Six Flags Great Adventure welcomes 10 new animals to its Wild Safari adventure

Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure opens for the 2022 season on March 19, with new animals, new tours, and memorable guest enhancements.

Springtime means new life, and Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J. has 10 newcomers ready to go “on show,” with more babies on the way, including American bison, zebra, kangaroo, blackbuck, aoudad, dama gazelle, and more.

Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure is the place to see the park’s new additions:

Southern White Rhinoceros – Sawyer is a six-year-old White rhino who will make his debut in the Afrikka section of the safari, alongside three adult female rhinos. He weights in at a whopping 3,800 pounds, and will grow to between 4,000-6,000 pounds as an adult. Sawyer loves being scratched with a bristle brush, and caretakers have noticed he has a “youthful bounce in his step.”

Reticulated Giraffe calves – Three new calves born over the winter will join the safari’s “tower” (group) of 13 reticulated giraffes, the tallest land mammal on Earth. When fully grown, the calves will stand up to 17 feet tall and weigh up to 3,000 pounds. These calves are special; their species is considered “vulnerable to extinction” due to habitat loss, poaching, and other human-wildlife interferences.

Sable Antelope – Wild Safari welcomes two sable antelope calves to the Serengeti Grassland section, giving them a home along with other exotic hoof stock such as addax, white-tailed gnu (also known as black wildebeest), and goat-like aoudad. Horse-like sable antelope can be identified by their tufted tails and impressive horns that curve like a scimitar.

Red Lechwe – Also born this past winter are two Red Lechwe calves, with their reddish fur, white-ringed eyes, and, when they’re grown, horns that can reach up to three feet long. This species of antelope can be found in African countries Zambia and Botswana, but will reside in the safari’s Wilde Plains section along with other hoof stock.

Asian water buffalo – As adorable as these Afrikka section’s two new calves are, this is a species that likes to submerge up to their necks in water. Not to be confused with Africa’s Cape buffalo, Asian water buffalo have been domesticated, and are used as beasts of burden and providers of the milk that makes liquid butter in India.

Updated in-person and virtual tours:

Safari Off Road Education – New for 2022 is this updated educational tour in a giant off-road vehicle. The tour includes a personal guide and driver, and the chance to feed giraffes and meet small exotic animals up close.

Science on Safari – Also updated is this contactless Academic Adventure audio tour with grade-specific guidebook and an optional visit with an animal educator.

Audio Tour – Enjoy a 50-minute narration showcasing 11 natural habitats and more than 70 species of animals. The audio tour is fun, educational, and provides facts about the animals, animal sounds, and music from around the world. The tour is free and can be streamed from any mobile device.

Cyber Safari – For those who prefer their safari in virtual style, this educational program offers an animal meet and greet session.  The virtual program can be extended, if desired.

Six Flags Great Adventure’s YouTube channel also offers a free “Online Classroom” with conservation, adaptation, genetics, and evolution videos appropriate for kindergarten-12th grade.

Want to do your part toward conservation? Purchase the park’s Save an Icon Pin collectible animal pins, including the 2022 edition featuring the bongo and cheetah, which will be available this spring. Proceeds go to the Wildlife Conservation Network.

Also new for 2022, the park’s mobile app has been enhanced, and now allows guests to add their safari pass to their Google Play or Apple wallets.

Six Flags Great Adventure also debuts the newly renamed Medusa roller coaster this spring.

For more information on the safari and tours, visit SixFlags.com.