Safari West is a 400-acre wonderland of African mammals and birds from around the globe. Most of the property is made up of massive enclosures through which herds of zebra and cape buffalo roam. The lower grounds surrounding the Savannah Cafe contain all the winged, climbing, and carnivorous creatures that wouldn’t be secure in the large enclosures. Between these two regions sits the spiritual center of Safari West; the Amani Oasis.

This massive walk-through aviary has been the centerpiece of Safari West for two decades now and no safari tour is complete without a leisurely stroll through the environs contained within. You’ll never feel closer to nature than while standing beside a babbling brook as scarlet ibises soar overhead. Look in the branches of the trees spreading across the water and find African spoonbills busily at work constructing their nests. Gaze down to where the stream spills into a tranquil pool and watch the courtship antics of several duck species, each more iridescent and beautiful than the last.

Demoiselle cranes, long necked and long legged strut alongside ambling knots of visitors while gloriously plumed pheasants and impossibly long-toed purple swamphens scurry through the undergrowth. There are even a few mammals to be found in the aviary; a family of blue duikers. These chihuahua-sized antelope are frequently found lounging in the shade of a thick clump of bamboo.

The Amani Oasis has never looked more beautiful than it does right now. At the tail end of 2015, the original aviary was dismantled and rebuilt from the ground up. Gone are the worn and pitted gravel trails, replaced by comfortable paved walkways. The old pond has been updated. In its place we now find a winding water feature that wanders down several tiers to the clear pool below. Waders of many colors spend their afternoons foraging for treats in the cool waters. Nesting platforms abound in every corner and crevice of the aviary; a fact the birds are taking full advantage of as the spring season unfolds. This new incarnation of the aviary is bigger, better, bolder, and more beautiful than ever before.

Truly, there has never been a better time to come explore our global collection of birdlife as they strut and soar through this grandiose aviary. The scenery is pristine, the nest building is underway, and before long the peeping and piping of a whole new generation will fill the air of the Amani Oasis.