GENTRY, Ark. — A member of the Wilmoth family, the owners of the Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Safari in Gentry, spoke with 5NEWS off-camera and confirmed that the safari is closed.
5NEWS asked when, why, and how long the safari would be closed and the owner's answer was "no comment."
The safari has run into some issues in the past. In January of 2017, a complaint accused the safari of 68 violations against the Animal Welfare Act between 2012 and 2016. In 2019 the safari had to pay a $75,000 fine to reopen. At that time, the owner told 5NEWS the safari re-opened after making changes and passing inspections.
As of now, 5NEWS has not confirmed if this is connected to its current closure.
The safari posted this statement on its website reading,
“Wild Wilderness Safari is closed to the public. Consideration of several business factors affecting the operations of the Safari resulted in this decision. We have greatly enjoyed providing a fun and educational experience and appreciate the support of Our Many friends and visitors since the 1970s.”
As of now, there is no timeline on if and when it will reopen.
Stay with 5NEWS for more on this developing story.
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