Lion Country Safari KOA closing after park, zoo sold to Larry Ellison
Female lion sisters, both age 12, Zuri and Kya, pose for a picture lying in the shade after participating in the Princeton Study experiment on July 16, 2025. FRANCESCAABARCA/PALMBEACHPOST
The move follows the 2025 sale of the park and adjacent property to a family foundation linked to Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, reportedly the third-richest man in the world. The foundation affiliate paid $30 million for 600 acres of property.
The safari park, which encompasses 254 acres of the 600 acres sold, is at 2003 Lion Country Safari Road west of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road and north of Okeechobee Boulevard.
In a Jan. 22 email, Lion Country Safari spokesperson Haley McCann confirmed the campground is closing its gates on April 30. She said guests who had reservations past this time will be automatically refunded.
McCann said she didn't have any further information regarding plans for the campground site, but she did refute rumors that a data center might be coming to the property.
"I can tell you with complete certainty that there are no plans to turn any of the property into a data center," McCann said.
She added: "Lion Country Safari will remain open, and our commitment to the wildlife, their care, as well as conservation and education hasn't changed."
The KOA campground is part of the 600-acre site. It sits southeast of the drive-through safari.
A family favorite for 40 years, guests at the KOA campground can hear lions roaring at night as they camp in cabins, tents or their own RVs.
Larry Ellison family's history of conservation
When it first started operations, the park only featured lions. Today, the property is home to 89 species, including chimpanzees, rhinos and giraffes.
The Ellison family has a record of philanthropic efforts on behalf of endangered animals, and it pledged to preserve Lion Country Safari.
"Our proud history and exemplary record in animal care, welfare and preservation will continue to be a core focus in the future," a Lion Country Safari statement issued last year said. "Operations will continue as normal, and our commitment to engagement, guest experience and wildlife conservation remains unchanged."
In 2025, the Ellison family unveiled the 197-acre Larry Ellison Conservation Center for Wildlife Care in Saratoga, California, that offers programs to rehabilitate and breed native species.
What's the future of the Lion Country Safari site?
Nevertheless, the closing of the KOA campground has raised questions about the future of the property, including word of a possible data center for the site.
Kelly Smallridge, president of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, said she has heard nothing about a data center planned for the Ellison-owned property.
The only center she is aware of is a proposal to build a facility in western Palm Beach County, "and we're not even certain that we can make the data center happen on that site."
That center, which is slated to be heard by the Palm Beach County commission in April, is proposed along the north side of Southern Boulevard west of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road.
The proposal was before the county commission in December, but residents opposed to the large facility led to a hearing's postponement. At issue is the level of noise and emissions that would come from the diesel backup generators. Residents also worry that the data center, called Project Tango, would destroy the rural character of the areas west of Wellington.
Larry Ellison's other Palm Beach County properties
Technology magnate Ellison isn't just an owner of the Lion Country Safari land.
He also has bought other properties in Palm Beach County in recent years. Those include a Manalapan mega mansion, a waterfront estate in North Palm Beach and the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, which he bought in 2024 for $277.4 million.
Ellison is a political ally and financial supporter of President Donald Trump. His son, David Ellison, became chairman and CEO of the merged Paramount and Skydance companies this past summer.
