New safari park opens in Rexburg, promising opportunities to “look wild in the eyes”

REXBURG – A new game ranch has opened it’s doors in Rexburg, offering the chance to see wild animals up close and personal.

After two and a half years of planning, the Yellowstone Safari Park officially opened for business last Saturday.

Described as an agribusiness in agricultural zoning, owner Jared Sommer hopes the park will be a place for families to create lasting memories with beautiful wild animals for years to come.

“To experience the reality of animals in a natural environment that is cared for, where the environment is cared for, and the animals are cared for,” says Sommer, a Madison County native. “We care about the land, we’re passionate about the land, and we’re passionate about the animals.”

The park is the new home to a pack of wild wolves, two bears, a rare breed of red foxes, deer, buffalo, and elk.

“There has been genetics in the red fox family that have been discovered over some decades of time, and they’ve almost ceased to be, so we wanted to preserve such an astounding species,” says Sommer. “There are about 40 different color patterns that we have out there in the red fox family. It’s literally an effort in preservation for us.”

Park guests will be able to take themselves on a self-guided safari where they can drive through the habitats of various animals.

“We’ve made it a place that can be really special for someone to come see something that they have never beheld in their entire lives,” says Sommer.

Soon, guests will get to see the fox and wolf pups shortly after their birth, a rare sight for many animal lovers.

“In coming days, we have the barn area where people can walk in to see foxes and wolves that were born this year,” says Sommer. “They’re not to be touched, they’re not to be held, but people can get within a very close proximity.”

The park also has a fish pond, where people can learn about the different types of trout and get up close to feed the fish.

“When people finish their self-guided safari, they can park and come over to the fish pond. We’ve got three different colors of rainbow trout. Golden, blue, and the standard color of trout that people can see,” says Sommer. “We have a coin dispenser there for feeding the fish.”

Sommer says he is passionate about the park because of his upbringing in Madison County and his love for keeping agriculture as natural as possible.

“My forefathers were some of the very first residents of Madison County. We live right out there where homesteading took place by our forefathers,” says Sommer. “Our effort is to preserve the agricultural ground as much as possible against development. The ground goes for such a high price in Madison County, and so often, when the ground gets sold, it goes into homes because they need a return on their investment.”

According to Sommer, the park’s main priority is to appreciate agriculture by ensuring the animals are safe, happy, and cared for.

“Care for the animals is a big deal,” says Sommer. “We love our animals, we take really good care of them, they go through vaccinations, and they have incredible veterinary care, and the feed is… there is no small investment in our feed.”

When the Safari Park was first announced in 2021, some Madison County residents were concerned that the park would not be regulated safely since there is no legal definition of “game ranch” in Madison County.

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Opposers of the game ranch worried it would increase traffic in residential areas near the park and potentially put nearby residents in danger if any of the safari park animals were to escape.

In August 2022, Danielle McInnes, one of the prominent opposers of the game ranch, filed a lawsuit against the Safari Park to keep it from being opened.

District Judge Steven Boyce dismissed the case, allowing the park to open to the public.

A second lawsuit was filed later that month by McInnes and 53 other Madison County residents that is still active. The residents claim the Safari Park is not what Sommer originally claimed it to be.

A motion hearing is scheduled for the case on Nov. 20.

Sommer says the construction and execution of the park has gone over “every detail” to ensure that the animals and residents near the park will remain safe.

RELATED | Yellowstone Safari Park discussed at ‘grievance meeting’ in Madison County

“We have looked after every detail from animal care to animal protection, within their natural environment spaces,” says Sommer. “We have thorough camera surveillance, for maximum protections. We have far beyond requirements on fencing.”

As for the traffic concerns, Sommer says the Safari Park has three entrances that will keep traffic minimal.

“We have three separate entrances, so if there happens to be a backup of traffic on one entrance, there’s another entrance,” says Sommer. “All entrances converge to the same spot, but there’s plenty of space. There have been absolutely no issues on traffic matters.”

The Yellowstone Safari Park is located at 2246 W 4000 Rd N in Rexburg. The park is open Monday – Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and closed on Sunday.

A day pass ticket for ages 0-3 is free, ages 4-10 is $12.50, and ages 11 and up is $20.

For the first couple weeks of opening, if you mention a discount, you will receive a 30% discount on ticket prices.

For more information about the Yellowstone Safari Park, visit their website here.

Correction: This article has been updated to include information about a second, active lawsuit against the Yellowstone Safari Park. EastIdahoNews.com apologizes for the omission.