My wife and I recently visited the Global Wildlife Center in Folsom Louisiana and were amazed with what we found. Only an hour out of downtown New Orleans you hav a 900 acre ranch that is home to North Americas largest free roaming preserve.

The Global Wildlife Center has over 4000 exotic and endangerd animals and has species of deer and antelope that I've never even heard of before.

For photographers, this has to be the best kept secret around and you can rent a private Pinzgauer Tour that is perfect to photograph out of. They also offer a standard wagon tour, but the private tour is the way to go for wildlife photographers and the 4x4 will bring you right up to many animals that wont come near the wagon tours.

Ok, enough talk, here are some pictures to back up all my boasting of the place.


Beautiful Lines on a Eland, also known as a Taurotragus Oryx - Shot with a Canon 5D - 400f/2.8 - 180th @ f/5.6


East African Crowned Crane Struting Its Stuff
Canon 5D - 400f/2.8 1/2000 @ f/5.6


Having a Baby Giraffe Clean the Front of my wifes Lens
Canon 5D - 28-300L 1/350 @ f/5.6


Group of Father David Deer also known as Pere David Deer - Great Story behind this species that you can read about on our Review Page This entire species was saved from extinction by Father Pere David when he found the deer hidden in a secret Emperors Reserve in China in the late 1800's.

This is one of my wifes shots of a mother Kangaroo with her Joey hanging out the pouch

Canon 30D - 400f/2.8 - 1/2000 @ f/2.8


Does this shot not just scream African Safari?

Like I said, the floor of the Pinzgauer is perfect for shooting photography out of. You can keep everything right at your feet and available within arms reach



Thought I'd leave you with a humorous shot to put a smile on your face!


Watusi Cow which is said to have a 15" long tongue!!!!

The rest of the gallery can be seen here. Again, this is an amazing place to visit and photograph and right within driving distance of New Orleans. Think, you can be on an African Safari during the afternoon, and sipping a Abita beer on Bourbon street looking through your images an hour later! That my friends sounds like the best of both worlds!

What an exciting trip that must have been! I loved the gallery shots.

Great series. Those sorts of parks are so fun. I especially like the zebra image and the crowned crane.

Excellent captures and it looks like a great palce to visit.

Thanks for the comments!! It's a blast and if you're into Exotic wildlife, it sure beats the cost of a trip to Africa.

I wish I could hav gotten more of the crane, but he/she wasnt too keen of the Canon 400mm. The guide told me it must be freaked out by the lens, because it normally would walk right up to the Pinzgauer.

Oh well, at least I got that shot