GENTRY — It’s not every day that a person can pet a baby tiger or hold a wolf cub or baby baboon. And how about touching a baby porcupine or seeing a joey peek out of its mother’s pouch?

These are just a few of the animals visitors can see upclose - and maybe even touch - right here in northwest Arkansas.

Wild Wilderness Drivethrough Safari, the privately-owned animal park located just north of Gentry, now has numerous baby animals in the petting zoo, along with opportunities to ride camels and ponies in a shaded area of the 180-acre wild animal sanctuary.

And a wide variety of exotic animals can also be seen just outside of car windows as visitors drive the four miles of roads through the beautifullylandscaped park which serves as the safe haven for more than 85 species ofwild animals from around the world, some of which are endangered in their homelands.

The Safari is open every day, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. And with all there is to see, visitors may want to make a day of it and take in all the animals in the walkthrough area and petting zoo and then plan to spend an hour or two driving through the park to see the many animals roaming the hills.

For more information, call 736-8383.

Area, Pages 9 on 06/30/2010