Zoo Safari, Safari park in São Paulo, Brazil.
Zoo Safári is a drive-through wildlife park in São Paulo where visitors observe animals from inside their own car or from a park van that follows the same route. The route passes through several separate zones, each home to different species such as deer, spider monkeys, ostriches, camels, llamas, lions, and tigers.
Simba Safari was founded in 1971 by Francisco Luiz Galvão, originally home only to lions; the name comes from the Swahili word for lion. Visitors drove their own cars among freely roaming animals, and the park received 8 million visitors before closing in April 2001. It reopened in June 2001 as Zoo Safari under the São Paulo Zoo, with bears, lions and tigers moved into fenced enclosures. It closed for renovations in 2023 and reopened in July 2025 as Simba Safari.
Zoo Safári sits next to the traditional São Paulo Zoo and draws families looking to see animals up close without leaving their vehicle. Moments when animals like llamas or camels approach the car window tend to stay with visitors long after the visit.
Visitors can drive through in their own car or join a park van if they prefer not to drive. Arriving early in the day gives a better chance of seeing animals that are more active in the morning.
The name Simba comes from the Swahili word for lion, as the park originally housed only lions when Francisco Luiz Galvão founded it in 1971. Since reopening in 2001, bears, lions and tigers have been kept in fenced enclosures for visitor safety.
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