African Safari Wildlife Park

What African Safari Wildlife Park does

African Safari Wildlife Park is a privately held, single-location wildlife park and drive-thru safari attraction founded in 1969 in Port Clinton, Ohio, United States. It operates a 267 S Lightner Road site minutes from Cedar Point, hosting hundreds of animals ranging from Alpacas and Bison to Giraffes, Capybaras, Kangaroos, Gibbons, Porcupines, Tortoises, and white alligators, presented through both a drive-thru safari (where visitors feed animals from their own vehicles) and a walk-thru safari. The park sells tiered general admission that includes unlimited drive-thru re-entries, a feed cup, and (during summer and extended weekends) walk-thru access plus the HogWILD Experience and EdZOOcational Animal Programs, alongside separately priced premium encounters (Sloth Feeding, Capybara, Giraffe Barn, Up Close with the Unusual, Pot-Bellied Pig) priced at roughly $10 per person.

The business model is direct-to-consumer, physical retail ticketing: gate and online sales to tourists, families, schools, and private groups of 10+, supplemented by on-site Safari Café (food and beverage, including Toft's Dairy ice cream), a Safari Gift Shop, season passes, and group/field-trip bookings that require five business days' advance purchase. GTM is concentrated in the regional Ohio market, with co-marketing leverage from the Shores & Islands Ohio tourism organization. Technology is limited to a transactional website, email list capture, and Instagram (@africansafariwildlifepark); no mobile app, API, or proprietary digital product exists. The park is accredited via the Zoological Association of America and is a member of ZDR3, signaling compliance with zoological care and disaster-response standards. Headcount is 11-50 year-round, scaling with 50+ seasonal hires for the 2026 season, which coincides with the relaunch of the Walk-Thru Safari.

Name

African Safari Wildlife Park

Legal name

African Safari Wildlife Park

Website

https://africansafariwildlifepark.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

African Safari Wildlife Park is a privately held drive-thru and walk-thru wildlife safari in Port Clinton, Ohio, serving regional tourists, families, and school groups with tiered admission, premium animal encounters, food and retail.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Safari Park / Zoological Attraction

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Amusement and Theme Parks (713110)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Safari Parks & Drive-Through Wildlife Parks (THAAAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Safaris & Game Drives (THAJAIAB), Wildlife Watching & Encounters (Birding, Whale Watching, Primates) (THAJAIAC), Safari & Wildlife Adventure Tour Operators (Land-Based) (THAAADAD)

Keywords

• Wildlife safari park
• Zoo attractions
• Animal encounters
• Family entertainment
• Drive-thru safari

Headquarters

HQ city

Port Clinton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. General Admission Tickets: Visitors pay for park admission which includes unlimited drive-thru safari trips and one cup of grain for feeding animals. During summer and Extended Weekends, admission also includes Walk-Thru Safari, HogWILD Experience, and EdZOOcational Animal Programs. Parking is free.
2. Premium Animal Encounters: Additional-cost experiences such as Up Close with the Unusual Encounter ($10 per person), capybara encounters, sloth feeding, giraffe experiences, and other animal interactions.
3. Safari Café Food & Beverage: On-site dining at the Safari Café serving hot items (burgers, hot dogs, pretzels, nachos), ICEE, and Toft's Dairy ice cream. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. during summer season.
4. Safari Gift Shop: Retail gift shop selling plush toys, apparel, magnets, postcards, animal feed, and general admission tickets. Open during park operating hours.
5. Season Passes: Annual and seasonal membership passes offering unlimited visits and potential perks for repeat visitors.
6. Group/Field Trip Bookings: Discounted group rates for parties of 10+ guests when tickets are purchased at least five business days in advance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

African Safari Wildlife Park is a physical wildlife safari park and zoological attraction offering drive-thru and walk-thru safari experiences where visitors view and feed hundreds of animal species from their own vehicles. The park also sells premium paid animal encounters, on-site food and beverage, and gift shop merchandise, with general admission tickets, season passes, and group/field trip bookings as its core ticketed offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drive-Thru Safari
• Walk-Thru Safari
• Daily Admission Tickets
• Season Passes
• Up Close with the Unusual Encounter
• Basic Capybara Encounter
• Extended Capybara Encounter
• Sloth Feeding Encounter
• Safari Secrets Giraffe Barn Experience
• Pot-Bellied Pig Encounter
• Group and Field Trip Bookings
• Safari Café Food & Beverage
• Safari Gift Shop
• Guardian of Wildlife Donation Program

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Zoological Association of America (ZAA)coreOthersAfrican Safari Wildlife Park is a proud member of the Zoological Association of America, indicating compliance with zoological standards and animal care practices. ZAA is an organization that establishes standards and provides accreditation for zoos and wildlife facilities.
• Shores & Islands OhiocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe park is a member of Shores & Islands Ohio, the regional tourism organization for the Lake Erie area. This partnership promotes the park as part of the regional tourist destination portfolio, driving visitor traffic from the broader tourism network.
• ZDR3minorOthersThe park displays the ZDR3 logo as a member organization. ZDR3 (Zoological Disaster Response, Rescue & Recovery) is an organization that provides emergency response services for zoos and wildlife facilities during natural disasters and emergencies.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lazy 5 Ranch: Drive-through and wagon-based wildlife park in Mooresville, North Carolina, with hundreds of animals from around the world, premium animal encounters, and on-site food and retail. Closely comparable mix of revenue streams.
• Yellowstone Bear World: Drive-through wildlife park in Idaho featuring North American wildlife viewable from personal vehicles, with walk-through and animal encounter add-ons. Closely comparable business model and visitor experience.
• Tennessee Safari Park: Drive-through safari park in Alamo, Tennessee, featuring exotic and native species with paid animal encounters and seasonal operations. Similar regional U.S. drive-thru safari model.
• Virginia Safari Park: Drive-through safari park in Natural Bridge, Virginia, offering vehicle-based animal feeding and walk-through areas, plus premium animal encounters. Direct operational and pricing analog.
• Wild Safari Drive-Through Adventure: Drive-through wildlife park in Pine Mountain, Georgia, offering visitors the ability to feed animals from their vehicles. Most direct operational and format comparison to African Safari Wildlife Park.

Broad incumbents

• Grant's Farm: Historic animal park in St. Louis, Missouri, offering drive-through and tram wildlife experiences plus premium animal encounters. A larger, more established incumbent in the drive-thru wildlife category.
• Cleveland Metroparks Zoo: Major accredited zoo in the same Ohio/Midwest region. Competes for the same family and school group field trip spend, though it does not offer drive-thru safaris.

Others

• Cedar Point: Major amusement park located minutes from African Safari Wildlife Park in Sandusky, Ohio. Functions as a primary traffic driver and regional tourism co-marketing partner rather than a direct competitor, but draws from the same family tourism wallet.
• Shores & Islands Ohio: Regional tourism destination marketing organization of which the park is a member. Not a competitor but a primary channel for tourism traffic generation alongside Cedar Point.

Regional players

• The Wilds: Conservation-focused safari park and wildlife preserve in Cumberland, Ohio, offering guided open-air safari tours. Comparable safari-style wildlife experience in the same state.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aswildlifepark
• Facebookfacebook.com/africansafariwildlifepark

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 African Safari Wildlife Park