Safari Zoo Camp: Parent Interview with Jaime Carney

Watch our Parent interview with Jaime Carney to hear firsthand what children experience and how they grow at Safari Zoo Camp.

Transcript of the interview

What's unique about the program at Safari Zoo Camp that made you want to enroll your children there?

We visited Jungle Cat World one day and saw that they had a camp. Kids from all over the world come, and I love the animal aspect. 

My daughter is really into animals. There's a lot of one-on-one time, there's a lot of teaching and she loves it. It's a perfect match for her.

What would you highlight about the camp's programming, counselors, or facilities?

Jungle Cat World has an amazing property. It's very large. All the animals have great spaces. The campers are involved in their feeding program, where they prepare their meals for them. They hide the food in their cages, sort of as they would have in real life. 

They get to do tours and teachings to the day camps and little kids that visit Jungle Cat World. My daughter, at maybe ten years old, felt so strong and brave and knowledgeable, having the support and knowledge behind her. 

It's a wonderful place! There's a lot of free time scheduled throughout the camp. There are activities, but free time is a big thing. I would joke with my daughter because she would go into the bunny pen to play with the bunnies. I would remind her that she's in a zoo with lions and tigers and incredible creatures and she always gravitated to the bunny rabbits. That was her favorite hour to spend.

 How and when did you know that Safari Zoo Camp was the right fit for your child?

Shailen was six years old, a typical beginning age for an overnight camp. I, myself, went to overnight camp throughout my childhood while Shailen's dad did not. So he was apprehensive of sending her to a strange place with no communication: You don't call, you don't check in, there's no phones. 

It was a great way for her to develop bravery. And she did nothing to her hair. She was just very natural, in nature, and enjoyed it. That first year, she went one week. But after that, we started going several weeks. 

Now, Shailen is actually a counselor in training there. She's made her way through the entire stretch of camp, from what started as a passion and a love for animals as a little girl. They’ve been so kind to us to provide her a job. 

She's going to go into the vet tech program, to maybe be a vet one day. So it's been a great building block for her.

Was there any change or noticeable personal growth that you saw in your child after time at camp?

Because she met kids from all over the place when she was at Jungle Cat World, she built these long-term friendships. Through the grace of social media, she was able to keep in touch with them year-over-year, and do things in the off-season together. They'll go to Wonderland, do the Halloween Haunt, or do other extracurricular things in friendship together outside of camp. 

So it's wonderful to watch Shailen build and grow lasting friendships. It's not school, not people that you're forced to be together with. These are all children who share a passion for animals. It's beautiful.

How can parents overcome hesitancy to send their children away for a week or longer?

The no-communication factor is a bit frightening at first, for the parents only. The kids think it's fantastic! You have to trust them! What's the worst that's going to happen? They're not going to brush their teeth every morning?

It's great for them. They come home with stories. I like that you're not checking in and getting a daily update. You get one download: that car ride. When I pick her up on Sunday morning after a week, we drive about 45 minutes. It's my favorite time of the year. I love that download of information. She's so stoked to tell me everything.

What would you tell other parents about the overall value of sending kids to Safari Zoo camp?

Do it. Save up. When Shailen started, it was a little out of our price range for the few weeks that she wanted to go, but she loved it so much. So that’s what she started asking for, for birthdays and Christmas presents from her family. 

And Jungle Cat World’s always amazing with gift certificates and booking. They want to make this affordable and viable. They're willing to work with you to make sure it’s something you can afford. And if you can't do it this year, do it next year, because it's a life-changing opportunity.

Final thoughts?

As a helicopter mom, you're always nervous about what they're doing. At home, I do the cooking [and] she just eats. When she goes to Jungle Cat World, she's managing the knives and they're holding the fruit. It builds character in them. 

It's not just food prep, but they have crafts and they have dances. They have an open mic night, one night during the week, and they do a play. A lot of parents that I've spoken to would say, “I don't even know who that kid is!” They're up on stage dancing around with friends that they've made. 

It builds character in a different situation than we as parents could provide them at home or in any situation we could give them.