Wildlife Preserve: 
Large individual habitats offer the Park’s predators, including lions, tigers, bears, wolves, and hyena their own private underground lairs.  They also have elevated platforms for relaxing in the mountain breezes.  Many of the animals here have companions of a different species, providing company and diversity. Unobstructed photo platforms are placed strategically throughout the preserve for guests.  

Akina • African Lion (Panthera leo) Akina was born on July 25, 1997 in Kansas. Her name means “relation or lineage”. Lions are the only cats that live in groups called prides. A pride is a complex society, a hierarchy with each cat having its own position or rank within the group. Akina belongs to a small pride with Asante and Atuli. Prides in the wild can also be quite small, but average fifteen cats. Prides with up to 37 individuals have been seen in the Serengeti. The African Lion is a Threatened Species.

Levi & Josiah • African Lions (Panthera leo) Levi was born on a buffalo farm in Kansas on July 12, 1995. He arrived the same day that Josiah was born at the park September 5,2005, . Levi and Josiah share the position of dominance and often look out for each other. Levi can be distinguished from Josiah by the lack of hair on his belly. Lion's strength is considerable, they can easily knock down prey three times their size. The African Lion is a Threatened Species.

Java • Cape Lion (Panthera leo melanochaitus) Oregon born June 9, 1985 and acquired from the MGM Grand Hotel in Reno, Nevada, Java was the first lion to join Out of Africa. Representing an extinct sub-species - Cape lion. His dark, beautiful, extensive mane covers the head, neck, shoulder, belly and elbows, typical of his sub-species. His name means to turn bitterness into sweetness. Java s essence is majestic, his roar magnificent. He is truly the king of Out of Africa. The Cape Lion is a Threatened Species.

Tika & McCabe • Royal White Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) Tika and McCabe were born in a zoo in Tennessee on November 22, 1995. She and her brother came to live at Out of Africa when they were four weeks old. Tika's name means “wonder of life”. The last known wild white tiger was seen in India in 1970. Today there are approximately 700 white tigers in captivity. McCabe is named in honor of Bill and Elisabeth McCabe, the park doctor and his wife. The Royal White Bengal Tiger is an Endangered Species.

Samara • Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) Samara was born June 16, 1994 at the Nashville Zoo. Her father was white and her mother was orange. This makes Samara heterozygous, meaning she carries the rare white gene. Unlike her brother, she still plays in Tiger Splash making her our oldest Tiger Splash star. Tigers have 30 teeth and boast the longest canines of any meat-eating land animal. The Bengal Tiger is an Endangered Species.

Liberty • Bengal Tigress (Panthera tigris tigris) Liberty was born September 19, 1999 at a facility that uses young tigers to give a "hands on" experience to people across the U.S. But when tigers get older, it’s not safe to take them near people, so Liberty became a tiger that needed a home. Hunter needed a companion his age, so two of the park’s staff drove to Iowa to pick up the 10 month old Bengal tigress. Liberty performed in Tiger Splash just 30 minutes after arrival at the park. All big cats have an instinct to swim; however, the tiger truly loves the water. The Bengal Tiger is an Endangered Species.

Akasha • Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) Akasha was born February 21, 2000. We welcomed her and her sister Sundari when they were six months old. While tigers are considered water cats, Akasha is our true water baby. The Tiger Splash arena is her domain and she dazzles all when she is in the pool. Webbing between their toes facilitates tigers accomplished swimming skills. Tigers can easily swim three or four miles. The Bengal Tiger is an Endangered Species.

Hunter • Siberian or Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) Hunter was born in October of 1999. Rescued by the Wildlife Way Station in California and owned by someone in the Midwest, who wanted a tiger for a pet. Hunter grew in unprecedented fashion to become the largest cat at the park around 700 pounds. Siberian tigers are the largest living felid. Hunter also stars in Tiger Splash. As you can imagine he displaces a lot of water in the pool. The Siberian Tiger is an Endangered Species.

Millennium • Jaguar (Panthera onca) Born March 3, 1997 in Texas, Millennium joined us at four months old, quickly becoming friends with Solomon, a lion and two tigers, Calvin and Genesis. Today he prefers to live alone, but enjoys human company. He has a playful spirit and is often seen lying on his back playing a special game we call “happy paws”. Jaguars are often mistaken for leopards. To tell them apart, look for the dark dots in the center of their rosettes or  spots. The Jaguar is an Endangered Species.

Katika • Serval (Felis serval) Katika was born march 14, 1999. Katika and her sister Nakala, were welcomed to the park four weeks later. Servals have a unique coat; both stripes and spots adorn their bodies. Sadly, the beautiful fur of these small cats has been long coveted by man. If people continue to hunt servals, these fine felines may face the danger of extinction. Servals can be all black, a melanistic strain, also found in leopards and jaguars.

Jamaa • Serval (Felis serval) Jamaa was born at Out of Africa March 21, 1993 to Serengeti and Kalahari. His name means relative or brother in Swahili. Servals are frequently called the African Leaping Cat. As their nick-name suggests, they are incredible jumpers, sometimes knocking birds (one of their favorite treats) out of flight. Accomplished hunters, servals can achieve speeds as fast as 45 mile an hour.

Shiloh • Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) Shiloh, born April 28, 1996, is the alpha male (leader) of his pack. His black coat with silver tips is strikingly beautiful and his disposition is strong, yet affectionate, and loving toward his pack members, whether they are wolves or humans. “Gray Wolf” indicates a species, not a color, and their thick coat varies from nearly white to almost black. Wolves use their hearing and sense of smell to track prey and can run 28 miles per hour. The Gray Wolf is an Endangered Species.

Shalom • Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) Shalom’s name means “peace”. Born May 29, 1994, Shalom is the alpha female and instinctually maternal towards her family. She has raised all of them, including Shiloh, from pups to adults. Wolves are highly intelligent, social animals. A wolf pack is a family group and when traveling their howls or calls keeps the group together. Howling is also done to advertise their presence to neighboring packs and can be heard over a distance of six miles. The Gray Wolf is an Endangered Species.

Echo & Anika • Gray Wolf & Arctic Wolf respectively (Canis lupus) Echo, born on April 28, 1994, and came to the park at only a few months of age. The alpha male of a wolf pack dictates where to hunt, where to live and who can mate. Social status within the pack is expressed by a complex language of gestures, barks, and growls. Anika, a female Arctic wolf, was born April 16, 1994. Anika is the alpha female and in charge of the department of play and is always the first to make new friends. Gray and Arctic Wolves are Endangered Species.

Chipa • Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta) Chipa, a female spotted hyena, was born in captivity in South Africa on May 15, 2002. She arrived at the park when she was 4 months of age. Females can reach weights near 200 lbs., growing larger and producing more testosterone than the males. Hence, it is a matriarchal society ­ females head the clan! Spotted hyenas hunt and scavenge in Africa, south of the Sahara. Life span is up to 40 years in captivity. Chipa loves to play in the water tearing apart just about every toy we give her. One of her favorite toys is a cardboard box.

Chitabe • Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta) Chitabe, a 160 lb. male spotted hyena, was born at a South African wildlife preserve on August 25, 1998. He came to the park at two months of age. Spotted hyena can lope tireless at 6 M.P.H., gallop at 25 ­ 30 M.P.H., and their top speed is 37 M.P.H. The spotted hyena has 32 to 34 robust teeth including premolars designed for cracking bones. When Chitabe arrived at the park he became a teacher, and we all became students. We learn something new every day. Chitabe is extremely intelligent, loves to play, swim, and is always seeking something new to explore.

Payson • North American Black Bear (Ursus americanus) Payson, born in South Dakota on January 7, 1994, came to the park to be part of a new Arizona exhibit where she would share her habitat with one other bear, wolves and cougars. After a year and a half together the wolves wanted a home of their own. The bears and cougars still cohabitate to this day. Payson is playful and can be distinguished by her tan muzzle. Heavily built and powerful, bears are for their size among the strongest of animals and have a life span of up to 32 years in wild.