San Antonio, TX – Located northeast of downtown San Antonio, the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch touts itself as an African Safari – Texas Style. From their website: “Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch has taken to heart the care of animals from all over the world for over 30 years. With over 450-acres of natural, scenic, protected environment where animal populations thrive, Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch takes pride in showcasing and sharing with you amazing creatures from all over the world. The safari trek covers miles of the scenic Texas Hill Country and takes visitors about an hour to an hour-and-a-half to drive through once, multiple treks are encouraged as every trip through the ranch is a different adventure.”
Scimitar Horned Oryx
Zebra
Fallow Deer
Meander through rolling hills, creek beds, and magnificent live oak trees and witness the behavior of over 500 animals from 40 exotic, native and endangered animal species worldwide.
Bactrian Camel
Black Buck
Addax
The park charged $22/adult (over 12 years old) and $13.50 for children (3-11 years). Each car also gets a small bag of pellet feed that you get to feed to animals along your route. They also offer a program book identifying all of the animals for an additional $3.50. You are encouraged to make as many trips as you would like through the park, but once you exit the park you must pay again to be readmitted. The roads are wide enough to pull to the side so other cars can pass you, which allows you to take your time viewing animals.
Emu
Springbok
Many sections of the park have multiple species of animals. Take time to look for animals who may be among trees or laying down among grasses. We took two trips through the park and got to see different animals up close on each trip as they move around throughout the day. I would have preferred better weather (less overcast/more sun) for taking pictures, but it was still lots of fun to watch all of the animals who were probably more active than if it had been a bright sunny day.
Gemsbok
This Gemsbok came to visit us
Animals are used to being fed the pellets and come over to vehicles hoping for handouts. There are a wide range of species which include: white rhinoceros, bactrian camels, lemur, gibbons, kangaroo, wildabeest, gazelles, giraffes, gemsbock, zebra, springbok, fallow deer, addax, American bison, kudu, aoudad, ostrich, rhea, emu, impala and bongo. There’s a small petting zoo area.
A wildabeest
Watusi
There is a cafe on site which offers basic fare like burgers, nachos and chicken sandwiches. Nearby is a gift shop with the usual items such as t-shirts, stuffed and ceramic animals. We really enjoyed our trip here. You can also combine this with a visit to the Natural Bridge Cavern which is located just down the road and boasts a natural bridge inside of a cave.
Arabian Oryx
Ostrich
Bongos
Giraffes
While in the San Antonio region, we stayed in our RV at the Alsatian RV Resort. We enjoyed Hiking in Texas Hill Country including regional and state parks and natural areas. We went on a quest to find the best Texas Style BBQ in the region. We visited the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and the spent time at the Alamo and exploring the fabulous San Antonio River Walk.
