 The Fasano Zoosafari is a destination I reached after my last stay in San Giovanni Rotondo with my family in June 2021. I have already told in two posts about my past adventures in this city whose popularity is closely linked to the figure of Padre Pio, a friar who later became a saint. During the last visit to Puglia, together with my sister we decided to take our parents to the places where they took us when we were children; the Fasano Zoo was one of these. This zoo was famous because you could visit it in your own cars like on a safari, when I was little my father had taken me and my sister there several times, and it was an experience of which I always had very vivid memories even though I was very young during those visits. Returning to Fasano after a long time was an idea that gave me incredible motivation, both for the positive memories I had of the place and to relive the experience with more maturity as well as the photographic challenge of being able to take beautiful photos of the animals. We reached the Zoosafari before 1 PM, after leaving San Giovanni Rotondo in the late morning. The Zoosafari was divided into two parts, the one to visit directly from the car and then the one called Fasanoland, an amusement park where there were other areas with the presence of animal species. Arriving by car, the structure was set up for a visit to the safari part and staff gave directions based on what you wanted to visit first. We went straight for the safari and after buying the ticket we immersed ourselves with the whole car to discover the animals free in their own area. The large park was in fact structured in such a way as to divide the different species of animals so that they did not come into contact with each other. Entering by car, after a while you went through the first gate that closed after letting in about six or seven cars. Inside each sector there was a guard on his off-road vehicle who monitored the cars and the animals. The route inside the various sectors went like this; after having closed a certain number of cars inside a sector, when they gathered near the closed gate, it was opened and then closed again after the cars passed through. SafariThe first animals we encountered inside the park were deer, one of which was very large with huge horns that used the branches of a tree to scratch itself. In that area there was also a dark brown horse but I honestly don't know if it was some sort of guest maybe just there to eat. Already from the second sector, we entered the most anticipated area, the one that hosted the king of the forest; the lion! Driving slowly and at the same time taking pictures, I wasn't immediately ready for the lions, let's say I was convinced that they were in the final part of the route. However, I quickly regained my concentration because the lions were among the animals that I most wanted to photograph. To tell the truth, looking at them carefully, I could immediately notice that the lions were very old, especially one was visibly elderly and more than scary, they personally made me feel tender, like the animals described in children's cartoons. These lions were mostly in the shade under the trees, they observed everything around them but never took any initiative. They were absolutely calm, always lying down and in a passive position, a characteristic opposite to their nature but which however in that context of a family safari, was still a pleasant sight. Apparently, at the Zoosafari in Fasano, they had put the best pieces first and after leaving the lion sector, we entered the tigers sector. The impact with these animals was very strong thanks to the colors of these animals’ coats. I don't think I had ever seen tigers in person before and the effect was incredible. I immediately loved those colors, very bright and a perfect match. The light brown together with the black and white made an incredible effect and the exciting thing was that in photos, they were even more vibrant. The tigers were in positions similar to those of the lions, in groups under the trees or resting near the cages. Unlike the lions who were very old, the tigers gave me the impression of being younger and more active. Every now and then one moved from the trees and wandered around and also from a visual point of view, they were more likely to open their mouths showing their enormous canines. Although there were some visibly large tigers, most were normal and had very beautiful and expressive faces, always attentive and with a deep gaze. The tigers were so beautiful that I managed to take some nice photos also focusing on the faces, especially of one tiger that I immortalized perfectly. After the tiger area, the large spaces began where several species could coexist together. We passed through an area where the elephants were right next to the car's carriageway, these enormous animals seemed to be focused on their activities and did not come too close to the cars. The elephants were the gentle giants and personally they gave me the impression of those who looked at cars and people in a strange way. Near the elephants but away from the road, it was possible to see little monkeys, with their strange movements but the most interesting thing turned out to be the giraffes. They occupied a large area that was used mainly for them, with accessories such as artificial feeders placed high up. Beyond the singularity of the giraffes, with their usual long neck and a disproportionate but elegant body, what struck me was their interaction with people. Someone who was driving in front of us started feeding a giraffe by offering it something from the car window, immediately after the same giraffe continued to stretch its neck over the fence to every car, thinking that offering food was a routine. The poor giraffe tried to make contact with every car and was disappointed, however if someone really wanted to, it was possible to have the hand licked. Even during our transit, the giraffe stretched its neck making it pass in a funny way under the fence and when it stood up, I managed to take a close-up of it while it was making a very funny expression. As far as I remember, there were no other divisions of sectors with closed gates after the visit to the giraffes. In fact, immediately afterwards we crossed vast areas where zebras, bison, gazelles and antelopes were more or less close but always gathered together. These animals were mostly static and divided into groups, the zebras almost all standing while the antelopes were mostly resting. Before the exit there was a large artificial lake where there were hippos. At first I could only see a small part of their back and head because the rest remained submerged. I remember that at that stage I drove slowly in the hope that someone could come out of the water to photograph it. When I had lost all hope, suddenly a hippo raised its head and opened its big mouth! I was very good at capturing the timing and despite holding the steering wheel with one hand and using the other to photograph, I managed to get a perfect shot. That photo had been the right end to the tour, a shot that had satisfied me beyond belief.                        FasanolandiaAt the end of the safari it was 2 PM and after leaving the car in the large parking lot, we entered the Fasanolandia park. Immediately after the entrance, there were many attractions and even small-scale models of some Apulian monuments such as Castel del Monte. After having a quick lunch in one of the many points present, we headed with the elevated panoramic train towards the Lake of the Large Mammals and the Monkey Village. The elevated train was actually the only means from which you could see the baboons that occupied a closed but very large area. The exuberance of this species required a sort of distant and passive interaction, it was not possible to approach these animals in any way. However, some of them climbed on the pylons that supported the tracks and many times they became agitated or threw scraps of food at the train. The main attraction of the Lake of the Great Mammals was definitely the polar bear. I don’t know how often this animal came out of its den but we were lucky and saw several of them practically the entire time we were there. The beauty of this animal was not only in its aesthetic appearance and rare color but also in its movements. During the time we were there, I managed to photograph a bear while it was climbing, standing on two legs and also frontally while it was walking with its legs crossed. It goes without saying that these animals spent a lot of time in the water or near fountains created specifically for bathing. Even though I took some nice photos with a telephoto zoom, the actual position of the bears was quite far away but not so much as to diminish their visual beauty. As we skirted the lake, we could see from afar the two islets where there were monkeys, always intent on hanging from the trees with ropes that had been installed on purpose. On one side of the lake, under an area covered with thick vegetation, there were brown bears. These gave the impression of feeling even warmer than the polar bears, in fact when we passed by, they were perpetually in the water and seemed to be having fun. These species that I described were those present around the large lake, after having gone around it, we took the train back to the park. Fasanolandia area included a real park with rides of all kinds, however we went to see the tropical area where there were the centenary tortoises and reptiles. There were two giant tortoises and honestly I don't know if they were both centenary or just one. When we passed by they were busy eating lettuce, probably with the same calm that had led them to live so long. The reptiles were inside the tropical room, a closed place with its own microclimate. I think that even the darkness was created on purpose to make it resemble the real habitat that was suitable for reptiles, however I did not appreciate it from a photographic point of view. Apart from the crocodiles that were in the central part, the rest of the room was made up of glass cages with dozens of different species of snakes. Mostly they were small but long snakes and some camouflaged well with the artificially created habitat. Personally I did not tour the room in depth but there were also other species of reptiles such as iguanas and especially the bullfrog, this clumsy reptile that can eat insects of all kinds non-stop. The tropical room was the last place we visited, immediately after we all gathered together to organize the departure. We left Fasano in the evening towards Alberobello, leaving a particular place to reach another even more original. The return to the Zoosafari of Fasano was even more beautiful and exciting than I expected. The place is something totally different from the concept of a zoo that can be found around the big cities. Surely the original thing is the car safari among the free animals because it is a real immersion in a different habitat. Clearly it will never be like a real safari but it is certainly a different experience compared to visiting a traditional zoo. However I must say that as regards other types of areas for animals, other zoos or even places like the Oceanographic of Valencia, have indoor areas like the tropical one that are newer and more advanced. Beyond all this, however, what struck me the most and that I will always love, remains above all the Apulian territory; an inimitable scenario and an extension that seems to be infinite, something unique that lends itself to being more things at the same time. This was the state of mind with which I left Fasano to set off for Alberobello.                        A.M.
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