Every Gift Begins With an Animal

When most people think of Out of Africa Wildlife Park & Sanctuary, they picture a lion’s low rumble, a giraffe leaning in for a snack, or a rhino ambling across a sunlit habitat. Those everyday moments of wonder are only possible because of something guests can’t always see: a community of people who choose to give.

This Giving Tuesday, we’re inviting you to stand behind the animals who have captured your heart—by supporting their care, their habitats, and their future.

• Photo by Brittney Olson

Why Giving Tuesday Matters for Our Animals

Giving Tuesday is a global day of generosity following Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. For Out of Africa Wildlife Park & Sanctuary, it’s more than a date on the calendar—it’s a lifeline.
Unlike many traditional zoos, Out of Africa Wildlife Park is a privately owned facility and does not receive municipal, state, or federal funding. Every habitat expansion, every veterinary exam, and every specialized diet is powered by visitors and donors who believe these animals deserve the very best care.
With the creation of Out of Africa Wildlife Sanctuary Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating within the park grounds, supporters can now make tax-deductible gifts that directly fuel lifelong care for animals in need and expand conservation education efforts.
On Giving Tuesday, your generosity does double duty: it keeps daily care moving today and builds a safer tomorrow for the animals who call Out of Africa home.

How Your Giving Tuesday Gift Helps — Real Impact, Right Away

Think of your gift not as a number, but as something an animal will feel that very day. Here’s how a range of gifts can make a tangible difference:

• $25 – Provides enrichment items—like puzzle feeders, scent trails, or durable “toys”—that encourage natural behaviors for species like hyenas, warthogs, and big cats.
• $50 – Helps cover daily produce, hay, and browse for herbivores such as giraffes, antelope, and other hoofstock.
• $100 – Supports a day of specialized diets and supplements across the park, from carnivore diets for lions and tigers to fresh greens for tortoises and sloths.
• $250 – Contributes to essential veterinary care—medications, diagnostic tests, and ongoing monitoring for animals with chronic conditions or special needs.
• $500 – Helps maintain and enhance habitats: sturdy shade structures, climbing platforms, dig-proof barriers, and water features that allow animals to explore, rest, and play safely.
• $1,000+ – Fuels larger projects through the nonprofit sanctuary, such as habitat expansions, long-term medical care, and rescue efforts for animals who cannot be returned to the wild.

No matter the amount, your gift turns into something real: a full belly, a healed paw, a quieter, less stressful day for an animal who depends on humans to do the right thing.

Park + Sanctuary: Two Names, One Mission

You’ll see both Out of Africa Wildlife Park and Out of Africa Wildlife Sanctuary mentioned in this post—here’s how they work together:

• Out of Africa Wildlife Park (outofafricapark.com) is the destination you visit in Camp Verde, Arizona, offering interactive animal encounters, tours, and shows that connect people to wildlife.
• Out of Africa Wildlife Sanctuary Inc. (ooasanctuary.org) is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit extension created to ensure lifelong care, expanded habitats, and stronger conservation education—supported through tax-deductible donations.

Together, they form Out of Africa Wildlife Park & Sanctuary—a single mission to provide refuge, medical care, and meaningful experiences that inspire people to protect wildlife.

On Giving Tuesday, you can support both sides of that mission: by giving, by visiting, and by sharing.

Ways to Give on Giving Tuesday (and Beyond)

1. Make a Tax-Deductible Gift to the Sanctuary

The fastest way to support lifelong animal care is through a direct gift to Out of Africa Wildlife Sanctuary, the nonprofit 501(c)(3) that powers ongoing medical care, nutrition, and habitat improvements

Give online: Visit Out of Africa Wildlife Sanctuary and use the DONATE NOW button to make a secure, tax-deductible gift.

Your donation helps ensure that rescued and resident animals—from lions and tigers to rhinos, hyenas, sloths, and more—receive the expert care they need for the rest of their

2. Support the Park’s Animals Through the “Adopt an Animal” Program

If you’ve fallen in love with a particular species at Out of Africa, the Park Parent’s Animal Adoption Program is a perfect Giving Tuesday gift—for yourself or someone special.

• Choose your favorite animal—perhaps a lion, giraffe, bear, hyena, or capybara.
• Your adoption supports food, habitat care, and enrichment for that animal.
• You’ll receive a personalized adoption certificate, fun fact sheet, and photo as a keepsake.

While Park Parent adoptions and park contributions are not tax-deductible, they provide vital funds for ongoing care and habitat improvements for the animals you see on your visit.

Your visit helps sustain the daily operations that keep animal care running strong.

3. Shop the Wish List, Giving Tree, or Donate a Vehicle

If you prefer giving something more tangible:

• Wish List & Enrichment: Check the Wish List under the Support menu on outofafricapark.com. Many items—like enrichment tools, cleaning supplies, or specialized equipment—go straight into improving animals’ daily lives.
• Seasonal Giving Tree: During the holidays, guests can choose ornaments from the park’s Giving Tree, each representing a specific need or animal experience. It’s a fun, visual way to support the animals while visiting the park. The Giving Tree is now live on the park’s social media.
• Donate a Vehicle: Through partnerships like Cars2Charities, you can turn an unused vehicle into support for Out of Africa Wildlife Sanctuary’s mission, with tax benefits included.

These creative giving options help cover everything from hay and meat to medical equipment and habitat maintenance—essentials that may not be obvious when you’re simply enjoying a day at the park.

Your Giving Tuesday Checklist

If you’re wondering “Okay, what should I actually do on Giving Tuesday?”, here’s a simple step-by-step:

1. Make a tax-deductible donation to Out of Africa Wildlife Sanctuary at ooasanctuary.org.
2. Adopt an animal through the Park Parent program at outofafricapark.com/adopt-an-animal.
3. Plan your 2026 visit by purchasing tickets or a membership on outofafricapark.com.
4. Share the mission on social media—link to both the park and sanctuary sites, and tell friends which animal you’re supporting.

Even choosing one of these steps makes you part of the story.

The Animals Can’t Speak—But Your Support Says Everything

Every lion that lounges in the shade instead of pacing, every rhino that receives arthritis care, every rescued animal that finally knows safety—each one carries a quiet message: someone cared enough to give.

This Giving Tuesday, we invite you to be one of those people.

• Give to the sanctuary: ooasanctuary.org
• Support the park & its animals: outofafricapark.com/donate and Adopt an Animal

From all of us at Out of Africa Wildlife Park & Sanctuary—staff, volunteers, and the animals who benefit from your generosity—thank you for being part of this mission.