Safari West: Animal preserve near Santa Rosa reopens after six weeks.
The giraffes, rhinos and cheetah that live at Safari West near Santa Rosa craned their necks and stomped their hooves and paws on Monday, apparently happy to hear the “oohs” and “aahs” of visitors for the first time since the Tubbs Fire burned part of the 400-acre wildlife preserve six weeks ago.
Safari West tour guide Robert Stern led a group of eight Girl Scouts down a muddy trail to the cheetah habitat, where the normally fast cats lazily rested on the grass, purring and unfazed by steady rain. Stern asked the girls if they knew how fast a cheetah could run.
Up to 70 mph, faster than his car could go, Stern answered.
The cheetah’s now plush habitat had been blackened from spot fires that occurred in early October when the Tubbs Fire, the most destructive wildland blaze in modern California history, leveled 4,655 surrounding structures, killed 23 people and would have destroyed the preserve had it not been for the heroics of its founder, Peter Lang.
“I’m very happy to be here doing a tour in the rain,” Stern said as he led his group to the snack bar area. “This is my first day back in six weeks.”
Lang, 77, worked to save the animals and grounds when the blaze broke out Oct. 8 near Calistoga in Napa County and quickly spread into Sonoma County. As the fire headed toward the preserve and surrounding residents evacuated, Lang refused to abandon his beloved animals.
While his own home burned to the ground, Lang spent hours racing around the preserve in his truck, putting out spot fires, stomping out some of the flames with his boots. He used a large water hose to spray hot spots that had ignited on the side of the cheetah barn and burned grass in the hyena pen.
The next day, Lang was joined by 12 Safari West employees who deployed the on-site fire truck and continued working to put out small flare-ups for the next several days, said Keo Hornbostel, executive director of Safari West.
When the smoke subsided, 200 of the preserve’s 400 acres were burned.
The luxury tents that house guests for overnight stays at the habitat were still out of commission Monday because of smoke damage and won’t be up and running until March.
A home belonging to one of the Safari West employees that bordered the hyena compound was completely leveled, except for a brick chimney that stood among a pile of debris.
Hidden among the hyena, cheetah and monkey habitats were dead trees, destroyed school buses and other vehicles that belong to the preserve. Fences surrounding the hyenas and cheetahs had been demolished in the inferno, but have since been rebuilt. A mountain near the giraffe habitat remains singed.
“Our hillsides are all green, but it wasn’t that color three or four weeks ago,” Hornbostel said. “We are still making repairs. It could’ve been a lot worse.”
Although 11 of their staff members lost their homes in the conflagrations that sprouted throughout the North Bay, Hornbostel said that most of them had been working nonstop to ensure that the wildlife preserve could reopen in time for Thanksgiving.
Hornbostel said he coordinated with the California Highway Patrol to ensure that vans carrying the preserve’s staff could get through fire barricades during the thick of the disaster to care for the animals.
“OK, we survived, but now we have 1,000 animals to take care of every day,” Hornbostel said.
No staff members were injured in the fires, nor were any animals.
“It’s all working?” Hornbostel asked a crew member pacing the grounds Monday.
“Everything so far,” the worker answered Hornbostel with a smile.
Operations seemed to be running smoothly just in time for the 110 anticipated guests on the park’s reopening day — a slow day for the preserve that can typically accommodate up to 500 visitors a day.
Nonetheless, the excitement was evident as children aimed iPhones to snap photos of flamingos, ducks and monkeys.
“Why isn’t it climbing?” said one of the Girl Scouts, who had come from Vacaville, staring at one of the black-andwhite Colobus monkeys nuzzling with two others.
The Girl Scouts decided to spend the money they made from cookie sales to come to Safari West, said Renee Protich, 42, a parent chaperone.
Her daughter, Ava Haven, 10, was most excited to catch a glimpse of the rhinos.
“I have a big interest in animals,” Ava said. “They’re really cool. They have personalities like humans. They’re joyful and playful and curious just like us.”
The girls unanimously decided the giraffes and their calves were their favorite animals encountered on the walking tour.
“The giraffes look like they’re having fun and they love their food,” said Lacey Mayeux, 11, of Vacaville.
“And walking through the bird sanctuary,” Alana Darby, 11, of Vacaville, chimed in about another one of her favorite stops on the tour.
The walking tour with Stern through the various habitats lasted about 45 minutes, but that wasn’t the end for the Girl Scouts. They put on plastic ponchos, decorated with wild animals, as Stern brought over a safari truck to take them to see the zebras, antelopes and, of course, the rhinos.
Haven and her friends ran to the car and settled into their seats.
“I’ve got enough blankets for everyone,” Stern announced, handing one to Ava.
Before long, the girls sat cozily with their blankets and they were off on their safari.
“Our hillsides are all green, but it wasn’t that color three or four weeks ago. We are still making repairs. It could’ve been a lot worse.” Keo Hornbostel, Safari West executive director