FOLSOM — A 900-acre wildlife preserve in Folsom, Louisiana is home to more than 2,000 animals and more than 30 species from around the world.

Global Wildlife Center lets visitors hop on a safari bus and ride through the preserve, where animals roam freely and often come right up to the wagon.

"Global Wildlife is a 900-acre wildlife preserve in Folsom, Louisiana," said Christina Cooper, executive director of Global Wildlife Center.

The safari ride includes animals like giraffes, zebras and bison. Visitors can feed many of the animals along the way, though not the zebras.

"It's a really hands-on experience," Cooper said. "You'll have the giraffes sticking their whole head and neck into the wagons or into the safari pens with you. It's a wonderful way to get up close to wildlife and really appreciate them in a free-roaming setting."

One of the bigger surprises on the ride is the chance to hand feed baby giraffes. According to the preserve, giraffes are born 6 feet tall.

The adventure continues off the bus too. Visitors can have brush and feeding encounters with tortoises and walk through an area where kangaroos roam.

"Because you actually feel like you're in Africa! This is Africa in Louisiana," Cooper said.

The center also has capybaras and visitors can take part in a painting experience where the capybaras interact with a canvas to create their own artwork.

"We have giraffes, capybaras, we have red kangaroos," Cooper said.

"We like to say whether you're 2 or 92, you're really young at heart when you come to Global Wildlife Center," Cooper said.