Fossil Rim Wildlife Center facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center

A blackbuck at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center
Date opened	1984
Location	Glen Rose, Texas
Land area	1,700 acres (6.9 km2)
Coordinates	32°10′50″N 97°47′47″W / 32.180556°N 97.796389°W / 32.180556; -97.796389
No. of animals	1000+
No. of species	50
Memberships	AZA, WAZA IRF C2S2 ZAA EWA

Hey there! Planning a visit to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center? Remember, you must buy your tickets online before you go. You can find them on their website!

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is a special place near Glen Rose, Texas. It's dedicated to helping animals that are in danger of disappearing forever. Think of it as a huge, natural home for over 1,000 animals from 50 different types of species! You can explore the center by taking a guided tour with an expert or driving your own car through the park.

Explore Fossil Rim: Driving Tours & Fun

One of the most exciting things to do at Fossil Rim is the amazing 9.5 mi (15.3 km) driving tour. Imagine driving your car right through a huge park, seeing wild animals roaming freely! It's like going on a safari adventure without leaving Texas.

Amazing Animals at Fossil Rim

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is home to about 1,100 animals, representing 50 different species. A really important fact is that 16 of these species are endangered, meaning they are at risk of becoming extinct. Here are some of the cool animals you might see:

Protecting Endangered Animals

The main goal of Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is to protect animals. They do this through scientific research, careful management of natural areas, training future wildlife experts, and teaching the public about conservation.

Working Together: Conservation Centers for Species Survival

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is one of the five original groups that started the Conservation Centers for Species Survival (C2S2). This is a team of big zoos and environmental groups working together. Their goal is to create plans to help endangered species survive and thrive. Fossil Rim is actually where the main office for C2S2 is located!

Helping the Scimitar Oryx

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center played a big part in bringing back the Scimitar oryx. This amazing antelope used to live in Chad and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Sadly, it became extinct in the wild by the 1980s because of hunting, losing its home, and fighting.

But thanks to breeding programs around the world, the species is making a comeback! In April 2016, a group of 25 oryx were released back into the wild in Chad. They wore special collars that send their location by satellite, so experts can track them. Fossil Rim helped test these collars on their own oryx herd to make sure they were safe for the animals.

Saving the Attwater's Prairie Chicken

Fossil Rim also helps protect the Attwater's prairie chicken. This small bird lives on the coastal plains of Louisiana and Texas. It's one of America's most endangered birds. In 1992, Fossil Rim and five other zoos started a breeding program for these birds.

Each year, about 170 to 175 birds are released into the wild. About half of these birds were born and raised at Fossil Rim. Even though the wild population hasn't grown much yet, this project has stopped the species from disappearing completely!

Cheetah Breeding Success

Fossil Rim has one of the most successful cheetah breeding programs in the world! Over 135 cheetahs have been born and raised right there at the center. This is a huge help for a species that is also facing challenges in the wild.

The Story of Fossil Rim

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center started out as a ranch owned by Tom Mantzel, a businessman from the oil industry. He bought the ranch in 1973 and called it Fossil Rim Wildlife Ranch. At first, it was just a weekend getaway for him. But soon, it became his full-time passion.

Tom was worried about animals going extinct. So, in 1982, he began trying to breed endangered species, starting with Grévy's zebras. Fossil Rim was the first ranch to join the Species Survival Plan. This plan is a partnership with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Because of their success with zebras, AZA continued to work with Fossil Rim.

In 1984, Tom decided to open the ranch to the public. He needed money to keep his breeding programs going, especially after the oil industry faced problems. With a small team, he built a road across 1,400 acres of land. He also added a snack bar and a gift shop. To attract visitors, he brought in more animals like Grant’s zebras, ostriches, and giraffes.

A volunteer program started to help with visitors, and the park began its mission to educate people. In 1985, more endangered animals arrived, including African scimitar-horned oryx. Around that time, the park also got permission from the U.S. government to bring in cheetahs for a breeding program. This became one of the center's most successful projects!

Even with all this success, the costs to run the park were very high. In 1987, Tom started looking for partners to help. Jim Jackson and Krystyna Jurzykowski were interested in conservation. They had planned to open a marine park in Martinique. When Tom heard they were looking for information from Fossil Rim, he asked them if they would like to partner with him to save the park. They decided to buy the ranch, and on May 7, 1987, it officially became the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center.

Gallery

Panorama of Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, taken from The Overlook Cafe balcony.