Africam Safari started as a private animal collection owned by Carlos Camacho Espíritu, a veteran, pilot, radio host and business man, who lived in Valsequillo, Puebla. Camacho got the idea to create a park where animals could develop and reproduce their species in areas resembling their habitat in the wild. Camacho called this zoo prototype Africam, a portmanteau of Africa and his last name Camacho. Africam Safari first opened to the public on April 2, 1972. Carlos Camacho died on October 28, 1976.
Visitors to the park become immersed in the animal habitats, which very closely resemble the wild. The animals roam freely and the visitors can observe them from their own vehicles or the park's guided buses. Africam Safari has several habitats, including African Savannah, American steppes, Tropical Jungle, Mexican Forest, Tiger Lake, Lion Territory and walk-through adventure zone. There are approximately 2500 animals of 350 species that roam freely in a habitat which is said to encourage animal development and reproduction. There are signals next the way that prevent the visitor from animal attacks, advising the visitor to close the window and not to disturb the animals.
Delta de Okavango: an area based on the Okavango Delta in Botswana, where mostly animals from the African steppes, savannah grasslands, Malagasy gallery forests and Andean regions are found in the park. This section is home to reticulated giraffes, black-and-white ruffed lemurs, ring tailed lemurs, African elephants, helmeted guineafowls, common elands, waterbucks, impalas, Egyptian geese, ostriches, nilgais, sable antelopes, llamas, mouflons, Barbary sheep, capibaras, Baird's tapirs, and Asian elephants.
Oasis: this section is not based on a specific area in the world, it resembles an oasis in American rainforests. This section is home to military and scarlet macaws.
Zona de Descanso : an area where visitors are allowed to leave their vehicles to use the park services. There are four exhibits where hippopotamus, chimpanzees, spectacled bears, and striped hyaenas can be found.
The Zona de Aventuras is a section in the park where vehicles are not allowed and visitors must walk to get in different areas. This section includes a butterfly zoo, a bat exhibit, a herpetarium and insectarium, kangaroo exhibit and a botanical garden.
X-Mahana: a garden and butterfly zoo inside a Maya themed building where monarch butterflies are raised.
Jardín Botánico Louise Wardle de Camacho: a botanical garden that shows Mexican plant species, mostly regional cactus, agaves and a holm oakforest. Louise Wardle de Camacho was Carlos Camacho's wife.
Tarántulas y Otros "Bichos" : is an herpetarium and insectarium that shows reptiles, amphibians and arthropods.
Caverna de Murciélagos : an exhibit that shows Egyptian fruit bats.
Canguros : an exhibit that shows Australian species: red kangaroos, red-necked wallabys and emus.
From December to January visitors can stay longer at the park, take a bus through the main sections at night, and watch the animals when they are more active. The lions, antelopes, hippopotamuses, buffalo, and tigers are much more active during this nocturnal tour. The Adventure Zone is also open during this time, with night activities.
Conservation
Captain Carlos Camacho Espiritu created Africam with the purpose of creating a community conscience about the protection of animals. It is one of the few such establishments in Latin America which includes white tigers in its list of animals. Africam Safari was the first institution in Mexico to successfully assist reproduction of the golden eagle, which is pictured on the Mexican flag. The Safari maintains a captive population of the tuxtla quail-dove, and have been very successful in breeding this endangered species. Other conservation programs in the wild in which Africam Safari is involved: jaguar in the northern Mexican mountains, humpback whales in the Pacific Ocean, flamingos the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexican military macaw, sea lions off the Mexican Pacific Coast, manatee in Quintana Roo, and many others.
