Today was an interesting and different kind of day, as I went on safari with my dear niece, Courtney Lou. We drove to Mooresville, N.C. to tour the Lazy 5 Ranch, and it was there that the unthinkable took on a mind of its own.
Touring this ranch is a much more momentous and memorable experience than a visit to any zoo. Here, wild and exotic animals of all kinds come right up to your car, stick their big ole heads inside and eat from buckets of food that you can purchase at the gate.
It was here that Courtney and I both got to actually pet giraffes, zebras and llamas for this very first time in our lives.
Courtney has always had a special fondness in her heart for giraffes, her very favorite creatures on earth. So it was a no-brainer that she would have to be my safari partner this afternoon.
We had a really amazing experience, except for a few little hiccups. There was an incident where a seemingly cute and innocent-looking ram became angry when I cut him off from the food bucket, and he rammed my Jeep. The other flub involved me trying to gain the trust of an ostrich that, in return, bit my left hand. I have the bite marks to prove it.
I guess I kinda had it coming to me though. There were rules, and we broke most of them. We drove faster than 5 mph, touched and petted the animals, and got out of the car – all things that we were NOT supposed to do. But, when you’re on safari, anything goes. And who, in their right mind, can resist coddling and caressing an adorable giraffe snout when it’s right in front of your face?
All in all, we had a blast and laughed until our cheeks hurt.
Some animals were sweet and gentle, while others were stark, raving mad lunatics with no filter.
What can I say? It’s a jungle out there!
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