LOXAHATCHEE, Fla. — The KOA campgrounds at Lion Country Safari will close on April 30, marking the first major change since the attraction was sold for $30 million in November.
WATCH BELOW: 'Floridians love this area and they want to keep it the way it is,' Jackson tells WPTV
The closure has sparked speculation and concern among community members about the future of the popular wildlife park under its new ownership by the Ellison family.
WPTV learned about the campground closing, when a viewer emailed saying KOA campground reservations had been canceled.
Staff at the KOA visitor center said they were just as sad and surprised about the closure.
After 40 years of operation, the campgrounds offered RV spaces, tent sites and cabins, where visitors could wake up with the safari nearby.
"When you're out here, you're not here for the big city, you're not here for the beach," said a man by the name Jackson. "When you wake up, you hear the monkeys, you hear the lions roaring."
We went online to the KOA website to try and book a reservation, but when you select Lion Country Safari, an alert reads:
"We are not able to take any new reservations at this time. The campground will be closing until further notice after 4/30/26."
Future reservations have been canceled and the campgrounds are no longer accepting online reservations, which has stirred concern in the community.
Jackson, a local man who brings his family to the safari, expressed the community's uncertainty about the new ownership.
"We all know that the Ellison family bought Lion Country and we're all wondering what is he going to do with it? Is he going to build a hotel, is he going to build a neighborhood, is he going to keep it?" Jackson said.
Shining A Light
Lion Country Safari says farewell to last members of founding family
When we first reported on the multi-million-dollar sale, we learned the Ellison family is known for a longstanding commitment to wildlife conservation.
Billionaire Larry Ellison is co-founder of tech company Oracle.
"By this announcement with KOA, people are starting to get really skeptical and really wonder what is the agenda here. Given that Project Tango showed up out of nowhere on us, I personally think that this is related to a data center." said Jackson, who had a message to the Ellisons. "Floridians love this area and they want to keep it the way it is. They're really hoping that you're a conservationist, they stand behind that and they say that your family is the same and so they're really looking forward to you doing good things for the community and for the state of Florida."
We dug for answers and Palm Beach County Mayor Sara Baxter issued the following statement:
"The only information available is that there will be improvements to the existing facilities. Lion Country Safari is a unique treasure for our area and my hope is any improvements will make it more enjoyable for the residents."
Jackson said the community is prepared to take action if necessary.
"I think everybody around here is going to be on standby to hear what's really happening and if we have to we're going to rally behind what we dislike," Jackson said.
A KOA representative confirmed that anyone with reservations after April 30 will receive a full refund.
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