Africam Safari, Puebla

"We are not big fans of zoos as animal welfare is a topic for us but this park is actually something you should consider to go to as the history and passion put in this project are just amazing. The Africam Safari is a Mexican wildlife conservation park where animals roam in controlled freedom and in captivity. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The park was founded by Captain Carlos Camacho Espíritu, a businessman, broadcaster and pilot from Puebla. On his travels he made specimens with which he formed a private collection of animals at his residence. As it was highly visited, he decided to open it to the public in a place where people could get closer to the animals, thus promoting appreciation for the fauna, while the animals were in conditions similar to their natural habitat to favor subsistence and reproduction. The park was opened in 1972 and he named it Africam, after his last name and the African continent, the place of origin of most of the collection. When he died in 1976 his wife Louise Wardle de Camacho continued the project, and when she died in 1980, their eight children took over running the park."