These photos were taken at Lion Country Safari in Laguna Hills/Irvine in 1971. Visitors would drive their cars through enclosures of wild African animals, including lions, elephants, ostriches, zebras, rhinos and many others. Many locals remember the escape of Bubbles the Hippo in 1978. Over time, Lion Country Safari grew to incude a variety of other animal-related attractions and shows, including the Zambezi River Boat Ride. Orange County's Lion Country Safari opened in June 1970, and closed in 1984. The original Lion Country Safari, located in Florida, is still open for business..
Today's first photo (top) is taken from the latest round of uploads to the Orange County Archives' new Flickr site. Note the man who appears to be hiding behind the elephant.
.
Sorry it's been a while since I've posted. It's been a busy week, followed by being down sick for a couple days. Given my choice between sleep and blogging, I've been opting for sleep.