Up-Close Animal Encounters in Yessen Animal School!

　Did you know that the dark rings around a meerkat's eyes serve as natural “sunglasses”? Have you ever wondered just how slow a sloth really is? Such questions don't have to be answered only through textbooks. At Neimen's Yessen Animal School（野森動物學校）, visitors learn through firsthand observation and interaction with the animals.

　Located in the forested hills south of Zizhu Temple in Neimen District, Kaohsiung, Yessen Animal School（野森動物學校）is built on the site of the former Neimen Tourism and Leisure Park（內門觀光休閒園區）. After years of planning, the site was transformed under the guidance of the Kaohsiung City Government’s Tourism Bureau and is now run by Yessen Animal School CO., LTD.（野森代夫）. This new highlight of eastern Kaohsiung combines life education, wildlife conservation, and local culture.

　The park's "animal teachers" include meerkats, sloths, capybaras, black-tailed prairie dogs, Falabella miniature horses, and Valais Blacknose sheep. Led by animal caretakers, small groups can explore habitats to see meerkats taking turns on lookout duty, observe prairie dogs digging burrows, and learn about gentle interaction with capybaras. There are no cold fences or glass barriers; only authentic, lively, first-hand experiences with the animals.

　One of the park's main attractions is Fox Valley, the only place of its kind in southern Taiwan, where red foxes and arctic foxes roam freely across a 3,300m² habitat designed to resemble their natural environment. The park also features a raptor flight zone, where Harris's hawks soar freely. In the southern section, outdoor food trucks offer pizza, desserts, and light snacks. After a meal, families can visit Forest Adventure Village, where children can run around and have fun.

野森動物學校開學啦！沉浸式生態課 與動物零距離互動
文/李曉萍  攝影/Cindy Lee、黃敬文、Carter

你知道狐獴眼周的黑圈，其實是天然的「太陽眼鏡」嗎？樹懶究竟能慢到什麼程度？這些疑問，不必翻課本，走進內門「野森動物學校」，讓動物老師親自為你解答。

野森動物學校位於高雄內門紫竹寺南側山林，前身為內門觀光休閒園區，經多年籌備，由高雄市政府觀光局委託專業團隊「野森代夫」營運，轉型為結合生命教育、動物保育與在地文化的東高雄新亮點。

狐獴、樹懶、水豚、黑尾土撥鼠、法拉貝拉馬與瓦萊黑鼻羊，都是園區的「動物老師」。在飼育員帶領下，小團制深入棲地，近距離觀察狐獴輪流站哨、土撥鼠挖洞進度，學習與水豚互動。這裡沒有冰冷柵欄與玻璃隔閡，只有最真實、最生動的第一手分享。

園區亮點之一是南臺灣唯一的「狐狸谷」，赤狐與白狐自在奔跑於近千坪模擬狐狸棲地；亦設有猛禽放飛場域，經訓練的哈里斯鷹能在區域內自由飛翔。此外，南校區戶外餐車供應披薩、甜點與小吃，吃飽後還可前往「森育冒險村」，讓孩子盡情放電。