Thank You For A Great Season

Greetings friends and welcome to this week’s blog. Today marks the end of our General Admission season. We would like to say thank you to everyone that came out and visited us this season. Your visits, kind reviews and excitement for our staff and animals make each day that we open these doors both different and special.

I remember walking and talking once with Mark Schoebel our beloved and departed founder. He used to look at people feeding animals, laughing and having a great time, He’d say to me, “look at those people over there smiling, they’re having the time of their lives.” That wasn’t the only time he said that to me. He really loved to see people have a good time, he knew that’s what we’re here for.

My experiences filming and taking pictures in Timbavati Wildlife Park shows me the absolute best of humanity. I am sure you might wonder why I would say watching people at our park could be so profound. Everyday that I am in Timbavati Wildlife Park I watch people both young and old overcome their fears and adversities. There’s nothing like seeing a toddler finally work up enough courage to put the carrot in a pygmy goat’s mouth. Then when they realize that it’s safe they play and feed the animals and as young people they have the fear of animals removed from them when they come here.

When I am in the park I see adults overcome a trove of anxieties as well. Most people have never ridden a camel. Sometimes the adults are just as hesitant as the kids can be. A lot of you still won’t pet a snake but most of you will pet a skunk. I had never seen any of that before I started coming to Timbavati WIldlife Park.

You had a lot of places in the Wisconsin Dells that you could have spent your hard earned money and we are grateful that you took some time this year to make us a part of your experience. Now that the General Admission season has come to a close we are into our Timbavati Encounter Tour season. That’s right we have Timbavati Wildlife Park Encounters that run year round. All you have to do is visit the gift shop. First tour of the day starts at 11AM and the second tour of the day begins at 1PM.

We also have our VIP Luxury Tours! If you’d like a VIP tour you can learn more about them and schedule them from or website. Here’s is a video with a look back at some of this summer’s action. Thanks for reading and we will see you in the park!

Timbavati Wildlife Park Keeper Talks: Anteater

Greetings friends and welcome to this week’s blog post. We are on the last week of our general admission here at Timbavati Wildlife Park. This week will also conclude our general admission and Safari Train Ride “Combo Ticket.” If you’d like to take advantage of that killer offer click on over to our website and check it out. Also we have free pumpkins for everyone until our last open day to the general public which is Oct. 28th 2018!  Now onto this week’s topic the tamandua anteater.

The tamandua anteater is also referred to as the “lesser anteater.” The lesser is about 3-4 in length on average while the giant anteater is 5-6 feet in length on average. The tamandua or lesser is what we have in the park in the picture shown on this week’s post. If you want to compare sized I am sure a giant anteater would be walking our animal handler Lexi here and not the other way around.

Anteaters belong to a class of mammals called “Vermilingua” which is derived from latin for “worm tongue.” That’s because of course anteaters don’t have teeth. They have a really long and sticky tongue that indeed does look like a worm which they use to eat ants and termites.

Anteaters are closely related to sloths and armadillos. The vertebrae in their lower spines are have special articulations found in this group of animals specifically. Anteaters also walk on their knuckles. You see they have these really long claws that curl under their paws. These are specialized for ripping open hiding places and anthills. When an anteater is set up to eat, those claws become the business end indeed.

There is a lot to learn about anteaters as you will see this week’s video. Don’t forget we are open for tours year after our regular season ends this weekend. Thanks and we will see you all in the park!

Pig Races With Matt Schoebel

Greetings friends and happy Monday to you all. Fall temperatures will be in full swing this week and the colors on the trees at this time of year are absolutely stunning. Our season for general admissions only has a couple of weeks left on it. Which brings me to the point of this week’s blog, you only have a couple of weeks left to check out our Swine Time Pig Races!

That’s right our nationally known hog callers will be closing the Wisconsin Track for the year at the end of this month. Until then you can get prepped for the most playful pig puns you will ever ponder this side of punjabi. The pigs we have are the swiftest swine to speed down the straightaway while stealing your hearts at every turn.

You’ll be able to cheer for celebrities like Arnold Schawzenhogger, Hamma Montana and of course Lindsey Loham. Now I tell you these hogs burn the track up with all the intensity if a ham on a hotplate. If you haven’t had the opportunity to see these athletes in action I can assure you that they’re anything but “boaring.”

When you’re in Timbavati WIldlife Park and hear the horns blow for racetime come on over to the Interaction Area and step right up to see the race. These pigs don’t race for glory, they don’t race for trophies or endorsements. They don’t even race for bragging rights, nope not at all. They race for the vaunted and beloved…..Oreo cookie. That’s right, an oreo cookie. Truth be told I would race you for an Oreo cookie so they take these races pretty seriously.

Check out some of the action from our pig races in this week’s video. Also don’t forget we have our Fall Combo Ticket special running right now which is our General Admission plus Train Ride for one great price! And while supplies last receive a free pumpkin with your combo ticket purchase. General Admission season ends October 28th. After that day we will have daily tours at 11AM and 1PM! Talk with you all next week!

The Ball Python of Timbavati Wildlife Park

Greetings friends and welcome to this week’s blog post. It’s been a dreary weekend but we’re here to brighten your week up “ball python” style. It’s a lot like Gangnam Style with a lot less lights and dancing. Matter of fact it’s pretty much just slithering in darkness ha ha ha. But to each their own. Now let’s get into a few ball python facts.

The ball python hails from sub-Saharan Africa and like other pythons it is non-venomous. This is also the smallest of the African Pythons.The ball python can measure up to six feet but usually tops out at around 4 feet.

The ball python has nocturnal habits and during the day it wants to be as inconspicuous as possible. It seeks shelter in dark crevices and caves during the day. The ball python is also an excellent tree climber. You never know where this little critter might get to.

The Ball Python Diet

The ball python eats small rodents. They will go after mice and rats of course but they will also go after a shrew and a bird as well. A female ball python will lay anywhere from 5 to 10 eggs in a clutch. At birth the young are on their own and will have to fend for themselves.

If you want more great information check out this week’s video which features a clip from a keeper talk given by our own Becky. Don’t forget you still have a chance to score a great Combo Ticket. It includes a General Admission and Safari Train ride for one great price. See our website for more details and we will talk with you all next week.

The Hedgehog of Timbavati Wildlife Park

Greetings friends and welcome to this week’s blog post. Bit frosty around here this weekend and that reminds me that right now is a great time to walk around the park and see what’s going on around here. Like our little hedgehog friend here. Yep you guessed it, it’s time to lace your chucks up and go collect some rings. I’m kidding but a hedgehog will ball up on you if frightened or even sleeping.

The can be found in Europe, Asia, Africa and they were introduced to New Zealand. The hedgehog hor hedgie as it is sometimes referred to is known as the gardener’s friend because they eat grubs in the garden. The quills on a hedgehog will hurt if you get poked with them but unlike a porcupine there are no barbs on them.

Hedgehogs Roll Solo

Hedgehogs are pretty solitary. They will pair up, mate and they separate. The males don’t stay around after mating and the female raises the young alone. The gestation period is 35 to 58 days. A baby hedgehog is called a hoglet.

We have many more hedgehog tidbits in this week’s video. Some of the coolest parts about the Interaction Area in Timbavati Wildlife Park are our animal nurseries. There are always new young animals moving in and out. Due to the cycles of nature and growth rates, the animals in the nursery are subject to change. Thanks and we will see you in the park.