2 nights of water tears fences, roads across wildlife refuge’s 50 acres, but all 200 animals safe
“Closed due to weather. The lions say it’s too wet to roar,” is how the Out of Africa Wildlife Park & Sanctuary’s website reads following severe flooding on the property the night of Monday, July 20, and again the following night. The damage has forced the park to close.
“We’re not looking at being able to safely reopen through Monday of next week, but it could be longer,” General Manager Ashton Powell said.
About 50 acres of the property were affected, according to Powell, leaving trees uprooted and fence lines broken, along with damaging the park’s road.
The first night’s water didn’t fall on Camp Verde at all.
“There was rain not here on Monday night,” Powell said. “It was the Cherry Wash up in Prescott and Prescott Valley, up on the mountain, that came down and came through the park.”
“Monday night [the water] was running straight through the park, through the Serengeti and the Masai Mara area, where the hoofstock are,” Powell said. “Then all the efforts and everything that we did to rebuild the road and to remove debris on Monday was killed, because Tuesday night it came right back through with all the rain that sat up here in Camp Verde.”
All staff and animals are accounted for, and none of the carnivore habitats in the park were affected. Powell said the animals moved to high ground on their own, rather than scattering the way they might in a movie like “Jumanji.”
“We had [and] still have just an insane amount of debris in the habitat that’s pushing the fence down and preventing us from being able to fully erect a new fence,” Powell said. “So we’ve got to move everything out of the way.”
The cleanup is being handled entirely by the park’s staff, and Powell said they are also avoiding using large crews because the animals have already been through enough stress.
“It was really a sense of feeling completely out of control and knowing that God is protecting us and there’s not anything we can do but sit back and pray,” Powell said. “We have no intention of permanently closing this park. But we’re not the only one impacted. The Predator zip line, who shares our property, has also been impacted because they share our roads.”
Much of the destroyed fencing had just gone in. One 660-foot section was built with a $15,000 grant, Powell said, and all of it has to be special-ordered — welded steel, set in concrete and standing eight or nine feet tall to hold the giraffes.
“It’s got a top rail so that those animals can’t push the fence over and bend it like a normal chain-link fence,” Powell said. “It’s got more strength.”
Before any of that can be rebuilt, the mess has to come out.
“It’s moving all the debris and tractoring it out into the parking lot, because we don’t have anywhere to place it, and we’re removing just big layers of thick mud that came through before we can even start fence work,” Powell said.
The park has been issuing refunds to people who purchased date-sensitive items, allowing them to rebook at another time. General admission tickets are valid for a full year from the date of purchase for those who would like to hold on to them.
“All [200] animals are accounted for, contained and unharmed; however, thousands of dollars in damage to fences over two devastating flooding events over the last two days has taken a toll,” the park posted on Wednesday, July 22. “We have received an outpouring of concern from community members wanting to offer support in any way possible. Thank you all. Our priority and concern is for the safety of the staff, animals and the public. Our small team is tirelessly working to repair the damage but this is heavy manual labor, debris and mud removal working in difficult conditions.”
Powell said the most useful thing the community can send is money, directed to the park’s nonprofit arm.
“If people could, and they’re willing and able, make donations to our nonprofit arm, to the Out of Africa Wildlife Sanctuary, we would greatly appreciate it,” Powell said.
On the bright side, Prayeri Harrison, the park’s owner and president, said she has been taking her cues from the animals.
“You look for the best things and the good things,” Harrison said. “Our rhino, Jericho, who’s extremely popular and people pay to have safe encounters with him — he was enjoying the mud puddle, rolling over just like a warthog. … It was a joy after everything we were going through, and then at the end of the day, seeing that, it was just a giggle.”
For people wanting to help Jericho’s wild brethren, the park will host its second annual Rhino Run 5K on Saturday, Sept. 26, in celebration of World Rhino Day.
“This isn’t just a run … it’s a wild experience with a powerful purpose,” the Sedona Chamber of Commerce’s website reads. “Every step you take helps support rhino conservation and protects these magnificent animals for generations to come.”
Visit ooasanctuary.org for more information about the Rhino Run or to contribute to reconstruction efforts.