Chimelong Safari Park is a zoo boasting five hundred species and more than twenty thousand animals many of which live in the open range safari park. The park is also the home of several successful breeding programs including: tigers, koalas and pandas. Locals also note it is much nicer than the local government-run zoo in the center of the city. Large enclosure spaces and internationally approved care systems work to make the animals as comfortable as possible.
Guests can enter the park from the north or south entrances. The south entrance is the most popular since it leads to the buses, metro and taxi drop areas. From here visitors can wander along two main paths: the west and east. The east path starts with the flamingos and moves north towards the ape and monkey sections, while the west path starts at the elephant area and moves north towards the panda, koala and big cat are. The far north end of the park is the entrance to the open range safari park and the motorized trains that carry guests through that part of the park. Two of the main “show” arenas are on the east path. Hippo theater offers a showcase of various African animals including a watermelon-crushing hippo and a Chinese-poetry reciting bird. The other arena features the monkeys and apes. The animals are asked by trainers to perform common health tasks such as “stand here,” “hold out your foot,” and “open you mouth,” all needed during veterinary exams. A team of on-staff veterinarians serves the park. The elephants consist of a herd of Asian elephants. As with many of the areas, trainers often sell supplemental food which guests are allowed to toss to the animals. With elephants its bananas, tigers receive small chunks of raw meat and the giraffes get leaf-covered branches. Visitors are encouraged to help feed the animals, including making the special “panda cakes” in the baby panda exhibit area. This is part of the zoo's educational and awareness campaign. Making people more connected to the animals that need protection. The panda exhibit is off the main western trail and features two parts: the adults and the babies. The adults house comes first. It's a long building with separate areas for each panda. Here they are provided with some air conditioning, ice blocks for lounging on during the hot days of summer and all the bamboo they can eat. The second building is panda kindergarten. Here the veterinarian service for panda health work with pregnant mothers and cubs. Cubs play together in areas around the building. North of the panda exhibit is the koala and Australian animal area. The koala breeding program is one of the prides of the park. In 2001, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in Australia sent a pair of koalas to the park. Now there are more than twenty living in their enclosure trees. This was the first park in China to offer a view of koalas to the public. The area also includes wallabies, kangaroos and Australian birds. Guests are then guided towards “Tiger Hill” where loud music every half hour announces the “diving tigers” display. Adolescent male tigers in the two- to four- year range live together on this island. Thick, clear plastic walls divide the water of the tiger's island from the guests. Chuncks of meat are sent of pullys into the area and the tigers choose to jump to retrieve it. Once they've grabbed the meat they tuck their paws and fall into the water. They are quite strong swimmers and often seem reluctant to leave, favoring paddling about in the cool water. Behind the diving island are the other tigers and lions of the park. The most famous (and largest enclosure) is Kelly. A female tiger who is now the progenitor of a more than 150 member family. These tigers make up about half the tiger population of their species. A pair of South China tigers, one of the ten most endangered species on the planet, moved into the park in 2010 based on the success of Kelly's family. The park is currently doing research into the best breeding practices for these tigers before they begin another program. Across the road is the animal kindergarten. This area is for the cubs of the tigers and lions to be cared for. Cubs are kept together, grouped by age and family. This helps them maintain good mental health and keep active. When they are old enough the are either sent to other breeding programs or continue their lives in the diving area and then one of the large enclosures in the big cats area. At the end of this building is one of the many baby animal interaction areas. Around the park, trainers bring out some of the babies and allow visitors to get up close and nose-to-nose. Pictures can even be taken with the animals, with the proceeds of the fee going towards assistance programs and further study. The north end of the park is where guests can board the train to tour the open-range safari section of the park. It's divided into sections with tall tree walls hiding barrier fences. Between these fences though stretch several acres of open grasslands. Animals can move about freely in these open spaces. Big cats and other dangerous types have a separate area to prevent conflicts. The train makes frequent stops and travels slowly so guests can take pictures or animals can cross the road. After leaving the train area the dinosaur. This is a heavily tree-lined path that curves back and forth and is set-up as a trip back in time. Animatronic animals and dinosaurs stand in little areas carved out of the trees and shrub growth. A triceratops protects her nest, a pterodactyl stretches its wings and a tyrannosaurus threatens to eat guests or sneezes cold mist on them. After the t-rex cave is the reptile and amphibian house for visitors who enjoy the site of the cold-blooded. The park is well-designed and provides good foot traffic flow. Animals appear healthy and well-cared for and are a major part of several international programs. The park is rarely as crowded as other areas of the city on weekends and holidays. It's a nice way to support and learn more about these endangered species. |
Time needed : 6-8 hours
Ticket price : 250 RMB Monday – Thursday, 280 RMB Friday – Sunday and holidays including school summer vacation. Discounts are available if visitors chose to visit more than one park. Opening Times : 9:30AM - 6PM Tickets sold 9AM - 2PM How to get there : Take metro line 3 to Hanxi Changlong station exit A. Follow signs over the overpass and then take free shuttle bus or walk to the entrance. |