Wild Animal Park Announces Opening Day & New Additions For 12th Season

Something new is coming to the Wild Animal Park when it opens for its 12th season in Chittenango, New York.

Opening day at the park will be Saturday, April 9 and for the first time, The Wild will hold an Easter Egg Hunt. The Easter Bunny will hide thousands of eggs around the park on Saturday, April 16. More details will be released when the event gets closer.

The Wild Drive-Thru Safari will open a few weeks later on Saturday, April 30 for the third year. There will be some new additions you can meet and feed at the drive-thru too.

The park may be closed until April, but you can still see the animals. Sloth, baby otter, giraffe, including the new baby, hippo, penguin and rhino encounters are available during the off-season. Get more details on off-season encounters at TheWildPark.com.

Camping in the Wild

Easter Eggs and more safari animals aren't the only new things coming to The Wild. It'll soon be home to camping, entertainment, and more animal exhibits.

Owner Jeff Taylor has extensive plans at both the park and the safari, but also nearby properties. "We have been working diligently behind the scenes with future developments."

The first step before breaking ground on the new projects is getting the proper permits and approval from the town board. "We are at the end of the process and hoping for approvals soon," said Taylor.

The new project will be done in two phases. The first phase will include a high-end camping resort with unique options and amenities for the whole family. The second phase will include another animal exhibit that won't be a part of the zoo. "It’s going to be a project of camping, entertainment, and animals all in one," said Taylor who doesn't want to give away too many details until he gets approval to move forward.

More details will be released soon on what the future holds for The Wild. All I can say is, it's going to be HUGE and I can't wait!

You can take a virtual tour through The Wild Animal Park and Drive-Thru Safari while we wait for opening day.