![Drive-through Safari](img/drivethrough_bg_01.jpg)
![WEST SIDE PARK WELCOME](img/drivethrough_pic_01.png)
Bursting with excitement, you depart for the wild kingdom!
Once passed the gate, your Drive-Thru Safari finally begins.
Lots of animals from all around the world are waiting for you.
![Drive-through Safari](img/drivethrough_pic_02.png)
Simply amazing!
Beasts of prey and more docile-looking herbivores side by side!
You get to see carnivores and herbivores
in their natural habitat up-close from the window of the bus or car.
![Drive-through Safari](img/drivethrough_pic_03.png)
Rain or shine, the Drive-Thru Safari
is guaranteed fun.
On the Drive-Thru Safari, you stay comfortable even if it is boiling, freezing or raining outside.
Thanks to GPS, you see and hear the animals from inside the bus.
![Drive-Yourself Safari](img/drivethrough_pic_04.png)
![車](img/drivethrough_medal_01.png)
![Drive-Yourself Safari](img/drivethrough_pic_05.png)
If you drive yourself, you'll feel like you're part of expedition! Drive-Yourself Safari
Families and couples become ecstatic with every approaching animal. Touring the safari in your own car lets you enjoy the moment without worrying about others.
![GPS radio](img/drivethrough_pic_06.png)
Information about the animals is provided over a GPS radio. And, it's available in English, too!
![バス](img/drivethrough_medal_02.png)
The tiger-designed bus is popular with kids!Safari Bus
You get a great view of the animal habitats from the wide windows. The excitement can be heard from passengers with every animal that appears.
![Safari Bus](img/drivethrough_pic_08.png)
![Safari Bus](img/drivethrough_pic_07.png)
![Safari Bus](img/drivethrough_pic_09.png)
Only place in Japan!
Encounters with a Herd of Gnus
It has the body of a cow and legs like a serow, but it's a gnu. And, Himeji Central Park is the only place in Japan where you can see them. If you're lucky, the normally sensitive gnus will suddenly start running. It's really worth seeing.
![Encounters with a Herd of Gnus](img/drivethrough_pic_10.jpg)
![Encounters with a Herd of Gnus](img/drivethrough_pic_11.jpg)
![Safari Report](img/drivethrough_pic_12.jpg)
![Safari Report](img/drivethrough_pic_13.jpg)
Our staff knows some interesting things!
Safari Report
When someone says "lion," you probably imagine a male lion with his magnificent mane. Lions have manes for three reasons. One is for defense purposes. If an outside male infiltrates another pride, a fight breaks out between him and the local males. The fighting can be fierce, so the mane protects the vital spots around the head and neck. Also, the mane makes a lion look bigger, which can intimidate others. It happens sometimes that an intruding male leaves without a fight when he sees how big the manes are.
Another reason is to attract females. The healthier and better-fed a male lion is, the darker and bushier his mane. It also gets darker and thicker, the more fights he wins. Females look at manes as criteria for selecting a healthy strong male, so in the lion's world, a male with a black bushy mane is good-looking.
Lastly, a mane functions like winterwear. In a study of zoo lions, it was found that lions in northern zoos had longer manes. So, if you took a lion from a northern zoo back to Africa, he'd get lots of girls.
![](img/drivethrough_bg_09.png)