Go on Safari in... Connecticut!

A drive-through safari. Exotic animals including some on the brink of extinction. A petting zoo. A museum-quality collection of mounted animals ranging from cuddly forest critters to giants of the African savanna. Playgrounds. Indoor and outdoor waterfalls. Amazing photo opportunities. Action Wildlife in Goshen, CT, will blow away your expectations.

This 116-acre zoo and museum (here's a map of the property) affords opportunities to observe animal behavior and to marvel at the diversity of life on our planet. And, at $10 for adults, $8 for children 12 and under (as of 2018), Action Wildlife is one of Connecticut's best family entertainment bargains.

Admission fees cover only 25 percent of the non-profit Action Wildlife Foundation's operating costs: The facility is obviously founder Jim Mazzarelli's passion. You'll love sharing an animal adventure with your kids in an uncrowded setting. Visit Action Wildlife spring through fall.

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Museum and Exploration Center

In 2008, a Museum and Exploration Center was added at Action Wildlife in Goshen, CT. Inside this enormous warehouse, located just inside the admission gate, visitors first encounter an assortment of live birds and reptiles, like this turtle.

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Holy Watusi!

Watusi Cow - Photo of Taxidermal Watusi Cow at Action Wildlife Goshen CT — © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

We weren't surprised to spy a fish tank when we reached the first floor of the museum at Action Wildlife, but we certainly weren't expecting to come face-to-face with an incredibly lifelike, long-horned Watusi cow: a preview of the displays that awaited.

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Stuffed Turkey

The stuffed turkey at Action Wildlife is not the kind you'd serve on Thanksgiving day. It is one of a menagerie of brilliantly executed taxidermy animals in the museum's vast and diverse collection.

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From a Raccoon...

Raccoon Photo - Taxidermy Raccoon at Museum at Action Wildlife Goshen Connecticut — © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

How diverse is the array of animals brought to life by taxidermist Mike Maston? The amazingly alert-looking animals on display range from this everyday North American masked bandit, the raccoon...

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...to a White Rhino

White Rhino Photo - Taxidermy White Rhino at Action Wildlife Goshen CT — © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

...to a White Rhino, an enormous creature from the grasslands of Africa. Action Wildlife founder Jim Mazzarelli hunted all but a handful of the animals on display in the museum. A White Rhino hunting license was $20,000, we were told, with no guarantees.

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Bison Battle

Video footage of scenes observed in the wild aided in the creation of realistic dioramas, such as this battle between two American bison, inside the museum at Action Wildlife.

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Please Don't Pet the Bears

Grizzly Bear at Action Wildlife Connecticut - Displays Similar to Museum of Natural History NYC — © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

Action Wildlife's displays reminded me of those at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC, only here in Connecticut, glass does not separate visitors from the animals, and even on a holiday weekend, there isn't a crowd. Still, touching is not allowed.

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A Photographer's Dream

Because the taxidermy animals are not hidden behind glass, Action Wildlife is a photographer's dream, even when the subject is a not terribly photogenic creature like the warthog! As you'll see, I was able to capture neat live animal shots outdoors, too.

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Reach Out and Touch That Snout

Water Buffalo Taxidermy - Action Wildlife Taxidermy Work is a Marvel — © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

No, you can't touch the water buffalo's nose. But doesn't it look as though it would be warm and moist if you did? The taxidermy work at Action Wildlife is a marvel. Pelts, preserved in the field, are mounted on mannequins. Even the glass eyes look real.

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Lions' Prey

Some of the dioramas, such as this scene of lions attacking a water buffalo, are admittedly a tad gruesome. But my 7-year-old, who'd seen something similar on Animal Planet, was unfazed. There are ample options for diverting younger children's gaze.

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Furry Fun

Action Wildlife - Attraction for Kids in Northwest Connecticut — © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

In the museum's last room, my daughter had the chance to touch an assortment of fur pelts—moose, bear, raccoon—and elephant skin, too, at an interactive station. By now, we were eager to hop in our car and continue our Action Wildlife animal safari.

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Fallow Deer

White-spotted, graceful Fallow Deer are common in England, but they're not often seen in New England. Action Wildlife has successfully bred Fallow Deer, and a small herd can be observed as visitors begin their drive around this animal park in Goshen, CT.

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Scimitar Oryx

The Scimitar Oryx only sounds like an animal invented by Dr. Seuss! Native to North Africa, the Scimitar Oryx is extinct in the wild, so the opportunity to see this curvy-horned antelope at Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut, is a rare one, indeed.

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Water Buffalo

The taxidermy water buffalo we saw inside the museum gave us a sense of this hulking creature's size. Viewing this live water buffalo on the grounds of Action Wildlife gave us a sense of this big bovine's sloppy eating habits!

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Drive-Through Safari

Around the corner from the Watusi Cattle, the 50-acre drive-through wildlife safari is one of Action Wildlife's most unique attractions. As we circumnavigated this enclosed area, we kept our eyes peeled for llamas, emu and Japanese Sika Deer.

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Hop Out and See the Animals Up Close

Funny Llama Picture - See Exotic and Domestic Animals Up Close at Action Wildlife — © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

That's a face only a Mama Llama could love! When we entered Action Wildlife, we learned that one of the beauties of this zoo is that visitors can hop in and out of their cars safely at any point for a close-up view of both exotic and domestic animals.

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Poitou Donkey

The shaggy Poitou Donkey, an ancient breed that originated in France's Poitou region, is an incredibly rare animal. The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy lists the breed's status as "critical": Only 450 pure Poitous were known to exist as of 2005.

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Head Into the Petting Zoo

Connecticut Petting Zoo - Action Wildlife Petting Zoo Goshen Connecticut — © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

The endangered and exotic animals at Action Wildlife are fascinating to observe, but who can resist baby farm animals? Not my family.

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Making Friends

Action Wildlife Petting Zoo Picture - Feeding the Baby Sheep — © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

It's easy to make friends with the petting zoo sheep... if you have a bottle in your hand! When we visited, bottles of milk were $3 and small cups of grain $1. Be forewarned: The attendant likely won't have change. It's a bit of a ploy, I think.

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Fun and Educational

For my little girl, feeding the baby sheep, kids and piglets was a highlight of our visit to Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut. The animal park is a fun place to take kids of all ages, and school groups are welcome to plan educational outings, too.

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A Scene from Disney

Petting Zoo Deer Photo - Feeding Young Fawn at Action Wildlife Petting Zoo — © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

Deer aren't typically found in petting zoos, and the chance to feed this young fawn from our hands was like a scene from an animated Disney movie... only without singing birds flying around our heads.

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A Playground for Little Tots

Action Wildlife Playground and Picnic Area - Northwest Connecticut Family Attraction — © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

At Action Wildlife, there's a picnic area and playground for little kids under 6 near the petting zoo. Pack a picnic lunch, and you can easily make a day out of your visit to this wild animal park and safari in Northwest Connecticut.

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A Work of Art

I've seen zebras in zoos before, but I only realized what a work of art the zebra is as I viewed the sole member of the species on view at Action Wildlife. For the first time, I noticed that the stripes on a zebra's mane align perfectly with its coat.

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Don't Fence Me In

Action Wildlife Picture - Action Wildlife in Goshen CT — © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

The Action Wildlife animals are penned in, but they all have plenty of space to roam inside their landscaped habitats. This horse wasn't going anywhere, but we did see a goat wander out into the road. We laughed when a staffer said, "That's Houdini."

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Where the Buffalo Roam

Buffalo Photo - Bison Herd at Action Wildlife in Connecticut — © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

The animals on display at Action Wildlife really do run the gamut from A to Z: American Bison to Zebu. The herd of bison (or buffalo) that call the wildlife park home can be seen from Route 4.

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Larger Than Life

American Bison Close Up Photo - See North America's Largest Living Land Animal at Action Wildlife — © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

The American Bison is North America's largest living land animal, and, with my 80-200mm lens, I was able to gaze into the eyes of one of these majestic beasts. Action Wildlife's signage is sparse, but you can research animal facts online after your visit.

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A Vigilant Elk

Elk Photo - American Elk at Action Wildlife — © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

This American Elk kept careful watch on us as we observed her and even made a charge toward the fence at one point, causing me to reflexively grab my daughter's shoulder and pull her back from the elk enclosure.

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A Mother's Instinct

I quickly realized that the elk's protective behavior mirrored my own. Mama elk was simply, instinctively ensuring the safety of her babies. I had never seen a baby elk. There's only one word to describe this bright-eyed calf: adorable.

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Proud Papa

Male American Elk Picture - Action Wildlife American Elk — © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

A male elk, who I assume is the proud papa of this brood, looked on languidly while his offspring frolicked. American Elk shed their antlers annually. When you see how impressive a male elk's antlers can be, that's almost impossible to believe.

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The Male of the Species

Elk Photo - Male American Elk Napping in Grass at Action Wildlife CT — © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

It's a natural instinct for elk and human moms to keep a sharp watch while their little ones play. I'll let you draw your own conclusions about whether the males of both species also share instinctive tendencies.

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Goodbye Goats

Photo of Pygmy Goats and Young Girl at Action Wildlife Goshen Connecticut — © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

We had to pull our 7-year-old daughter away from her new "friends," the Pygmy Goats, when we first visited their pen, so before we left Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut, we drove back around and gave her a chance to say, "goodbye."

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A Playground for Bigger Kids

Photo of Playground at Action Wildlife - Things to Do with Kids in Connecticut — © 2010 Kim Knox Beckius

Action Wildlife has a playground for bigger kids, too, back near the museum and gift shop, where shaded picnic tables are also available. With swings, slides, ride-on animals, a climbing wall and more, kids could easily spend an hour or more playing here.

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Ride the Orange Snail

We thought gazing up at a rhino, touching elephant skin, beholding an Oryx, embarking on a safari, making friends with goats, bottle-feeding piglets, admiring a zebra and dodging a wary elk was enough for our girl. No. She had to ride the orange snail.