STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Six Flags will welcome an array of adorable babies and introduce a new species — the rare African bongo — when it opens its Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure for the 2021 season this month.
The Six Flags Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure in Jackson, N.J., will open on March 20 and begin daily operation on March 27.
Guests will be able to see the new rare bongo species, including an adorable calf next month, as well as other adorable babies like four giraffe calves and two Siberian tiger cubs.
An adorable bongo calf — part of the Six Flags Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure in Jackson, N.J. — is shown here. The African bongo is a critically endangered species. (Courtesy/Six Flags)
The bongo is the world’s third-largest antelope, native to the continent of Africa. These striking, reddish-brown herbivores have unique white-and-black face markings, body stripes, and long, spiraled horns to aid with camouflage in their natural habitat.
They are mainly nocturnal, and occasionally the bongo will exhibit crepuscular behaviors — making them most active at dusk and dawn.
Since the bongo’s wild population is estimated at fewer than 150 due to hunting and habitat loss, the species is considered critically endangered.
The safari takes guests on self-guided journey through 1,200 exotic animals from six continents. From the safety and privacy of their own vehicle, guests will slowly wind through 11 simulated natural habitats — seeing animals like giraffes, elephants, rhinos, lions, tigers, bears and baboons.
The bongo is primarily nocturnal. (Courtesy/Six Flags)
While most animals roam freely in the safari, predators are safely kept behind fences. All animals, Six Flags added, are clearly visible from car windows.
Later this spring, the Six Flags animal care team looks forward to welcoming an array of adorable babies, including: eland, dama gazelle, and ankoli cattle calves in the Wilde Plains; wildebeest calves in the Serengeti Grasslands; kangaroo joeys in Didgeridoo Pass; bison calves in The Americas; zebra foals and Asian water buffalo calf in Afrikka; nilgai calves in Tigris Asiana, and playful baboons in Baboon Village.
The drive is about five miles and takes about one hour to complete.
The safari operated as a self-drive-through experience from 1974 through 2012, before offering guided truck tours beginning in 2013.
TICKETS AND RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
To prevent overcrowding, advance tickets and reservations are required for the drive-through experience using Six Flags’ online reservation system, which will incorporate safety procedures for both guests and team members.
The reservation system will be activated to allow members, season pass holders and single-day ticket holders to make reservations at sixflags.com/reserve. Guests will not be able to buy tickets at the gate, and guests without advance reservations will not be allowed to enter.
A baby kangaroo named Pippa is shown here. The Six Flags Wild Safari will open to vistiors this month. (Courtesy/Six Flags)
Pricing for the safari experience is $24.99 per person for general admission; children 2 years old and younger are free. Admission to the safari is free for members and season pass holders, but reservations are still required.
A list of safety requirements is available on the park’s website at www.sixflags.com/greatadventure. Protocols include: keeping all windows, doors, and convertible tops closed; not feeding or touching the animals; no smoking, littering, or stopping; cars, SUVs and consumer pickup trucks with empty beds only — no buses, campers, RVs, commercial vehicles or trucks larger than a consumer pickup truck; maximum speed of 5 miles per hour; maintaining safe distance between other cars and animals.
Pets are not permitted inside vehicles.
All vehicles will be inspected prior to entering the safari. Rules will be enforced throughout the journey by park staff, and anyone who violates the rules will be ejected from the park without a refund and possibly prosecuted.
As a safety precaution, all Six Flags employees are temperature-checked and health-screened each day, and they are required to wear a mask and gloves where appropriate. Restrooms are located at the entrance/exit only, and light snacks are available for purchase. Six Flags encourages guests to plan accordingly for restroom breaks, gasoline and food.
As a safety precaution, all Six Flags employees are temperature-checked and health-screened each day, and they are required to wear a mask and gloves where appropriate. (Courtesy/Six Flags)
SIX FLAGS OPENING DATES
Six Flags Great Adventure will open for the season on Saturday, March 27. Park reservations will launch at noon on Tuesday, March 16.
The park will shatter three world records when it debuts its coaster of legendary proportions this summer — the tallest, fastest and longest single-rail coaster, the Jersey Devil Coaster.
The coaster will tower 13 stories and reach speeds up to 58 miles per hour as riders soar through the dark and foreboding woods along 3,000 feet of track. It’s inspired by infamous New Jersey folklore, and will feature five intense elements, including three dramatic inversions.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor will open for the 2021 season on Saturday, May 15. Reservations for the waterpark will launch Tuesday, May 4, at noon.
This tropically-themed oasis will offer cool refreshment for the entire family with more than 20 high-speed thrill slides, a half-mile lazy river, two massive pools, and two interactive kids’ areas.
Reservations are required to for the Wild Safari. An Asian water buffalo named Benjamin Button is shown here. (Courtesy/Six Flags)
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