Hemmingford, Quebec - June 25, 2009
With more than 500 animals Parc Safari is a kid's dream come true.
The animals walk up to cars and stick their heads right on through.
"I think people love it," says Patrice Deneault, a zoo keeper. "Kids enjoy it. Adults enjoy it, and I still enjoy it after 17 years."
And while the rhyme ends here, the story has just begun.
Meet our young kids who can't wait to have fun.
These students are from Montreal.
Parc Safari is the only drive-through zoo in the Northeast but few Vermonters have made the trip.
In fact, only 10 percent of the park's 300,000 annual visitors are from the states, even though it's less than ten miles north of the Canadian border.
Many that do come are repeat visitors.
"Every time I'm speaking with adult people they always have memories coming here when they were kids of camels, cows, deer," Deneault says.
There are more than 55 different species of animals here.
Some are more popular than others.
Franz Collas and his family are visiting from Ferrisburgh.
"I think it's great to get outdoors and the kids just love animals," Collas says.
There are animals you can't see from the comfort of a car, such as white lions; one of the zoo's newest and most popular attractions.
"You can't have an animal that close in sub-Saharan Africa," Deneault says. "I did five countries and the biggest reserve there, and you can't actually walk that close. It's impossible."
But some can be approached on foot.
"Deer like that, it's only deer, but they're able to get very, very close," Deneault says.
It's an up-close encounter and one that's bound to get your heart racing.
A slice of Africa-- just north of the Canadian border.
The average Parc Safari visit takes about six hours. Click here for more on the safari including information on how to get there.
Keagan Harsha - WCAX News
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