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Wilde About Texas: Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch
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It’s an African Safari in the Texas Hill Country, and you can experience it all from the comfort of your family sedan.
"We are very different from a typical zoo-type setting. At the wildlife ranch you're in the cage, and the animals are roaming freely," Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch spokesperson Tiffany Soechting said.
The free-roaming environment can create some close encounters with the park's inhabitants. The park has more than 40 species. The animals represent every continent except Antarctica.
Photo courtesy Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch
"The animals are not bashful, and they're going to come up right to the car," Soechting said. "We have many, many species that are not only on the threatened list but are on the endangered species list, and it gives people an appreciation for seeing them in a natural environment."
The appreciation families get from visiting the ranch is the mission of the Ranch. They hope to educate you as you get up close and personal with some of nature's biggest creatures.
"We pride ourselves on being an educational experience without people realizing they're being educated," Soechting said. "Each vehicle that comes through the drive-thru gets a container of feed; they know that, so they are not bashful about getting food, sticking their head wherever they want."
The Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch is open year-round and has special spring break hours this week.