after-hours events, and on-site camping at the KOA campground. Educational programs include school field trips and Family Summer STEM Days. The park generates revenue through admission tickets, premium experiences, food service (Table67 Restaurant), retail shopping, and membership passes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lion Country Safari KOA Campground: On-site Kampgrounds of America campground offering camping adjacent to the drive-through wildlife preserve, allowing guests to sleep to the sounds of nighttime Africa.

Products and services

• Drive-Through Safari A 4-mile self-drive route through wide-open naturalistic habitats where large herds of animals including lions, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, ostriches, and rhinos roam free while visitors remain in their vehicles. Target audience is families, tourists, and general visitors seeking an authentic wildlife safari experience.
• Safari World Adventure Park

Quantifiable outcome

• 40+ rhino calves born since 1979, contributing to White Rhinoceros Species Survival Plan
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAZA accreditation requires meeting highest standards in animal care, veterinary programs, conservation, education, and safety. Lion Country Safari maintains AZA accreditation renewed every 5 years since initial accreditation. Participation in AZA Species Survival Plans (SSP) for rhinos, zebras, giraffes, siamangs, chimpanzees, and other threatened species.
• Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLion Country Safari team members participated in giraffe surveying expeditions in Namibia in 2019 and 2021. Partnership involves Southern Giraffe Species Programme supporting Angolan giraffe conservation. Park staff contributed to camera trap maintenance and giraffe identification efforts in Namibia. GCF estimates 12,000 Angolan giraffes in Namibia.
• Grevy's Zebra TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLion Country Safari participates in Great Grevy's Rally, a census of Grevy's zebra population in Kenya. Two employees traveled in January 2018 to photograph zebra stripe patterns with GPS-enabled cameras to determine population status and guide conservation efforts.
• International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLion Country Safari designated as Certified Autism Center (CAC) upon completing IBCCES training and certification in best practices for assisting autistic sensory-sensitive individuals. Staff completed additional autism-specific training to better serve all guests.
• The SSA GroupminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSSA Group provides food service at Lion Country Safari, operating Table67 Restaurant with menu options for guests including those with dietary restrictions.
• Tonkolili Chimpanzee ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded by Lion Country Safari's Dr. Tina Cloutier Barbour, Curator of Conservation, Research and Chimpanzees. Park supports conservation initiative in Sierra Leone. Chimpanzee baby named 'Tonk' in honor of the project.
• Zoo MiamiminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-selling Summer Savings Pass bundle offering unlimited admission to both Lion Country Safari and Zoo Miami along with Cox Science Center. Cross-promotional partnership serving South Florida tourism market.
• Cox Science Center and AquariumminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-selling Summer Savings Pass bundle offering unlimited admission to Lion Country Safari and Cox Science Center along with Zoo Miami. Cross-promotional partnership serving South Florida families.
• American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLion Country Safari's AAZK chapter hosts annual Bowling for Rhinos events to raise funds for rhino conservation. AAZK has raised over $4 million since 1990 for rhino sanctuaries in Indonesia, Sumatra, Kenya, and Action for Cheetahs in Kenya.
• Kampgrounds of America (KOA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKOA partnership since November 1983 (40+ years) operating on-site campground with 230 sites. KOA awarded Lion Country Safari campground highest accolades: President's Award and Founder's Award for 2024. Campground closing April 2026 for repurposing.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens: AZA-accredited Florida zoo with comparable species collection and educational programming. Competes for Southwest Florida family visitation and tourist traffic.
• Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens: AZA-accredited Florida zoo with similar wildlife collection breadth and school field trip programming. Overlaps in family and educational market segments within Florida.
• Everglades Safari Park: Florida-based wildlife safari experience offering guided airboat tours and wildlife encounters. Comparable safari-style product in the same geography, though focused on native Everglades species rather than African megafauna.
• Brevard Zoo: Florida-based AZA-affiliated zoo offering animal encounters and educational programs. Competes for Central Florida family tourism and school group business.

Broad incumbents

• San Antonio Zoo: Large AZA-accredited U.S. zoo with comparable species collection, conservation programming, and premium experience offerings. Comparable operational scale and institutional positioning within the broader U.S. zoo category.

Direct peers

• SeaWorld Orlando: Florida theme park with extensive animal collection including marine and terrestrial species. Competes for regional tourist share, family pass buyers, and educational group bookings.
• Zoo Miami: AZA-accredited South Florida zoo and existing cross-promotional partner via the Summer Savings Pass. Operates cageless exhibits with comparable species breadth and competes for the same South Florida family and tourist market.
• Disney's Animal Kingdom: Florida-based zoological theme park featuring free-roaming animal exhibits across African-themed landscapes. Competes directly with Lion Country Safari for Florida family visitation, wildlife experience dollars, and educational tourism.
• Busch Gardens Tampa Bay: Florida theme park combining thrill rides with African-themed animal exhibits, including safari-style experiences. Direct competitor for Florida tourist visitation and family entertainment dollars.
• San Diego Zoo Safari Park: Large-scale drive-through safari experience operated by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, featuring free-roaming herds across expansive naturalistic habitats. Closest U.S. peer in terms of drive-through safari format, AZA accreditation, and Species Survival Plan participation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lioncountry
• YouTubelioncountrysafari.com/youtube
• Facebooklioncountrysafari.com/facebook
• Instagramlioncountrysafari.com/instagram

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lion Country Safari