DELHI, La. — For most of the year, a 40-acre island of forest on the 240-acre Wild Country Safari Park north of Delhi is home to elk, fallow deer and llamas.

But the animals are gone and more menacing inhabitants have taken residence in the woods for the rest of the month as the park opens the Screaming Safari Haunted Forest.

For the four weekends leading to Halloween, ghouls, ghosts, goblins and other creatures of the night will claim the collection of hardwoods, scrub and palmettos as home to frighten and chill unsuspecting visitors venturing into the woods.

The Screaming Safari is the first event for the wildlife park, formerly known as High Delta Safari Park, which is expected to open in November under new ownership after being closed for two years.

“We hadn’t planned to open this early,” said Melanie Demoss, who operates the park with her husband, Jacques. “We began working the park six weeks ago, and still have some more to do to get ready. The residents in the area asked us to hold the Screaming Safari. They said it had been a very popular attraction.”