Peter Lang transformed his fascination with exotic animals into Safari West, a sprawling Sonoma County wildlife preserve.
The Safari West story starts in the 1970’s when Peter Lang, owner of a cattle ranch in Beverly Hills, became interested in exotic animals, according to Visit California. In 1993 the preserve opened to the public and was nicknamed the “Sonoma Serengeti. Today it is home to more than 900 animals including giraffes, rhinoceroses, cheetahs, zebras, lemurs, monkeys and flamingos, according to KRON4 News.
In the 1980s he bought a former cattle ranch in Sonoma County to enlarge his private collection of animals. With his wife, the zoologist Nancy Lang, he began to make better use of the property, setting up a captive breeding program with the main goal of conservation.
As KRON4 News reported, Safari West will convert from a 35-year-old privately held business to a California nonprofit public benefit corporation. A state employment filing says 134 employees will be laid off, but they’re expected to be hired back under the new nonprofit structure. Almost ten years later, the preserve is at a new crossroads. The change is intended to increase work on research, education and conservation, while allowing the property to remain open to visitors. The safari tours, tent accommodation overnight stay and wildlife education programs are expected to continue under the same leadership and dedicated team.