40 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: SARAH JANE-TARR / WILL BUCQUOY / SARAH JANE-TARR / SAFARI WEST A WILD HISTORY After watching films like George of the Jungle and Jumanji, who doesn’t hunger for a wilderness adventure? As it happens, the magical world of movie-making influenced Safari West’s origin story. Enter the preserve’s co-founder Peter Lang. As the son of a Hollywood director, Peter grew up on television sets for shows like Daktari and Sea Hunt, where he encountered wild cats, chimpanzees and other exotic animals. At 13, Peter raised lion cubs on behalf of a film company—and occasionally hopped on a bus with one of his young charges for a trip to the beach. After heading “the last working cattle ranch in Beverly Hills,” Peter imported a few African eland (an ox-sized member of the antelope family) to nibble down the surrounding shrubs. He later added white-striped kudu and hulking-horned Watusi cattle to his herd. After selling his ranch to the National Park Service, Peter purchased a large property in Santa Rosa and brought his herd north. There, he collaborated with zoos and wildlife preserves to create a conservation breeding facility, often for endangered species. Soon, Peter grew captivated by an avian biologist who later became his wife: Dr. Nancy Lang. Together, these birds of a feather decided to open their Santa Rosa facility to the public. Peter contributed his entrepreneurial spirit and flair for the artistic, while Nancy applied her background as the lead curator at the San Francisco Zoo to fortify Safari West’s wildlife education and conservation focus. Their safari sanctuary has been thriving ever since. {due west} Going on safari doesn’t require a trip to Africa—it doesn’t even require a plane ticket. With just a two-hour drive north, you can commune with giraffes, zebras and cheetahs on a wildlife preserve in Santa Rosa. Safari West, dubbed “the Serengeti of Sonoma,” is home to nearly 1,000 animals—from kookaburras to kudus, bongos to buffalo. Rather than encounter these majestic creatures behind bars, guests jump in jeeps with a guide to meet them on their own turf. After a ride through the rolling hills and oak-studded woodlands of this 400-acre property, explorers have the option to extend the adventure with an overnight stay. Ready for a walk on the wild side? Pull on your pith helmets (or your baseball caps) and away we go!
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==