It’s no surprise that Grade 6 pupils of the Cambagocboc Elementary School were giddy when they saw a Gothong Southern van approaching their assembly area – it’s SAFARI TIME! The sunny Saturday morning became even brighter as it was filled with gleaming smiles from the pupils.
The 3-hr journey from Balamban to Cebu Safari was in itself delightful as the pupils shared how much they waited for March 9 to come - and it finally did! It was the day of their educational tour to the Cebu Safari & Adventure Park in Barangay Luyang, Toril, Carmen. The Camba Pupils and the GS Geese enveloped the venue with a ton of “WOW!” when they arrived – and even more so when three (3) furry mascots arrived for a photo opportunity with the kids!
The tour started with a visit to the Safari Stadium for a quick orientation. The group then proceeded to the Orangutown where the macaques, lemurs, gibbons, and orangutans were happily residing. The trams then transported everyone to the northern area of the safari where the otters, box turtles, and crocodiles were situated. A little over 100 meters from the crocodiles was the African Savanna – home of the zebras, wildebeests, greater kudus, blesboks, waterbucks, and elands. A 5-minute guided vehicle expedition around the savanna then took place.
After the exclusive lunch at Michel’s Pavilion, the tour resumed with a trip to the Safari Outpost to visit the marvelous giraffes, the striped hyenas, and the sleek meerkats. The tour guides led us to the Canopy Trail where the swans, ducks, pelicans, geese, and crowned cranes were dwelling. The trail’s end, where the camel was resting, led us back to the Safari Stadium to witness the highlight of the tour – showcasing the magnificent talent of the equally-magnificent birds in the Bird Show!
A visit to the tiger is a must! And while the group was in the Tiger Turf, it was feeding time. The audience was left in awe with how majestic the white tiger was. The group’s enthusiasm still hasn’t faded when they went to the Deer District to visit the deers, black bucks, warty pigs, javan rusas, and peafowls. They headed south towards the emus, kangaroos, and wallabies, and back north towards the rheas, llamas, and capybaras. Finally, the group took a peek at the Macaw Aviary, the Aviary Dome, and Michel’s Garden where 800,000-1,000,000 orchids are homed.
Both the GS Geese and the pupils were still full of vigor even at the end of the trip. Indeed, if magic were ever true, it's definitely in the wild!