Safari West Converts 400-Acre Preserve To Nonprofit, Triggers 134-Staff Layoff Spike

Safari West is officially shedding its private corporate shell. The 400-acre preserve in Sonoma County will operate as a California nonprofit public benefit corporation, ending 35 years of private ownership. This shift aims to pivot the organization’s focus toward research, education, and long-term conservation sustainability.

But the transition won't be seamless. A state employment filing reveals that 134 employees will be laid off during the restructuring process. The paperwork suggests these workers are expected to be rehired under the new nonprofit framework, though the immediate financial shock to staff is real. For a facility that has relied on dedicated human labor for decades, this administrative hurdle represents a significant operational disruption.

The preserve’s roots run deep in the personal passion of the Lang family. Peter Lang, a former Beverly Hills cattle rancher, bought the property in the 1980s to expand his exotic animal collection. By 1993, he and his wife, zoologist Nancy Lang, opened the gates to the public, dubbing the site the “Sonoma Serengeti.” Today, the land supports over 900 animals, including giraffes, rhinoceroses, and cheetahs.

The preserve’s resilience was tested in October 2017 during the Tubbs Fire. While the wildfire destroyed all four houses in the Lang family compound, the animals survived. Peter Lang, then 77, spent the night battling ember-caused fires with garden hoses and shovels, moving animals between pens to prevent cross-fire. The facility reopened on Nov. 20, 2017, with no animal casualties.

The next phase depends on executing this corporate pivot without alienating the community. Safari tours and overnight tent accommodations will continue under the same leadership team. The immediate next step is completing the state filings and managing the rehiring of the 134 affected staff members to ensure operations resume fully.