2025-04-07 Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, Glen Rose TX

 We checked into the Texas Ramblin' Roses rally at Oakdale Motor Inn and RV Park in Glen Rose TX after an hour's drive over from McCown Valley COE on Sunday afternoon. Elaine and I had buddy sites but there will be more on that in another post. Monday morning after coffee at the rally room, Elaine, Shelley, Janie, and I headed over to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center.

We checked in and started the drive around the park.

Trotting towards us to get some of the food from us.

Not everyone raced over to get the food.

Check out the "beard on this guy".

This guy got his treats from the car ahead of us and then trotted towards us to get more.

You were only supposed to hand feed the giraffes but throw the food out for all the other animals. Giraffes were very gentle take the nuggets.

This baby giraffe was nibbling on the tree and wasn't interested in approaching the cars.

We took a break at the Visitor's Center store.

The view from the outside balconey was great.

We also walked through the petting zoo next to the store.

Back on the road again.

The cheetahs and rhinos were the only animals fenced off and you can't stop and approach the fences.

After we finished we met some of the other women at Grumps Burgers for lunch.

2021-10-14 Fossil Rim Wildlife Center

A number of rally attendees arrived before the actual rally started and some of us decided we would like to visit the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. We picked Thursday afternoon and a self-guided tour. The Center has been around for over 30 years. It was started by Tom Mantzel in 1973. He was a Ft Worth business man with a love for exotic animals and making money in the oil industry. He opened the ranch to the public in 1984 when the oil industry was on the downswing. There is an history to read about the Center which you can find at   https://fossilrim.org/history/.

An interesting sidelight to this visit was the young lady we met at the check-in station. She made a comment about seeing a number of ladies who rv coming through so we told her about the rally. Turns out that she herself is a full-time rver who lives in her RV and has worked at the center for a number of years. We also found out she belongs to our RVing Women and Friends Facebook Group which is open to all women over 18.

I don't have a copy of the little guidebook we got so I am just going to let everyone look at all the photos. We spent two hours driving through the park.

This guy was definitely in line for a food handout.

You are supposed to throw the feed out with the exception of the giraffes that you can handfeed.

Horns are everywhere and of all different sizes and shapes. Doesn't this look like the rack on a moose? It's not.

There are various kinds of deer or animals that look like deer to me. They are definitely eager for a handout.

I'm next. Don't forget me!

I'd like some too please.

You can handfeed the giraffes. there were a number of them but only a couple were right by the road just waiting for the next car to pull up.

They were very gentile but slobbery.

This was a baby back off the road.

More horns!

There is a Cheetah center where they have successfully bred many cheetahs.

This was a black rhino

I think these are wildebeasts.

And, finally a bison near the end.

 We all enjoyed the tour. It was a great way to spend the afternoon.