Lazy 5 is unique among the private zoos / wildlife parks in the Charlotte area for both its size and its setup. Over 750 animals from 6 different continents roam freely on the 185 acre property in Mooresville, NC. While some animals live in a more traditional zoo setting with enclosures, the vast majority of the animals have free run of the ranch’s property. The 3.5 mile trail through the “safari” part of the property allows you to get up close and personal with the animals in a more natural habitat.
Admission to the park is $11 for adults and $8 for kids age 2-11. This general admission ticket gets you access to the traditional zoo area and to the drive-through safari. For a few dollars more, you can save your car from the onslaught of messy animals and ride on the wagon through the safari instead. Reservations are required for the wagon ride, and all admission tickets must be paid at the entrance in cash only.
We arrived about an hour and fifteen minutes before our wagon ride so we had plenty of time to explore the grounds and visit with the animals in the zoo section. It was November and we had already had the first frost so there were quite a few animals that were inside for the winter. But there were still plenty of animals out and about to interact with.
As you enter the ranch, there is a large fenced in field to your right that houses miniature horses, llamas, and a variety of cattle. You can buy a bucket of feed to share with the animals or just pet them when they come right up next to the fence.
But be careful feeding those llamas… they might sneeze on you!
There is also a large gathering of goats that will very aggressively try to eat from your feed bucket. JB tried really hard to feed the littlest ones, but they kept getting literally butted out of the way by the bigger goats. These guys were not afraid to use their horns to get the front of the line.
The rest of the animal enclosures center around an old barn and windmill. There is a large variety of really cool looking birds, and some other exotic animals like ring-tailed lemurs and kangaroos.
Two of our favorites were the angry black swan who tried to nip anyone who came near the edge of the water and the red kangaroo with big biceps striking a sexy pose.
We still had some time before our wagon ride so we walked around the grounds a little. There are picnic tables, a snack bar and a playground. After a quick snack, we found the real entertainment… watching the drive-through entrance to the safari.
We were first drawn to the area by the zebra and cattle hanging out along the fence. JB ran up to pet the cattle and check out the zebra up close (we knew that you aren’t supposed to pet the zebras – they can be nasty!).
While we were standing there we noticed that some of the cattle were waiting right by the entrance. The entrance to the safari is wide open without a gate. The animals can’t leave because there is a grate at the entrance – the cars can drive over it but the animals can’t walk over it. There were two cattle flanking the entrance, acting as the unofficial greeters to the approaching cars.
As funny as it was to see them waiting there, it was hilarious when a car actually came through. Any car with the window open and a bucket of feed very quickly had a hungry visitor at their window… and IN their window in just a matter of seconds.
Seriously… that Jersey cow would have climbed all the way in the cars if he could. (Thank goodness the Watusi Cattle knew his horns wouldn’t fit through the window!)
It was so much fun standing there watching this happen to car after car. Not only were the animals hilarious, but the people’s reactions were priceless. We stood there for probably 15 minutes, listening to the laughter and surprised screams and watching the cattle trying to climb deeper and deeper into each passing car, sometimes successfully pulling the entire bucket out of the surprised passenger’s hands. (My decision to take the wagon ride was definitely the right one – I have no doubt that every one of these cars was covered in cattle slobber and would be finding pieces of animal feed inside their car for months.)
After we watching this and laughing until our sides hurt, it was finally time for our wagon ride. We made our way over to the horse barn. I got on the line while JB checked out the baby animals in the barn.
We loaded up on the wagon and headed out. The wagon has three rows of seats – one along each side and one in the middle. Buckets of feed are under the seats and there was plenty for everyone. As soon as we pulled out, the animals started coming to the wagon to feed.
The Watusi Cattle definitely came in droves, likely because they knew their horns meant they can only be fed by the wagon riders and not the cars. Lots of pot-bellied pigs roamed around, hoping to get the leftovers that were dropped from the taller animals. We were told not to feed the zebras because they are aggressive, and perhaps to prove the guide’s point, one started following right behind the wagon, pulling entire buckets of feed off the back of the wagon.
The grounds were really pretty (especially late in the afternoon with the sun starting to set) and although we have done this before, I was still impressed with the size of the area and the variety of animals living together. There were so many varieties of cattle, deer, and antelope wandering the grounds. There were a few animals that lived on the safari grounds but had areas separated off from the main, open grounds. The giraffes had their own enclosure, as did the rhinos (for obvious reasons) and a species of overly territorial pigs. Other than those, the animals roamed the 185 acres, although each different species seemed to have chosen an area that they primarily called home.
The cattle were fun to feed with their long, curling tongues but nothing compared to the ostriches. They were fast and aggressive. Their long necks stretched around people to get to the feed buckets – it felt like no place on the wagon was safe from their long reach and aggressive pecking. One even started pecking at the furry hood of the winter coat of the woman sitting next to me. Their pecking motion was so fast and aggressive that you really had to hold on to the bucket or they would knock it right out of your hands. And they were messy! It seemed as if more than half the food went flying as they pecked at the bucket again and again. JB absolutely could not get enough of it. It was hilarious.
Our guide was also excited to point out a few of the baby animals that had recently been born on the ranch. They were so cute!
This was our 3rd visit to Lazy 5 but the first in several years, and JB’s memory of previous visits was fuzzy. He absolutely loved it this time and will not soon forget it. The drive-through safari is unique in this area and the size of the ranch and variety of animals is really impressive. While driving your own car through certainly makes for an especially unique experience, I think the overall experience on the wagon ride is much better. Our guide was a wealth of information – had we driven through on our own, we wouldn’t have known what most of the animals were. With a guide, we not only learned what the animals were but learned about the species in general and specifics of the animals’ life on the ranch. In addition, the wagon goes off road and accesses areas of the ranch that cars cannot get to. So you learn more and see more! And your car stays clean! It’s a win-win. We love Lazy 5 and will definitely be going back in the spring when all the animals are out.
