Fort Chiswell Animal Park: Where the Deer and the Antelope (and Many Others) Roam

 

AAE recently went on a safari in the hills of southwestern Virginia, at the Fort Chiswell Animal Park in Max Meadows, Va. If you're an animal lover, this is a great place to visit. It offers free parking, a picnic area and snack bar. Tickets can be purchased in the gift shop, with no reservations required. Shown above is an antelope, one of many species featured in the park. 

Our visit came on a hot day, so many of the animals chose to get into the pond to cool themselves. Shown above, in the distance, is a hippopotamus and some bison soaking in the water. 

This ostrich did not seem to mind the heat and could be seen strutting all over the grounds as if checking to make sure everything was in order. 

This monkey resided in the petting zoo section of the park, however visitors are not permitted to pet the monkeys, as they can be very dangerous. 

These llamas also reside in the petting zoo section, and are more than happy for you to feed them food that can be purchased in the gift shop, and they'll let you pet them as well. The petting zoo also features deer, antelope, alpacas and pygmy goats. 

This camel was resting in the heat of the day, after reportedly having been fed quite a bit throughout the afternoon. He is one of the oldest animals in the park. The larger animals (those not residing in the petting zoo section) can be seen from the tour bus that takes visitors throughout the multiple-acre park. This allows the animals to roam freely. The bus tour takes 45 minutes to one hour. 

For more information about the park, click here.