For a brief period of time in the 1970s, Orange County was home to a drive-thru safari. And if that sounds like an accident just waiting to happen, it’s because it was.
For more than a decade, the Lion Country Safari in Irvine allowed visitors to drive their own vehicles through open enclosures to get an up-close look at the exotic animals. The unique tourist attraction opened in 1970 in Irvine, becoming the first cageless safari in Southern California.
- Related: Recalling Lion Country Safari
The drive-thru safari was conceptualized by Harry Shuster, a developer from South Africa. The idea was to provide Orange County residents and tourists a chance to experience the exotic sights and sounds of an African safari. The park started off as a success, bringing in more than 1 million visitors during its first year of operation.
Guests drove their vehicles across the four-mile stretch. Convertibles were a no-go, which might sound obvious but you never know, and for those who needed a vehicle alternative, safari jeeps were available to rent. Those who drove down the trail saw various animals roaming the ground, including giraffes, rhinos, elephants and of course, lions. Frasier the lion, was the star attraction. The elderly lion fathered more than 30 cubs, creating a population boom of lions in the park. Frasier died of pneumonia in 1972, and was buried on the safari grounds. The following year a movie inspired by Frasier was released titled “Frasier the Loveable Lion.”
Driving through the safari wasn’t the only part of the 140-acre attraction. Additionally, there was a Train, Hippo Pedal Boats and a River ride, which gave the nearby animatronic Jungle Cruise ride at Disneyland a run for its money.
Now here’s where things take an unfortunate turn. And fair warning the details get a little graphic.
The park made its fair share of headlines for having multiple animal breakouts and attacks. Bubbles the hippo managed to escape in 1978. For 19 days many tried and failed to capture her, until a tranquilizer shot allegedly caused an awkward fall and led to her death.
Misty the elephant broke free in 1983 after a nearby concert at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheater. A few of the animals were moved to a maintenance yard because keepers worried they might be spooked by the loud music nearby. Tragically, in an attempt to rechain Misty, the park warden Lee Keaton was killed when the elephant stepped on him and crushed his skull. With Misty on the run, part of the 405 freeway near the park was closed for a few hours.
That wasn’t the only incident that happened that year. A chimpanzee attacked its handler and a 2-year-old was mauled by a tiger. Because of the bad publicity from the attacks, escaped animals and a mix of the challenging economy and rise in insurance claims, the Lion Country Safari in Irvine closed its gates for good the following year in 1984.
After that, a messy back-and-forth legal battle happened between Shuster and The Irvine Co., that lasted nearly a decade. Shuster signed a 29-year lease with the Irvine Co. for 500 acres in 1968. In 1987, the Irvine Co. sued Shuster for back rent, however Shuster countersued, claiming the Irvine Co. interfered with his business. In 1993 a jury granted Shuster $45 million, but the judgment was later overturned.
Then in 1996, Shuster threatened to raze Irvine Meadows, Wild Rivers Waterpark and Camp Frasier, which Shuster had been subleasing on the property. Irvine Meadows got a temporary restraining order against the destruction. The following year a judge OK’d the demolition of Wild Rivers. Around this time the Lion Country Safari sued the Irvine Co., claiming Shuster had a right to stay on the land for 26 more years. Shuster then obtained demolition permits for Wild Rivers and Camp Frasier. He also amended his suit, claiming the Irvine Co. owed him $20 million.
Things came to an end in 1998 when a judge denied Shuster’s efforts to tear down the venues, saying the Irvine Co. did not owe Lion Country Safari damages and denied Shuster’s bid to extend his lease. A settlement was reached, with The Irvine Co. agreeing to pay Shuster’s company $4 million, and Shuster agreed to end all litigation.
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