VIENNA — A local business with a lot of mouths to feed is adapting in order to open while practicing social distancing.

Wagon Trails, an animal safari park, is now operating as a drive-thru attraction.

Christine Bertok, one of the family members who runs the park, said Wagon Trails was worried it wouldn’t be able to open this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have a lot of mouths to feed whether we’re open or not,” Bertok said. “We’re open in the summer and we have enough to feed the animals through the winter. Then it’s time to open again. We were just panicked.”

Visitors to the park usually meet animals such as bison, Texas Longhorn cattle, zebras, ponies, ostriches and more while riding one of the park’s trolleys. This year, visitors can see the animals through the windows of their own cars.

“We did the safari last year and we loved it,” said Elizabeth Robbins of Boardman, who brought her 10-year-old niece Emma Robbins and 19-month-old daughter Emerson Compton to see the animals last week. “We loved it enough to do the drive-thru. It’s not the same, but it was well worth getting out of the house.”

Robbins said with other activities shuttered by the pandemic, visiting the park was one of the only times they had been able to get out and have fun.

“We live in Ohio, so the weather isn’t really cooperating,” Robbins added.

“I think it’s a little bit more of a hands-on experience when you’re going through on the wagon,” Emily Musacchia of Boardman said. “They come right up. It was still fun going through. They still get close to you.”

Riding with Musacchia was Bowen, 5, who wanted to go through the park a second time.

Bertok said the family is thrilled that people are coming to the attraction.

“We’ve had some people come two days in a row already,” Bertok said. “We have been so happy. I can’t even tell you. It just warmed our hearts.”

Bertok said it took about two weeks for the family-owned park to reopen after they decided to switch to drive-it-yourself. The switch meant changing liability insurance and revamping the roads to make them more drivable.

“We wouldn’t be able to open if it wasn’t for doing this. And we had so many obstacles in the way,” Bertok said.

She said although the animals are used to having park vehicles drive through to deliver food in the winter, the park made sure they would be comfortable seeing all the new cars.

“So they are used to cars, but we weren’t sure. So we were also really nervous about that too,” Bertok said. “We did some test drives. We took as many cars as we have and we drove through in a row. Normally we don’t do that. And they did good.”

The animals will give a glance at the cars, and sometimes even wander close, but for the most part seem unfazed by their visitors. If a four-legged friend decides to block the roadway, visitors can give park employees a call and they’ll come urge them out of the way.

Visitors are required to stay in their cars at all times and adhere to a 5 miles per hour speed limit. Convertibles must have a solid top and doors, and buses and hitched trailers are not permitted. Feeding the animals is not allowed.

Bertok said the park will be open rain or shine every day except Tuesdays, unless the roads flood and become impassible. Notifications will be posted on the park’s Facebook page.

avugrincic@tribtoday.com