Warner Bros. had a wild idea in 1972. They decided to dump 1,500 African animals into the middle of the New Jersey woods. People think of Jersey and they think of the Turnpike or diners, but for four strange years, West Milford was basically a savanna with a parking lot. It was called Jungle Habitat. If you grew up in the Tri-State area during the Nixon administration, you probably remember the commercials. Bugs Bunny in a safari hat. Long lines of station wagons. Lions leaning against car windows. It was chaos. Beautiful, dangerous, and eventually, a total disaster.
Today, the site is a skeleton. Nature is winning the war against the asphalt.
The Rise of the Suburban Safari
Warner Bros. didn't just want a zoo; they wanted an "immersion." This was the dawn of the "drive-through" safari craze. You didn't walk past cages. You drove your own Chevy Impala through "The Lion Section" and hoped your radiator didn't blow. The park sat on roughly 800 acres of rugged Highlands terrain. It was huge. Honestly, looking back at the safety protocols, it’s a miracle the 70s didn't end with more casualties.
The appeal was simple. You’ve got the kids in the back seat. You’ve got a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Suddenly, a baboon is ripping the windshield wiper off your car. That actually happened. Constantly. The baboons were notorious for dismantling vehicles. They liked the rubber seals around the windows.
What Really Happened With the Animals
There are so many myths about what went down at Jungle Habitat West Milford. You’ll hear stories about "mutant" animals still roaming the woods. People swear they’ve seen lions in the brush near Route 513. Let's get real: the lions are long gone. But the reality of how the animals were treated and what happened when the park closed is actually more depressing than the urban legends.
The park had serious problems from the jump. In October 1972, just months after opening, a lion attacked a passenger in a car. Abraham S.R. de Dios was visiting with his family when a lion reached through an open window. He survived, but the PR hit was massive. Then there were the escapes. An elephant once wandered onto a neighbor’s property. Imagine looking out your kitchen window in West Milford and seeing a six-ton bull elephant staring back at you.
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The weather was another issue. Jersey winters aren't exactly the Serengeti. While the park claimed the animals were kept in heated enclosures, the logistics of moving 1,500 exotic creatures through a muddy, snowy Highlands winter was a nightmare.
Why It Actually Failed
Most people think the lion attack killed the park. That's not quite right.
The downfall was actually boring old bureaucracy and local pushback. Warner Bros. wanted to expand. They wanted rides. They wanted a theme park element to compete with the emerging Great Adventure down in Jackson. The residents of West Milford said "no thanks." They were tired of the traffic. They were tired of the noise. They were tired of the literal animal waste runoff. When the town voted against the expansion in 1976, Warner Bros. basically packed up their toys and left.
The park shut down on Halloween, 1976.
The aftermath was messy. When the gates locked for the last time, the animals didn't just vanish. Many were sold to other zoos or circuses. However, rumors persisted for years about animal remains found on-site. In the early 2000s, some hikers found what looked like animal graves. State investigators eventually looked into it. It wasn't "mutants"—it was just the grim reality of a defunct roadside attraction that didn't know how to handle its inventory.
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The Modern Ghost of West Milford
If you go to the site now, it’s weirdly peaceful.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) bought the land in 1988. It’s now part of the Hewitt State Forest. You can park in the old lot—the same one where those station wagons used to line up—and hike or bike the trails. It’s become a Mecca for mountain bikers. They’ve built miles of "single-track" trails with names like "Warhog" and "Boar on the Run."
Walking through the woods, you'll still see the foundations.
- You can find the old gatehouse.
- The asphalt of the safari loop is cracked and covered in moss.
- There are rusted iron bars from what used to be the "walk-through" section.
- The "Big Cat" enclosures are now just concrete pads surrounded by oak trees.
It feels like a post-apocalyptic movie. It’s quiet.
Jungle Habitat West Milford: What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that the park was a "failure" from day one. It wasn't. In its first year, it was a massive success. It drew over 1.5 million people. People loved the danger. We lived in a different world back then. There was no social media to record every safety violation. If a baboon ate your side-view mirror, you just told a funny story at the office on Monday.
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Another myth? The "escaped" animals. There are no zebras in West Milford. There are no tigers. If you see something big and furry in those woods today, it’s a New Jersey Black Bear. They are plentiful in that area, and they are definitely not part of the Warner Bros. legacy. They’re just the locals reclaiming their territory.
Navigating the Site Today
If you're planning to visit, don't expect a guided tour. There are no plaques. There are no gift shops.
- Park at the Main Entrance: Use the lot off Airport Road. It's huge and usually empty on weekdays.
- Look for the Asphalt: If you want to trace the safari route, follow the crumbling paved paths that veer off into the woods.
- Respect the Bikers: This is a world-class mountain biking destination now. If you're walking, keep your ears open. Those guys move fast.
- Check for Ticks: This is the Jersey Highlands. The deer ticks here are no joke. Wear DEET.
The transition from a corporate animal park to a rugged state forest is a fascinating case study in how quickly humans can lose a grip on a landscape. In forty years, the jungle has been replaced by the forest. The only lions left are the ones in the grainy photos on the West Milford Museum's website.
Actionable Steps for History Seekers
To get the most out of a trip to the old Jungle Habitat grounds, start at the West Milford Museum on Union Valley Road. They have an actual collection of memorabilia, including original brochures and photos of the park in its prime. Seeing the vibrant 70s colors in the museum makes the gray, decaying concrete of the actual site much more impactful.
Next, download a trail map from JORBA (Jersey Off-Road Bicycle Association). Even if you aren't biking, their maps are the most accurate for navigating the maze of old park roads and new trails. Finally, if you go, stay on the marked paths. The terrain is rocky, and the old structures are unstable. The "jungle" might be gone, but the Highlands still have plenty of ways to bite back.
The story of Jungle Habitat is a reminder of a specific era of American entertainment—one that was a bit louder, a bit riskier, and a lot weirder than what we have today. It’s worth the hike just to see where the suburbs and the safari briefly crashed into each other.