How Visiting African Safari Wildlife Park Supports Conservation

Updated

Visiting African Safari Wildlife Park (THE Ohio Safari Park) supports conservation in two connected ways: the park states that your visit helps protect animals both in its own region and around the world, and it maintains a dedicated Conservation & Science section that highlights species and individual animals. The park also uses its platform to spotlight threatened species — for example, Conrad, a young male Eastern bongo calf, is featured as one of the newest members of the park family. If you want your ticket to double as a small contribution to wildlife protection, this is the mechanism the park describes.

What the Park Says About Your Visit

The park's own framing is direct: "By visiting the Park, you're helping to protect animals in our backyard and around the world." That statement appears under its Conservation & Science heading, which is the section to check if conservation is a priority for your trip.

Two things are worth separating here:

  • Local ("in our backyard") — conservation work connected to the park's own region and animals in its care.
  • Global — protection efforts for wildlife beyond Ohio, which is where species like the Eastern bongo fit.

The park does not publish a breakdown of exactly what percentage of a ticket goes to which program, so treat the claim as the park's stated position rather than a audited figure.

Conservation in Practice: The Eastern Bongo Example

The clearest concrete example on the site is Conrad, a young male Eastern bongo calf described as one of the newest members of the African Safari Wildlife Park family. At about one month old, he was exploring his surroundings and learning from his mother.

Why this species matters: Eastern bongos are noted for rich chestnut-colored coats, distinctive white stripes, and large ears — and the park describes them as critically endangered. That combination (a named individual animal + a critically endangered species) is how the park turns a general conservation message into something a visitor can actually see.

If you visit, an animal like Conrad is the practical link between your ticket and the conservation story: you're looking at a species whose survival is genuinely at risk, in a setting that says your visit contributes to protecting it.

How to Engage With the Conservation Side of a Visit

You don't need a separate program or add-on to participate — the conservation framing applies to a standard visit. What you can do:

  1. Check the Conservation & Science section on the park site before or after your trip to see current featured animals and messaging.
  2. Look for featured species during your visit. The park rotates a "Featured Animal: In the Spotlight," so the highlighted animal may differ from Conrad depending on when you go.
  3. Consider an Animal Encounter if you want closer contact with specific animals. The park offers encounters (for example, meeting Cayenne the sloth and the capybaras) — note these are separate from general admission and are booked individually.
  4. Plan around animal visibility. The park states that animal health and safety is its priority, and certain warm-weather animals — such as giraffes and antelope — may not be visible on cooler or rainy days. Seeing a specific featured species is never guaranteed.

Practical Notes That Affect What You'll See

  • Walk-Thru Safari status: The Walk-Thru Safari is closed for the 2026 season and is scheduled to return in May 2027. If seeing walk-through animals (gibbons, capybaras, kangaroos, porcupines, tortoises) is part of your conservation interest, plan for 2027 or later.
  • Drive-Thru Safari: This remains the core experience — you drive your own car through and can see hundreds of animals, from alpacas to zebras, with opportunities to feed animals such as bison.
  • Seasonal staffing: The park notes it hires for 50+ seasonal positions, which is a signal that operations and animal visibility vary by season.

The Bottom Line

The park's conservation claim is simple and stated plainly: visiting helps protect animals locally and globally, and the park spotlights endangered species like the Eastern bongo through individual animals such as Conrad. There's no published dollar-for-dollar breakdown, so the value of your visit to conservation rests on the park's own commitment and the programs behind its Conservation & Science section. If that matters to you, check that section for the current featured animal before your trip — and set expectations that weather and season affect which animals you'll actually see.