It was an emblematic story of the Wine Country fires. Peter Lang, owner of the 400-acre Safari West Animal park had to make a split-second decision as the Tubbs fire raced toward his home and the open air fields which housed more than 1,000 animals.
Lang, the 77-year old owner, chose to save the animals and unfortunately let his house burn. First he made sure the 30 overnight guests, his employees and his wife were safe. And then he grabbed a garden hose. The rest is history… Luckily one of our contributors, Paige Peterson is close friends with Peter and his wife Nancy, hence once the dust settled, she connected us and we couldn’t resist the invitation to visit the Safari West and check in on the animals.
Mimi Towle has been the editor of Marin Magazine for over a decade. She lived with her family in Sycamore Park and Strawberry and thoroughly enjoyed raising two daughters in the mayhem of Marin’s youth sports; soccer, swim, volleyball, ballet, hip hop, gymnastics and many many hours spent at Miwok Stables. Her community involvements include volunteering at her daughter’s schools, coaching soccer and volleyball (glorified snack mom), being on the board of both Richardson Bay Audubon Center. Currently residing on a floating home in Sausalito, she enjoys all water activity, including learning how to steer a 6-person canoe for the Tamalpais Outrigger Canoe Club. Born and raised in Hawaii, her fondness for the islands has on occasion made its way into the pages of the magazine.
