texas safari ranch live cam

Roadside Zoo News

• Sep 12, 2021

Texas Safari Ranch violates federal law; join us in reporting them

Texas Safari Ranch, Clifton, TX, is operating without a license from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in violation of federal law.

The facility is owned by Jack Harvard who breeds exotic hoof stock, some of which is sold to game ranches to be used for canned hunts. About a year ago, Harvard acquired giraffes, admittedly with no prior giraffe owning experience.

Instead of operating a public safari or roadside zoo, Harvard operates his business as a vacation rental and event venue. Guests rent a home or event center on the property which then gives them access to feeding and interacting with the animals.

“Guests who book a stay at one of our houses and/or an event in Western Town have access to our 8+ miles of paved roads where you can observe and interact with all of our wildlife,” according to the Texas Safari Ranch Facebook page.

Harvard has never confirmed whether there is routine veterinary care available for the animals at the ranch. Followers who watched the 24-hour livestream of a giraffe named Annabelle said that at no time before or during her pregnancy, or after she gave birth, was a veterinarian brought in to assess Annabelle's health or the health of her calf, named Betty.

At only two months old, Texas Safari Ranch has begun separating Betty from Annabelle for up to five hours a day in order to rebreed Annabelle.

Several individuals have contacted Roadside Zoo News to express concerns over the lack of veterinary care at the facility. If Texas Safari Ranch was licensed by the USDA, they would be required to provide routine veterinary care to the animals as part of the federal Animal Welfare Act.

Texas exotic ranches appear to operate their facilities in a regulatory gray area, slipping under the radar without a federal license while apparently conducting regulated activities.

A spokesperson for the USDA said that “activities conducted at Texas exotic ranches are not governed by Animal Care under the Animal Welfare Act or Horse Protection Act.”

The spokesperson also confirmed Animal Care does regulate animals exhibited to the public, which Texas Safari Ranch is clearly doing by charging people to rent a cabin in order to gain access to the animals.

“Feel free to also check out our merchandise, too, and note that 100% of the proceeds from merchandise, bookings, events, etc … goes back into TSR in order to take care of our wildlife,” according to their Facebook page.

Texas Safari Ranch has been reported to the USDA for operating without a license but the agency has failed to take action. Please email the USDA at [email protected] and ask them to cite Texas Safari Ranch for conducting regulated activities without a USDA license.

Thank you for being a voice for the animals.

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The Oldest Exotic Wildlife Park in Texas

Texas Safari is home to both endangered species and species that are extinct in the wild. Our goal is to help to ensure these species recover and will be around for future generations. We have many Pere David deer from China that are extinct in the wild but exist at facilities like ours due to world-class breeding programs. The Dama Gazelle, Scimitar Oryx, Lechwe, and the Grevy's Zebra are on the endangered list.

By staying at Texas Safari, not only will you be able to see and get within a few feet of these exotic species, but you will be helping us maintain the care of our animals and our breeding programs to help these rare populations continue to grow and thrive.

We use 100% of our cabin rental fees for the feeding and care of the animals.

JUST SOME OF THE SPECIES AT TEXAS SAFARI:

•  Pere David Deer – extinct in the wild (China)

•  Scimitar Oryx – extinct in the wild (Northern Africa)

•  Grevy Zebra – endangered (Northern Kenya)

•  Dama Gazelle - endangered -(Southern Africa)

•  Addax - endangered -(Southern Africa)

•  Lechwe - endangered (Southern Africa)

•  Sable -(Southern Africa)

•  Nyala -(Southern Africa)

•  Eland -(Southern Africa)

•  Springbok -(Southern Africa)

•  Impala -(Southern Africa)

•  Blackbuck - (India)

•  Fallow - (Asia)

•  Axis Deer - (India)

•  Nubian Ibex – pure bred (Middle East)

•  Blue Wildebeest or Grey Bearded Wildebeest (Africa)

•  Aoudad or Barbary Sheep (North Africa)

•  Blesbok -(Southern Africa)

•  Grant's Gazelle - (Southern Africa)

•  Waterbuck Antelope -(Southern Africa)

•  Nilgai (India)

•  Gemsbok (Southern Africa)

•  European Mouflon – pure bred (Europe)

•  Dromedary Camel - (Middle East and Africa)

•  Canadian Geese - (North America)

•  Longhorn  Cattle  - (Texas)

•  Prairie Dogs - (Central U.S.)

•  Red Deer - (Europe and New Zealand)

•  Bison — including a rare white buffalo (North America)

.......and of course, Marsha the Camel!!!

A minimum two-night stay is required.  Our booking system will not accept single-night reservations and will show dates of less than two consecutive nights as "unavailable".

Animal Snapshots

For More Info:

Texas Safari

192 PRIVATE ROAD 4293 • CLIFTON TX 76634

Copyright © 2023 Texas Safari.  All rights reserved.

Web Design by Virtualthis Multimedia

• E BRETT VOSS, Publisher & Co-Owner
• SIMONE WICHERS-VOSS, Managing Editor & Co-Owner
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Gentle Giant Baby Born

With a birth that became beyond fashionably late, texas safari ranch in bosque county welcomes baby giraffe of endangered species.

Nature offers a display of strange, wondrous, beyond-imagination creatures – think of the elephant, a duck-billed platypus or an anteater. With their long necks and legs, purple weirdly versatile tongues and slow-motion, majestic gait, giraffes ranks as very much a part of that imaginative drawing board, perfectly suited for their middle African Savannah habitat.

Since 2020, a family of gentle giants have held residence in the heart of Bosque County at the Texas Safari Ranch just outside Clifton in their very own, very large, state-of-the-art, temperature-controlled Giraffe house.

First, there was JM, 13-year-old, 15-foot tall male reticulated giraffe, weighing in at 3000 pounds, who arrived in June 2020. For your reference, a high freeway overpass is about 16 feet high. He was joined by eight-year-old Annabelle in November 2020, the 13-foot tall dame came from Michigan with extra baggage – she was pregnant.

With a gestation period of 400-450 days, the baby giraffe was thought to have been due at the middle of March. But first-time mother-to-be Annabelle had her owners and caretakers wait for more than three months for the birth.

During the period up to the birth, an elephant and giraffe specialist Dr. Kari Morfeld in Omaha, Nebraska received photos and feces samples on a regular basis to check up on Annabelle’s condition and hormone level changes. Morfeld is a wildlife endocrinologist, reproductive physiologist. She was 70 percent certain the baby was going to be a girl. And she was not wrong.

During a YouTube gender reveal June 26, “almost 100 percent certain we have a Betty,” Nancy Harvard said. The baby girl giraffe has been named in loving memory of Nancy’s mother Elizabeth.

“She was a fierce, intelligent, beautiful and wonderful person,” daughter Chayse Harvard says on the video. And young as she is, Baby Betty is showing to be a healthy, beautiful, smart, spunky female.

Anna means grace and Belle means beauty, And together they mean loving, so that is how Annabelle got her name – a name that suits her perfectly. And even more so now she is showing her maternal love for her calf.

And JM was named after Jack’s dad, “a great character, with hard-working hands and a beautiful soul.” This YouTube video courtesy of Texas Safari Ranch shows baby Betty and her mother Annabelle on their first outing outside together on June 30, Texas Safari Ranch Owner Jack Harvard supplies the commentary: https://youtu.be/6Wn2P5s_Llw

“We are very pleased with the birth,” Harvard said. “Annabelle has been a very good mother, very affectionate straight away.”

The perfect birth took place naturally on June 24 at approximately 12:20 p.m., with Annabelle standing up, allowing gravity to help the calf out. Within an hour of her water breaking, the calf came into the world feet and head first by dropping five feet down. This action naturally severs the umbilical cord. Annabelle’s motherly instincts immediately kicked in, as she bent down to tenderly clean her baby’s snout.

The approximately 150 -pound baby giraffe was up on her feet within an hour, and suckling. Measuring about 5 foot 11 inches tall, the newborn giraffe is taller than most humans. And a giraffe calf needs to be a certain height in order to reach their mother’s udder to suckle.

This hour-long YouTube video shows the entire, fascinating birth. It has been viewed by nearly 10,000 people. The footage is from the live cam recording of Annabelle giving birth to Betty. The calf literally lifts her head as she’s halfway out of the womb to take the world in 48 minutes into the video: https://youtu.be/e-IUSGJXkSY .

The Texas Safari Ranch is private property, only its guests can admire the new family up close. But the public can see baby Betty grow – and young giraffe grow incredibly quickly, as much as 10 inches in the first month, much of the increase being in the neck region – through the Texas Safari Ranch website homepage, that has a live feed to the inside of the Giraffe House, of when subscribing to the YouTube channel.

There are only about 350 giraffes in the United States today, and most of those are owned by zoos. In Central Texas people can admire these magnificent creatures at the Cameron Zoo in Waco, where baby giraffe Zeke was born in Jan. 2021. Both the Fort Worth Zoo and the Dallas zoo have giraffes. And a small herd of nine giraffe – with three one-year-olds – also roam the Heart of Texas country side at the 1800 acre Fossil Rim in Glen Rose. The giraffes and 1100 other wild animals can be admired from your private vehicle or on a guided tour on a 7.2-mile trail through the park.

The scientific name “camelopardalis” originated from an early explorer who thought the giraffe resembled a cross between a camel and a leopard. There is no other animal like them, but they are related to the Okapi, which has the same versatile bluish-purple tongue for stripping leaves off branches. Fun fact: a giraffe’s tongue is between 18 and 20 inches long.

The tallest of all living land animals, the gentle-natured giraffes are ruminants – cud-chewers - eating almost exclusively leaves, fruits, seed pods and grain. But they do eat a lot – about 75 pounds of foliage daily. In their natural habitat, giraffes feed mainly by browsing on acacia trees. The plants supply the giraffes with most of their water needs and they only drink every few days.

Drinking for a giraffe is a vulnerable state, in which they have to spread eagle their legs to be able to reach the water. Their ability to drink and then jerk their heads up to scout for predators without fainting is the result of a exceptional circulatory system. That system that has been studied by NASA as a key to preventing blackouts at high altitudes.

At Texas Safari caretakers are kept busy keeping the gentle giants fed with leaves and special grain feed.

Giraffe Fun Facts:

• Giraffes are 16-20 feet tall, and weigh an average of 2,500 pounds. Bulls are taller than the dams.
• Even though it looks like their hind legs are shorter, all four legs are almost the same length.
• The geometric pattern on a giraffe’s coat varies between subspecies – of which there are nine. Even within the same subspecies, no two giraffes have the exact same coat. The pattern is like a fingerprint, unique to each animal. The coat pattern helps protect giraffes by making them hard to see when they stand in the shade of trees.
• A giraffe heart weighs approximately 24 pounds and is the biggest of any land mammal. It pumps 16 gallons of blood around the body every minute at a blood pressure twice that of an average human.
• Atop their heads are bony knobs, or ossicones, which from birth are cartilage covered with skin and hair. The knobs fuse to the skull after birth. The female has only two, while some bulls have three.
• Like humans they have seven vertebrae in their necks, only much elongated.

Giraffe mother Annabelle had her neck broken when she was young, giving her a slightly bent-over look. But that does not hinder her in her normal activities as a new mom. She has been perfect since the birth, attentive, protective and so loving. “Uncle” JM is curious, but in a nice way, about the new addition to the giraffe house.

At the 1000-acre Texas Safari Ranch, the giraffes will roam the Bosque County hills and plains with many other exotic animals. Texas Safari Ranch is home to both endangered species and species that are extinct in the wild. Their goal is to help to ensure these species recover and will be around for future generations. For example, the ranch has many Pere David deer from China that are extinct in the wild. The Dama Gazelle, Scimitar Oryx, Addax, Lechwe, and the Grevy's Zebra are also on the endangered list.

Even though conservation efforts benefit some giraffe populations, others are in serious trouble. The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species is drawing attention to the plight of giraffe, to what they are calling “a silent extinction.”

In the updated 2018-2 IUCN Red List report, the Kordofan and Nubian giraffe subspecies are now listed as "Critically Endangered" which means they face an “extremely high risk” of extinction in the wild. The Kordofan giraffe has lost 90 percent of its population since the late 1980s and is down to just 2,000 individuals in the wild. Similarly, the Nubian giraffe population is down 98 percent and lives only on protected lands in Kenya.

The Reticulated giraffes like JM, Annabelle and baby Betty are on the "Endangered" list. Other subspecies range from "Vulnerable" – Thornicroft’s and West African giraffe – to "Near Threatened" – Rothschild’s giraffe. Only Angolan giraffe – with their stronghold in Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe – seem to be out of trouble and are listed as "Least Concern."

The South African and Masai giraffe are yet to be assessed. While South African giraffe appear to be doing well, Masai giraffe have seriously declined and will most likely be placed within one of the threatened categories of the IUCN Red List. According to the Born Free conservation organization, giraffe numbers plummeted by a staggering 40 percent in the last three decades, and less than 100,000 remain today. Habitat loss through expanding agriculture, human-wildlife conflict, civil unrest, and poaching for their meat, pelts, and tails, are among the reasons for the decline.

“Whilst giraffe are commonly seen on safari, in the media, and in zoos, people – including conservationists – are unaware that these majestic animals are undergoing a silent extinction,” said Dr Julian Fennessy, co-chair of the IUCN SSC GOSG, and Director of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.

“While giraffe populations in southern Africa are doing just fine, the world’s tallest animal is under severe pressure in some of its core ranges across East, Central and West Africa. It may come as a shock that three of the currently recognized nine subspecies are now considered ‘Critically Endangered’ or ‘Endangered,’ but we have been sounding the alarm for a few years now.” 

With the growing giraffe family, Texas Safari Ranch is helping in the conservation efforts, by breeding with Annabelle and the new baby girl giraffe in the future.

Guests at Texas Safari Ranch, are able to see and get within a few feet of these exotic species, and help maintain the care of the animals and breeding programs to help these rare populations continue to grow and thrive. Giraffe junkies can request to join the Texas Safari Ranch Giraffe Junkies Facebook group at: https://www.facebook.com/TexasSafariRanch or visit YouTube channel live camera feed at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHNJSMxuY8Std_Cc9ftY9pw

Photos by  SIMONE WICHERS-VOSS & courtesy of DEBORAH CRUM ROGERS with TEXAS SAFARI RANCH

©2021 Southern Cross Creative, LLP . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Giraffe VIP Experience

Enjoy a safari tour and a close encounter with our giraffes.

At Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, we specialize in providing up-close-and-personal safari experiences. Our Safari Adventure Tour takes this opportunity to a whole new level by starting with an intimate encounter with our marvelous giraffes! You will have the chance to get up close and feed these majestic animals.

In addition to the Giraffe Experience, your tour guide will lead you on an enhanced Safari Trek, offering an up-close and personal guided adventure with animals from around the world.

This 120-minute tour gets you close to over 40 species on our 500-acre safari ranch. The experience includes food for the animals and a face-to-face encounter with our giraffes! 

Giraffe Experience Pricing: $229.99 per party

Drive-Thru+ admission is not included, but required to be purchased for admission. Includes one-time admission to Aviary Experience and Prehistoric Experience. Maximum 8 guests per tour. 

YOUR GIRAFFE VIP EXPERIENCE INCLUDES THESE EXCURSIONS!

Aviary Experience

The only thing better than seeing our birds is feeding them! Come inside with food on popsicle sticks that dozens of budgies look forward to enjoying. NOTE: Guests must be 3 years or older to enter the exhibit.

Excursion Pricing: Included with Giraffe VIP Experience

Prehistoric Experience

Walk amongst dozens of dinosaurs that move, breathe, and can't wait for you to maybe get a little too close. This excursion is sure to be memorable and filled with plenty of oohs, ahs, and a yikes or two. 

Excursion Pricing:

Included with Giraffe VIP Experience

Tower Bird Cam

The University of Texas at Austin's Main Building is sometimes visited by Peregrine Falcons and other birds throughout the year.

This camera at the top of UT's 302-foot iconic Tower shows bird activity in a nest box area where different raptors often come, sometimes during their annual migration.

Supported by donors, the camera sometimes also shows various views of the Forty Acres and surrounding area.

Biodiversity Center scientists and students study issues of land use and species interaction in Texas and work to raise awareness about a wide diversity of animals, plants, ecosystems and their interactions, including visitors to the Tower Bird Cam. This project supports the Biodiversity Center’s mission in research, education and community engagement.

Watch CBS News

Cattle in new Colorado community Sterling Ranch protects residents from wildfires, preserve land

By Olivia Young

May 5, 2024 / 10:52 AM MDT / CBS Colorado

A small calf grazing in a pasture is just one of Sterling Ranch's newest 179 residents.

They're both a mascot for the community and serve an important role.

"Cattle and wildlife and living with nature are just part of the experience of Sterling Ranch," said Harold Smethills, founder and owner of Sterling Ranch.

The master-planned community  already has nearly 7,000 residents. And its near-3,500 acres are currently only 18% built out.

"We'll be building for the next 20 years," said Smethills.

But as development continues, about two square miles of open space are being preserved and used for cattle to roam.

"Hundreds of years ago, buffalo came through here and their hooves aerated the soil, fertilized the land and grazed it so it would grow. Well, we don't have buffalo anymore; we have cattle, and they do that exact thing," said Smethills.

By grazing the grass, the cows remove fuel and reduce fire risk.

"It makes it a much safer, better community and a community that lives with the land," said Smethills.

It's part of Sterling Ranch's prairie management plan to keep the land vibrant and a habitat for wildlife. Elk, deer, foxes, birds and the occasional bear also frequent the area.

"I need the grass as bad as they need the cattle to keep the fire mitigation down, and it's a perfect partnership," said local rancher Matt Clough.

Clough and his daughters own the cattle and lease the land from Sterling Ranch.

This year, 180 mother cows gave birth to almost as many calves.

"They were born within the last 60 days," said Clough.

The small cows are healthy and growing thanks to a wet spring. Soon they'll be branded and brought to summer pastures.

Sterling Ranch residents get along well with their new neighbors. The community even adopted a calf last year and named it "Milkshake."

"Having the cattle in our backyard is something that's neat for me to be able to share with my kids," said Sam Johnson, a Sterling Ranch resident.

"I think they're really cool. It's like a home animal, but it's not in your house living," Johnson's 9-year-old daughter Kathryn said.

It's emblematic of suburbia coexisting with pastures as the cows preserve the land for future generations.

In the next three weeks, the cattle will go to Highlands Ranch, but come October, they'll return to Sterling Ranch with a cattle drive right through the streets of the community.

Olivia Young is a reporter at CBS News Colorado. Read her latest reports or check out her bio and send her an email .

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