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.