Georgia's Wildlife Preserves and Animal Rehabilitation Centers Provide Educational Fun

A drive-thru safari adventure with a variety of animals waiting to be hand fed awaits visitors of Pine Mountain, Georgia. Near Stone Mountain Park in Lilburn, Georgia, 600 animals indigenous to Georgia are waiting to be seen and hand fed. Two other wildlife preserves and animal rehabilitation centers are also tucked away in the beautiful mountains of North Georgia that provide educational fun for all ages at a nominal price.

Pine Mountain Wild Animal Safari, Pine Mountain, Georgia

Pine Mountain Wild Animal Safari is a 200 acre, drive-thru zoo that boasts over 700 free-roaming animals. Drive through the zoo in your own vehicle, rent one of the zoo's Zebra vans or sit back and enjoy the drive on the guided tour bus. During the drive-thru safari visit expect to see American bison, elk, giraffes and zebra which will come up to the vehicle to be hand fed.

Pine Mountain Wild Animal Safari also has a Walk-About section in which visitors can walk through and see (but not feed) more exotic animals, such as Siberian tigers and water buffalos, many of which are on the endangered species list.

Pine Mountain Wild Animal Safari contains a Georgia Wildlife Museum, restaurant and gift shop and is conveniently located just five miles from Callaway Gardens.

Yellow River Game Ranch, Lilburn, Georgia

Lilburn, Georgia boasts Stone Mountain Park and a wildlife preserve that houses and rehabilitates animals indigenous to Georgia. Yellow River Game Ranch sits on 24 acres where white-tailed deer, black bears, buffalos, coyotes and birds of prey can be seen in their natural habitat. In addition to the wide variety of tame native Georgia animals that beg to be hand fed by visitors, Yellow River Game Ranch is home to one rather famous animal, General Beauregard Lee, who is Georgia's famous weather prognosticating groundhog. General Beauregard Lee lives at Yellow River Game Ranch in his own lavish Southern-style mini-mansion replete with it's own mailbox, satellite dish and water fountain.

Chestatee Wildlife Preserve, Dahlonega, Georgia

Since 1992, Chestatee Wildlife Preserve has been a licensed exotic animal rescue center located in the foothills of the North Georgia mountains. Chestatee Wildlife Preserve houses over 100 exotic animals that have been rescued from private owners and theme parks. Tamer rescue animals, like rabbits, chinchillas, and ring-tailed lemurs, living at the Chestatee Wildlife Preserve are awaiting for hand feeding and petting from visitors.

Noah's Ark Animal Rehabilitation Center and Children's Care Homes in Locust Grove, Georgia

This unique facility was founded in 1978 to serve double duty as safe haven to protect animals and children from abuse and neglect. The center sits on 250 acres and houses over 1,000 animals and charges visitors no admission fee.

Noah's Ark Animal Rehabilitation Center is home to a celebrity zebra named Evidence. Evidence was found wandering along Interstate 75 in 2008 after he fell off a truck traveling on the Interstate and was hit by a passing car.

If Noah's Ark Animal Rehabilitation Center and Children's Care Homes isn't unique enough, there is one other feature the facility boasts; an unusual animal trio - a black bear, lion and a tiger that have co-existed peacefully in the same habitat for over nine years.

Residents and visitors of Georgia can enjoy educational fun for a nominal price at one of these wildlife preserves and animal rehabilitation centers.

Sources:
http://www.noahs-ark.org/
http://chestateewildlife.com/
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/atlanta/A21881.htm
lhttp://www.animalsafari.com/safari/