Imagine driving into a savannah-like area with your car, drawing the attention of giraffes, elephants, camels, horses, donkeys and zebras, which come close to sniff at you and get a nose pat in return. And no, you don’t need to go all the way to Africa for this purpose, as being near Szada in Pest County will do the job! There, Hungary's first car safari park welcomed its first visitors yesterday following the end of corona lockdown in the Hungarian countryside.
Old idea comes to life
Creating a car safari park has been a long-nurtured idea of Hungarian National Circus director József Richter Jr., but it came to fruition only in these troubled times. The timing was perfect as well as the place – Hungary's two largest travel circuses, the Hungarian National Circus and the Richter Flórián Circus, with their nearly 100 animals, are currently stationed in their 5-hectare winter accommodation in Szada.
The Szada Safari Park is billed as offering a safe and unique outdoor entertainment and this is not an overstatement.
“We have strict rules so that everyone can relax 100% safely with us. Arriving cars can only proceed on the designated route. Only a limited number of vehicles are allowed in the park at a time, and they can stay in the area for a maximum of 1 hour. In order to avoid congestion in front of the entrance, we can only accept guests on our tours who have pre-registered online. Surely many will be left out at the beginning, but we ask for the patience of all those who are interested,” says József Richter Jr., quoted by the Hungarian National Circus website.
“As there has been no such service in Hungary so far, it has been an extremely complex task to map out everything,” explains the circus director, expressing his gratitude to the mayor of Szada municipality for his decision to support the opening of the park.
A lifeline for the circus company
The new business venture is expected to help the circus companies keep their heads above water as both have lost revenue because of the restrictions.
“My old dream comes true with 'Safari Park', which is also a lifeline for us, as the Hungarian National Circus and the Richter Flórián Circus are in a difficult situation due to the coronavirus. Keeping nearly 100 animals in the two companies is a huge expense, but we haven’t embarked on fundraising campaigns. We try to solve this unique situation by providing a unique experience for our audience,” sums things up József Richter Jr.
