A safari park, sometimes known as a wildlife park, is a zoo-like commercial drive-in tourist attraction where visitors can drive their own vehicles or ride in vehicles provided by the facility to observe freely roaming animals. A safari park is larger than a zoo and smaller than a game reserve.

A safari is fundamentally different from a zoo because it reverses the traditional viewing dynamic: in a safari, the animals roam free while humans are "caged" inside vehicles. While a zoo typically utilizes small, artificial enclosures designed for public display, a safari park or a wild game reserve provides hundreds or thousands of acres of natural habitat where animals can exhibit natural behaviors like hunting, migratory movement, and complex social interactions. On a true African safari, there is no guarantee of seeing specific animals, adding an element of "the hunt" and unpredictability that a zoo lacks. In 2026, the distinction has grown even sharper as safari operators emphasize "low-impact" conservation and ethical wildlife viewing. While a zoo serves an important educational and captive-breeding purpose, a safari offers an immersive, adrenaline-filled experience where you are a guest in the animal's world, rather than a spectator at a curated exhibit.