safari zoo texas

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Texas's Best Outdoor Activity

We're so excited that Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch was named Texas's Best Outdoor Activity in the 2024 Texas Travel Awards!

Come see why!

CHOOSE YOUR SAFARI

Self-Guided Tour

Take your own vehicle on a driving safari through our 500-acre wildlife park. See and feed over 500 animals from 40 different species at your own pace. 

Guided Tour

Join one of our Safari Animal Rangers and meet animals from around the world. Learn unique facts and hear personal stories from your Ranger Tour Guide.

Giraffe VIP Experience

Start your tour with an intimate encounter with giraffes led by one of our Safari Animal Rangers! Then, enjoy a guided tour of our 500-acre park. 

Group Adventures

In the comfort of your own caravan or bus, witness animals from around the world, visit giraffes, meet a troop of ring-tailed lemurs, enjoy lunch, and shop.

Educational Adventures

Take your class on a real safari where there's a learning adventure around every corner. Students will love being close to animals wilder than they are!

ADD AN EXCURSION

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!

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.

Conservation

The conservation of animals and ranchland is of utmost importance to us at Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch. We actively collaborate with organizations worldwide to promote a sustainable future for both animals and the land they inhabit.

Wild About Education

Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch is the perfect place to go on safari. But it's also a place to learn about the wonderful, wild world of animals.  Click on the articles below or on "Read More" to learn something you didn't already know! 

Wild Nature Institute for Education

Teacher's Prompt: Conservation

Horns & Antlers

• About Our Zoo
• Meet the Team
• Our Inhabitants
• Guided Tours

Private Guided Tours

• Petting Zoo
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Current Discounts
• All Cabin Amenities
• Safari Cabin FAQ
• The Bear’s Den
• The Safari Hut
• The Catfish Hole
• Lucy’s Hideout
• The Elk Lodge
• Dottie’s Place
• Omar’s Oasis
• The Outback Shack
• Cabin Policies

• Local Attractions
• Job Opportunities
• Company Outings
• School Field Trips
• Birthday Parties

Welcome to the Exotic Resort Zoo & Safari Cabins!

Where things are always wild & there is fun for all ages we are open 362 days of the year from 9am to 6pm; last tour leaves no later than 4:30pm.  johnson city is playing center stage for a total solar eclipse on monday, april 8th, 2023 for that day only , we are requiring our visitors to purchase a parking pass along with tickets through our website. we have a limited number of parking and we are expecting a massive influx of visitors, so don’t wait to reserve your spot  the only days we close are easter sunday, thanksgiving and christmas day. additionally, our hours remain the same year ‘round, our park is home to 700+ animals representing 45+ species. with a few tour options, you are sure to create fun memories for a lifetime while learning about our conservation and preservation efforts, no dogs are allowed at the exotic resort zoo.

Our animals see ALL dogs as their natural predator, so this also includes service animals! The United States Department of Justice says: “At a zoo, service animals can  be restricted from areas where the animals on display are the natural prey or natural predators of dogs, where the presence of a dog would be disruptive, causing the displayed animals to behave aggressively or become agitated.” Because of the nature of our park, our animals are on display from the moment you enter our gates. A dog of any form would cause distress to our animals, creating a dangerous environment for them and for you. You may read more about the restrictions of Service Animals at a zoo by clicking  here .

Click on an option below to learn more:

Guided safari tours, drive-thru safari, safari cabin rentals .

For your visit, we offer one-of-a-kind Guided Tours (tractor ride) through the park. Typically, the longest wait is around 30-45 minutes, however this is subject to change depending on availability and the rate of visitors in attendance that day. In our opinion, the Guided Tour is definitely worth the wait for a more unique experience!

Heads up: It’s Field Trip Season! We have wonderful groups of children in attendance in the mornings of almost every weekday. You are welcome to jump aboard the Guided Tour with the kids for a wild experience or opt to wait for another ride.

You can also tour the park in your own vehicle! If you are interested in the Drive-Thru (your vehicle) option, you must buy tickets online to reserve a spot with no exceptions. Once we sell out of drive-thru tickets, you are not guaranteed entry.

Please keep in mind that we are closed on Easter Day!

Planning to visit us during the eclipse weekend? Reserve your spot online now! See you soon!

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Texas Zoofari Park

Stretching across 900-acres, the Texas Zoofari Park brings a family-friendly zoo experience to the Dallas Metro area. The Texas Zoofari Park, located in Kaufman, offers a Safari Drive-Thru and Safari Village Walk-Thru.

The Texas Zoofari Park joins Zoofari Parks in Virginia, Florida, and Alabama. Each park is home to dozens of species and hundreds of animals, including some vulnerable to or threatened by extinction. Zoofari Parks are committed to saving wildlife through animal encounters that touch hearts and change minds. Teaching visitors about protecting animals and their habitat is a priority.

A visit to the Safari Village Walk-Thru offers opportunities to interact with and learn more about the park’s animals. Visit the Giraffe Feeding Area to see a reticulated giraffe (a vulnerable species) at eye level and feed this gentle giant some romaine lettuce leaves. Stroll through the Budgie Adventure Aviary where you’ll meet and feed the colorful budgie, a parakeet whose official name is a Budgerigar. The kids can enjoy petting and feeding friendly farm animals in the petting zoo.

Behind the scenes, the Zoofari Parks are committed to conservation of threatened and endangered species through captive breeding programs. To keep up with the parks’ newest babies, visit Zoofari Park’s news page .

Visit the  Texas Zoofari Park website  while planning your Zoofari adventure to find current hours and ticket prices.

Texas Zoofari Park Schedule

Texas Zoofari Park Slideshow

View Texas Zoofari Park Slideshow

Texas Zoofari Park Social

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Franklin Drive Thru Safari

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Franklin Drive Thru Safari - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

• Sun - Sat 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
• (3.53 mi) Franklin Inn & Suites
• (4.09 mi) Best Western Franklin Town Center Hotel & Suites
• (7.99 mi) Pin Oak Bed & Breakfast
• (7.09 mi) Holiday Inn Express & Suites Hearne, an IHG Hotel
• (8.00 mi) Ingraham Castle
• (2.42 mi) Mudd Creek Chop House
• (2.55 mi) Dixie Cafe
• (8.09 mi) Johnny Rebs Dixie Cafe
• (4.09 mi) Pioneer Cafe
• (3.62 mi) Amigos Y Familia
• (8.38 mi) Camp Hearne
• (5.07 mi) Franklin Ranch Comminty Park
• (7.76 mi) Hearne Railroad Museum Depot
• (6.25 mi) Fly Gap Winery
• (8.26 mi) Common Scents

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THINGS TO DO near Bryan, TX, aggieland safari TM

The Aggieland Wild Animal Safari™ allows you to get closer to nature. Our more than 250-acre park is the ideal place to meet new animal friends while spending quality time with loved ones. The safari park is packed with scenic views, dozens of animal species, almost 700 wild animals, and fantastic, knowledgeable Zookeepers. As if that weren’t enough, we also have many activities for visitors of all ages to enjoy! See what’s waiting for you at “The Serengeti of the South.”

Drive-Thru Safari Using Your Vehicle

Meet hundreds of animals from the comfort of your own vehicle. The Drive-Thru Safari adventure is a 2.5-mile ride that allows you to come face-to-face with more than 75 species of animals on a 250-acre park, which includes American Bison, Watusi, Emus, ostrich, zebras, and hundreds of other wild animals in their natural habitat. This is truly a fun family experience for visitors of all ages. The Drive-Thru Safari lets you tour the park at your own pace. Being so close to the animals brings out the inner child in all of us, setting the stage for a memorable experience full of laughter and fun for all ages.

• Drive-Thru Safari at your own pace.
• Arrive early to give yourself time to explore the entire park.
• Driving your own vehicle does include some risk; animals do get close to your vehicle.
• Wild Animal Safari™ is not responsible for any damage to vehicles.
• You may feed animals, but only from park purchased feed. Animal diets are specific and important. We want to avoid giving them anything which may cause them harm.
• Up close with the animals. Slobbered if you’re too close?

Drive-Thru Safari Vehicle Rental

Don’t feel like driving your own vehicle through the park? Our Safari Vehicle Rentals has you covered. Drive one of our Safari Vehicles through the Drive-Thru Safari park for one hour.

• Safari SUV holds 5 Passengers

Please note that anyone who wishes to drive one of our Safari Rental Vehicles must be at least 21 years of age and be a licensed driver. They must also have a valid insurance card at the time of rental.

Drive-Thru Safari Bus With Tour Guide

Hop aboard one of our guided tours and learn about the animals who make their homes in our park. If you have a party of at least 20 people, we highly recommend booking a private tour bus in advance.

• Bus tour is first-come-first-serve.
• The bus tour lasts for about an hour.
• Tour buses have an experienced Safari Tour Guide giving all riders a fun-filled behind the scenes experience.
• Please note that bus tours do not operate year-round.
• Please check the calendar for tour bus operating schedules. The calendar will allow you to plan a bus trip in advance.
• Tour buses are operating at full capacity.

Buy Tickets

Walkabout Adventure Zoo™

General Admission to the Wild Animal Safari™ park includes admission to both the Drive-Thru Safari and the Walkabout Adventure Zoo™. The Walkabout Adventure Zoo™ allows you to meet the animals in a zoo-like setting. Stretch your legs and make friends with our resident peacocks, exotic birds, lemurs, monkeys, and much more. Admission to the Walkabout Adventure Zoo™ includes access to:

• Acres of Exhibits: The on-foot safari allows let you to meet up to 150 different species of animals. The animals you meet may surprise you.
• Pavilion: The pavilion is home to our Giraffe Feeding Yard and occasional food trucks operated by local businesses.
• Animal Barn: The barn lets you meet more animals up close, include a variety of birds and reptiles. Here is where you can learn more about the many animals that inhabit our world.
• Playscape: Let your little adventurers explore the playground while you take a breather. The playscape is a great way to burn off some energy to wind down the day.
• All General Admission tickets include the Walkabout Adventure Zoo™.
• Self-guided, take at your own pace.
• Possible interactions with Wild Animal Safari™ Zookeepers.
• Petting zoo area.
• You may feed some of the animals by visiting specific Animal Feeding Experience exhibits, but only from park purchased feed.

Animal Encounters are exclusive experiences that allow you to interact with some of the park’s most popular animals and ask questions from our Zookeepers. The Wild Animal Safari™ conservation team and education staff can’t wait to meet you! Animal Encounters vary by SEASON and will be offered based on animal availability. Please note that all animal encounters are booked at least 3 days in advance. Dates and times are subject to availability, but we will do our best to accommodate your requests. 

The Aggieland Wild Animal Safari™ serves fresh-made sandwiches from the famous Edge Country Store, which is located 3 miles west of the park entrance. The park serves Coca Cola™ products and various snacks and ice cream bars. The park has a large open covered catering facility for Group and company catered outings with all-you-can-eat brisket dinners or all-you-can-eat breakfast tacos. Contact the park Group Sales Coordinator for additional information.

The Safari Gift & Souvenirs shop is a wonderful adventure for all ages. There are unique and reasonably priced gifts & souvenirs that appeal to kids, teens, adults, and grandparents. Seek and find all kinds of stuffed plush animals, hoodies, hats, binoculars, toys, t-shirts, jewelry, games, walking sticks, and hard-to-find souvenir “glassware” that does not break.

Contact us to learn more about our attractions. Wild Animal Safari™ of Aggieland is located near Bryan, TX.

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Safari Drive-Thru

The Texas Zoofari Park, located in Kaufman, offers visitors the opportunity to see and feed animals up close to their vehicles in the safari drive-thru attraction.

Texas Zoofari Park is fun for the entire family!

In the Safari, you'll see animals run and frolic with abandon on our expansive property. Take your time as you drive along the four miles of maintained gravel road. Feed the animals through your vehicle windows, and be prepared to stop for them as they stroll across your path or even lie down.

Our animals are allowed to roam freely and act instinctively. This means you might see males competing with each other for the females’ attention, resulting in cute baby animals being born throughout the season. You could be among the lucky visitors who witness a live birth and the first steps of the newborn.

Feed the Animals

As you make your way along the safari drive, stop every once in a while to feed the animals our specialty grain mixture.

You’ll never forget the experience of one of our watusi or zebras eating from your bucket of feed. Drive through as many times as you like to give everyone in your group a chance to have a memorable encounter like this.

Safari Village Walk-Thru

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Animal Feeding

Village Walk-Thru

Virginia Safari Park

Gulf breeze zoo, alabama safari park, texas safari park, quick facts.

Zoofari Parks owns and operates Virginia Safari Park, Gulf Breeze Zoo, and Alabama Safari Park, which collectively bring in more than 600,000 guests annually. Zoofari Parks recently purchased 900 acres in Kaufman, TX, and has begun developing Texas Zoofari Park, which will open to the public in 2023. With a focus on conservation through education and animal welfare, founder Eric Mogensen has dedicated his life to caring for animals worldwide. He has spent over 50 years mastering animal care and nurturing conservation programs to help at-risk species worldwide.

Our story began with the opening of Virginia Safari Park in 2000, soon followed by the acquisition and reimaging of Gulf Breeze Zoo and then the development of Alabama Safari Park. Our story will continue as we expand into Texas, keeping conservation at the core of everything we do.

Did You Know?

The Virginia Safari Park has one of the most successful Ruppell’s Griffon breeding programs in the country.

Gulf Breeze Zoo is one of only two zoological facilities in the United States to house two types of hippos? Nile hippos and Pygmy hippos call Gulf Breeze Zoo home.

Alabama Safari Park is home to both the Grevy’s Zebra and the Grant's Zebra.

Virginia Safari Park was established in 2000 and is a beautiful 180-acre drive-through safari park that is home to more than 1,200 animals representing 85 species, many of which are endangered. Guest delight in feeding huge bull elk, bison, zebras, deer, and even the shy bongo while on safari. Virginia Safari Park also features walk-through exhibits, including Tiger Territory, Penguin Plunge, the Australian Walk-About, Giraffe Feeding Overlook, free-flight bird aviary, and more. The park offers unique encounters with their crash of Southern White Rhino, African Penguin, and sloth. Virginia Safari Park is also home to the King Cheetah, Africa's rarest cat.

Conservation is fundamental in the Park's daily operations. To date, the park has supported conservation efforts in more than 130 countries.

Before the acquisition in 2009, the Gulf Breeze Zoo, then known as Zoo Northwest Florida, had been hit by an economic downturn and faced the damages of Hurricane Ivan, resulting in permanent closure. Due to strong efforts from the previous owner and Zoofari Parks, the animals were able to stay comfortably in their own homes until the park was officially purchased, renovated, and rebranded to great success.

More than 200 major and minor renovations have been made to provide the utmost comfort and care to more than 1000 animals of more than 70 different species that call the zoo home. The transformation continues with three new exhibits opening in 2021, along with behind-the-scenes encounters with Nile Hippos, Reticulated Giraffes, and sloths. Future expansion for 2023 is in development.

Alabama Safari Park, a 350-acre safari park, opened in 2018 and works to provide animals with as natural a habitat as possible for the more than 450 animals living there. It features a 3-mile road where guests can feed Banteng, Grevy's and Grants Zebras, Watusi, Bison, Eland, Sable Antelope, and many other exotic animals free-roaming and up close, without barriers.

The park also features engaging walk-through exhibits and a beautiful Giraffe Tower where guests enjoy feeding numerous Reticulated Giraffe. Alabama Safari Park is currently in expansion mode with new exhibits under construction and exciting behind-the-scenes encounters in development.

Texas Zoofari Park

Texas Zoofari Park, a 900-acre safari park, is the most recent park built by Zoofari Parks and opened on March 24, 2023.

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5 Drive-Thru Safaris in Central Texas Worth the Drive-To!

We have rounded up the best drive-thru safaris in central texas that you and your family can enjoy..

Please be aware that in light of COVID-19, many drive-thru safaris have changed their hours and prices. Some may even be closed. Please check their websites for full details before visiting.

Spring is here! And with the beautiful weather comes the urge to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. One fun way to do that is to take the family to a drive-thru safari in Central Texas.

Families with kids of all ages can all enjoy a leisurely drive checking out fun safari animals. We love to attempt to feed the deer, ostrich and zebras – it always ends up with the car exploding into laughter. And lots of great photos are taken in the meantime!

So we thought it would be helpful to round up all the drive-thru safaris in Central Texas that are worth the drive to. Listed in no particular order:

5 Drive-Thru Safaris in Central Texas

Exotic resort zoo.

Johnson City, Texas (1 hour & 20 minutes from Round Rock)

This exotic zoo has over 100 exotic animals on 187 acres and they typically offer a drive thru their zoo on their own vehicles. But as of now, they are only offering drive-thrus in your own vehicles. You can also stay the night in one of their themed-cabins.

Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch (CURRENTLY CLOSED)

New Braunfles, Texas (1 hour & 23 minutes From Round Rock)

Voted one of USA Today’s 10 Best Safari Parks in the US, Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch is home to over 500 animals. The drive-thru takes about a full hour to go thru the 450 acres of rolling hills to see at least 80 different species. The ranch also has a great deal of educational content online to go thru with kids prior to visiting.

Here is our experience at Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch & some tips before you go.

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center (CURRENTLY CLOSED)

Glen Rose, Texas ( 2 hours & 23 minutes from Round Rock)

This 9 1/2 mile drive thru the ranch will allow you to see dozens of animals of all different species. The ranch was created to promote the preservation of endangered species and they have done an excellent job. You can drive thru or take a guided tour and lodging is also available.

Topsey Exotic Ranch

Copperas Cove, Texas (1 hour & 10 minutes from Round Rock)

At Topsey Exotic Ranch you will see more than 50 species of animals and you can hand-feed them from your car during the tour.

Franklin Drive-Thru Safari

Franklin, Texas (1 hour & 35 minutes from Round Rock)

This drive-thru safari includes many different species of animals, including a golden buffalo. They also have a lemur island.

Have you enjoyed one of these drive-thru safaris in Central Texas yet? Tell us about it in the comments below!

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One thought on “ 5 drive-thru safaris in central texas worth the drive-to ”.

Check out the new drive-through safari in Central Texas; The Buena Vista Wildlife Safari and RV Park.

Along with the drive-through safari, they have a petting zoo, playground, and event center full of indoor and outdoor games. They have cabins, Rv spaces, a bunkhouse for larger groups to rent out that want to stay the night or a little longer.

Here are the links for more information about this Safari. http://www.buenavistawildlifesafari.com/home http://www.facebook.com/bvsafari http://www.instagram.com/buenavistaevant http://www.twitter.com/BuenaVistaEvant

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These Are the Best Drive-Thru Safaris in Texas

By Catherine Wendlandt and Geneva Diaz March 21, 2022

Image: Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch

Remember going to the zoo as a kid , 

wandering past exotic creatures that you’d only ever seen in movies like The Lion King ? All the magic and joy in the air, as you stand just outside enclosures of zebras, monkeys, and wildebeest, peering inside, ice cream cone in hand?  Well, at our state’s many drive-through safaris, the roles are reversed. Animals peer in to your vehicle as you hold in hand food meant for them alone to eat.

At these safaris, you can learn about animals from all over the world as they roam freely like they would in the wild—but, you know, all from the comfort of your own car and only a couple hours from home.

Here are seven drive-thru safaris worth a road trip from Houston.

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Franklin Drive Thru Safari

Franklin | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | $20; Kids 2 and under free

Drive time from Houston: 2 hours

This 100-acre park is home to 500-plus animals. Watch for more than 50 different animal species on the mile-long drive. There’s also a 10-acre walking section where you might spot kangaroos, anteaters  camels, or Natalia, a baby giraffe. Get a feed bucket for $5, or make friends with the monkeys with a $2 cup of peanuts. You can go on a private tour of the park, but manager Amber Clay says most people’s favorite part is the Baby Room, where guests can play with some of the park’s exotic babies, such as lemurs and coatimundi, for an extra $20.  

      View this post on Instagram       A post shared by Brian Stephens (@grapelandsafarionline)

Grapeland Safari

13440 Us Highway 287 N, Grapeland | 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. | $15.95; kids 1 and under free Drive time from Houston: 2 hours Nona Herring has been in the drive-thru safari business since the 1980s, when her family used to own a safari park outside of Tyler. Since 2005, she’s run the 59-acre Grapeland Safari, halfway between Crockett and Palestine. Bring your binoculars, get a cup of feed (free with admission), and try to identify the 38 species in the park and petting zoo: zebras, emus, axis deer and yaks among them. You can also bring your grill and have a cookout in the safari’s picnic area.

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Exotic Resort Zoo

235 Zoo Trail, Johnson City | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m | $17.95; $14.95 for kids Drive time from Houston: 3.5 hours Cars aren’t allowed to drive through this 127-acre ranch, but take a tour on one of its five trams to learn about the 500 animals and 40 species here—blackbucks, ostriches and Gomar, the kissing camel. The animals are friendly, especially when you’re armed with a $6 feed bucket (not included in the price of your ticket) . Owner Marilyn Bacque says that at any given time there could be 30 to 40 animals surrounding the tram, “begging for tidbits.” After your tour, check out the park’s two petting zoos, or stay the night in one of the ranch’s eight cabins and enjoy evening campfires and the catch-and-release fishing pond.

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Fossil Rim Wildlife Center

  2299 County Road 2008, Glen Rose | 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. | $24.95 per person; $19.95 for kids;  2 and under are free Drive time from Houston: 4 hours  This 1,800-acre ranch is an oasis for 1,100 animals from almost 50 different species, but it also happens to have the largest cheetah breeding facility in the world, raising 18 to 20 cubs each year. It takes a couple hours to drive through the park, but there’s so much more on offer here, including 14 different tours (a bike tour and a Murder Mystery tour), photo workshops, tasty burgers at the Overlook Café, and even cool accommodations like the lodge, cabins, and bunkhouses. While Fossil Rim offers an almost unending list of educational activities for its guests, the center’s main focus is on conservation of species in peril. They’ve even reintroduced species back into the wild, like the scimitar-horned oryx in Chad in 2016. 

The price is $24.95 per person for a one hour, self-guided drive-thru experience. One cup of animal feed is included with the ticket. The price for a Public Guided Tour on one of Fossil Rim's touring vehicles is $39.95 per person for guests age three and older. Each person will get one cup of animal feed. Note: Due to the pandemic, all tickets must be booked online prior to your visit. Please check the website for any updates before your visit.

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Cherokee Trace Drive-Thru Safari

  1200 CR 4405, Jacksonville | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | $18.95; $13.95 kids; 2 and under free Drive time from Houston: 3 hours On your drive through Cherokee Trace’s 5-mile trail, be on the lookout for Minnie the Yak and protect your feedbags from a camel named Rupert, a “professional thief” who will stick his head into your car and gobble the whole bag down. With 700 animals, 35 species, and 300 acres, it takes about two hours to go through the whole thing, but your feedbag is free, so go ahead and make friends with the bison, alpacas, zebras, capybaras and more. Cherokee Trace even has six alligators, which live in their own fenced-off enclosure and, yes, you can feed them.  Hours change depending on the time of year, so be sure to check the website before you go.

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Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch

26515 Natural Bridge Caverns Rd, San Antonio | 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. | $28.99; $19.99 kids; 2 and under free Drive time from Houston: 3 hours Life at Natural Bridge is a moving picture, says wildlife specialist Tiffany Soechting, with 500 animals and 40 species roaming freely throughout the 450-acre ranch.  It takes about 1.5 hours to drive through the conservation-minded ranch (you can drive-through again for free too), and about half of the species here are endangered, including a herd of scimitar-horned oryx, the gibbons and reticulated giraffes. In 2017, its staff went on a multi-national research expedition to South Africa to learn more about giraffe breeding in the wild, and are working to produce more outreach programs here in the U.S. Don’t forget to check out the petting barnyard and the great burgers and queso at the Safari Camp Grill. Hours change depending on time of year, so be sure to check the website before you go.

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Animal Encounters at Blue Hills Ranch

2032 Blue Cut Rd N., McGregor | By appointment only | $60 per person Drive time from Houston: 3 hours Boasting 150 acres of bluebonnet hills, and just 15 minutes outside of Waco, is Blue Hills Ranch and Giraffe Sanctuary. Not only is this place the perfect destination for animal-lovers, but it’s also a prime location for a dream wedding surrounded by four-legged friends. Choose to stay overnight at the RV park, or rent an animal or pirate-themed cabin for the whole family to enjoy a weekend getaway. On the private tour called Animal Encounters , you’ll meet giraffes, zebras, kangaroos, otters, mini cows, and can even bottle feed the baby animals. Please note that tours are by appointment only and are booked up to 60 days out. If you’re just coming to take pictures, you will still be charged full price. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

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Experience the 2024 Solar Eclipse

at Texas Safari Ranch!

Rent one of our 3 beautiful fully-furnished homes for 4 nights from Friday April 5th with checkout on Tuesday April 9th for $3700 per house.  Clifton TX is located directly on the eclipse path for an excellent view.

Plus, enjoy full access to the exotic animal ranch during your visit!

Contact us at 214-384-3000 to book your adventure.

Our Private Exotic Wildlife Park is the Perfect Venue for Your Wedding, Corporate Event, Family Gathering, or Romantic Weekend Getaway.

Texas Safari is a private park, open to guests to rent year-round. The facility is perfect for weddings, family reunions, corporate events, and parties of all kinds!  Come visit our picturesque Western Town and hundreds of exotic animals! We have 3 luxurious cabins on the property that can host up to 27 guests all together.

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Texas Safari is no longer open to the public as a drive-through game park.

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".

Texas Safari Featured on Texas Today

 Texas Safari is honored to have been featured on NBC today!  We hope y’all enjoy the wonderful video that Kristin Dickerson TV, Jessica Grose and their team at “Texas Today” put together of the highlights from their stay at the park.  Their video turned out great and they were such a pleasure to show around.

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Texas Safari was recently featured in D Magazine as a top 10 place in Texas to visit!

The Oldest Wildlife Park In Texas.

Texas Safari is full of history. It has been in operation since 1975, making it the oldest wildlife park in Texas. The original log cabin, in which the original settlers lived in and fought Comanche Indians out of, was built in 1850 and is still on the property. 2 barns built in 1870 are also located on the land. Today, the facility is run by 6th and 7th generation Texans.

The park sits on the historic Chisholm Trail, which was originally used by Indian hunting parties and later became one of the largest trails for Texas cattle drives.

Texas Safari is known for unforgettable parties, family reunions, and weddings, as well as corporate and private events. Whether it be the picturesque Western Town, or the wildlife roaming before your very eyes, your guests are sure to be amazed!

Kick off your boots and stay a while! Book your stay at one of our luxurious cabins. If you're lucky, you'll be woken by Marsha, our sweet and mischievous camel!

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Interact With Over 600 Exotic Animals.

Texas Safari is home to over 600 exotics, from antelope to zebra. We have many Pere David deer from China that are extinct in the wild but exist on 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.

As a breeding facility, we strive to expand the population of endangered animals. Our mission is to maintain the wellbeing of each and every animal in our care. All proceeds from our cabin rentals go towards feed and veterinary care.

You can drive around the park to freely interact with the animals. There are 10 miles of paved roads for your use. Please note that while our animals are friendly, they are still wild so treat them as such.

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A World-Class Facility in the Heart of Texas.

Texas Safari is a world-class facility located in the Northern Texas Hill Country outside of the town of Clifton, just forty miles from Waco, ninety minutes from Dallas , and minutes from great restaurants, museums, art venues and golf.

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At Franklin Drive Thru Safari, we offer unique, informative, and interactive educational experiences. Learning up close and personal with one of our qualified experts is the best way to understand our animals. No matter your age or your background, there are always opportunities to cultivate your knowledge and love of animals and nature. Please get in touch today to find out more.

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What's better than driving thru our Safari?  Yes, you guessed it, staying in one of our cabin houses.  Our cabins are located just off of the Safari, but that doesn't mean you wont see any animals.  Call the office today to book your rental

We have a firepit, grills, and full kitchens. Also a full bathroom, picnic tables and more.  You can listen to the birds and view the scenery while you stay with us. 

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Selling a Zoo Can Be Wild

A pair of north carolina zoos on the market offer a clinic on the brokerage side of such sales, by nicholas rizzi april 11, 2024 11:02 am.

If you’ve ever wanted to channel your inner Matt Damon (read on) and be the proud owner of a zoo, you’ll have two chances in North Carolina.

Two privately owned zoos in North Carolina hit the market earlier this month, each sold separately by longtime owner Scottie Brown, according to National Land Realty , which is brokering both sales. Up for purchase are Zootastic Park in Troutman, N.C., with an asking price of $16 million, and Aloha Safari Park in Cameron, N.C., listed at $4.5 million.

Both zoos come complete with the main attractions: the animals — a mix of monkeys, tigers, kangaroos and giraffes between the pair.

Selling a zoo offers up some unique challenges for brokers. Unlike other real estate deals, where a prospective buyer needs a down payment and a mortgage to secure the deal, potential zoo owners also must have some previous experience with exotic animals and be able to obtain a permit from the United States Department of Agriculture to continue to operate either attraction.

“It’s one of the more unique things I’ve worked on in my career,” National Land’s Peter Mazeine, who’s brokering the sale with Billy Parker, said. “The fact that our owner had tigers and giraffes, and a lot of these bigger exotic animals, it’s not just anybody that can own those and put those on display.

“Money is not necessarily the highest bar. Instead, it’s somebody’s ability to have one of these exhibitor permits, and that’s based on experience in that field,” Mazeine added.

Zootastic is spread over 186 acres and is the largest privately owned zoo in North Carolina. It’s closer to Charlotte than Aloha Safari Park, part of the reason for the higher asking price, Mazeine said. Aside from the land and the animals, it also comes with inventory, such as the merchandise in the gift shop, and the ability to keep the Zootastic name.

A little farther away, Aloha has more than 300 animal species, and marketing materials boast “hands-on experience” with exotic animals for guests.

Given the novelty of unloading a zoo, coming up with the asking prices proved challenging. Mazeine — who hasn’t handled the sale of one of these before — wasn’t able to find other brokers who have, or find much info about other zoo acquisitions.

“That’s where it’s not like selling a single-family home, where it’s easy to find comparables,” said Mazeine, who brokers all types of commercial real estate transactions, including agriculture deals. “It’s something different.”

One recent sale that made headlines came in 2020, when the Bayou Wildlife Zoo in Alvin, Texas, sold for $3.6 million , the Houston Chronicle reported. The former owners — Clint and Barbara Wolston — originally listed the 80-acre spot with 500 animals for $7 million in 2016 but had trouble finding owners who met their standards to sell to, the Chronicle reported.

The broker behind that sale did not respond to a request for comment.

And another recent zoo transaction in Florida eschewed brokers altogether and took the same tactic as somebody selling their bike. The former owners of the 10-acre Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge Zoological Park in Navarre, Fla., listed the zoo for sale on Craigslist — you read that correctly, Craigslist — with an asking price of $350,000 , the Northwest Florida Daily News reported. It was eventually bought by a family who planned to live there, but the final sale price was unclear and public records of a transaction couldn’t be found.

Mazeine said he started pricing the North Carolina zoos like any other real estate asset he’s worked on — looking at cash flows for the businesses and future redevelopment potential on the sites — and leaned on Brown’s expertise to bake the animals into the asking price.

And it’s not just pricing that makes selling a zoo a circus.

There’s the obvious “Tiger King” jokes that Mazeine and Parker have to endure and myriad phone calls from plenty of serious, and non-serious, buyers the pair has had to field. Plenty of calls have also come from people against the idea of zoos themselves.

“There are others that just have a certain viewpoint on zoos and want to talk about that,” Mazeine said. “That’s honestly when we say what we’re doing is selling the zoo for someone who has dedicated his life to running the best operations that he can. And it’s always been in the animals’ best interests.”

Private zoos came to the wider public radar largely thanks to the Netflix documentary series “Tiger King,” that took a look at some of the less than savory characters who run these operations. But privately run zoos have been in the crosshairs of activists for years, who say they put animals in danger. While CNN reports there are plenty of reputable private zoos in operation around the country, there are many others that give the industry a seedy reputation. (Commercial Observer would be remiss not to note, too, the 2011 Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson movie “We Bought a Zoo,” which was about exactly what the title implies and was based on Benjamin Mee’s memoir.)

Mazeine said that he wouldn’t have taken on the zoo assignments if he didn’t see the dedication Brown — who has owned Zootastic since 2008 and Aloha since 2022 — has toward the animals and the worries he’s had about their safety.

Still, Brown has gotten some blowback from his treatment of animals at Zootastic. In 2016, the USDA fined the zoo $7,450 for various violations — including an enclosure that let a kinkajou escape — while inspectors cited “critical” concerns in 2022 when it found three monkeys had frostbite , leading to two needing to have their tail tips amputated, the Associated Press reported.

Brown did not respond to a request for comment. He told local news outlets in 2022 that he let the monkeys outside because “they don’t like to be confined.” He added that, despite complaints from advocacy groups, the park tries to uphold the best safety standards and cleanliness.

USDA records show Brown hasn’t received any violations from the agency since the 2022 inspection.

The Wolston family in Texas told the Chronicle finding the right buyers who had the animals’ best interests in mind was the reason for the long sales process. “The fact that these people love animals, that’s important [and] that’s why it took so long,” Barbara Wolston told the paper. “You want someone who wants that type of business and wants to continue it … [and] the timing was just right; we are retiring and they were looking for something.”

For Mazeine, he’s been focusing on a potential buyer’s ability to obtain the USDA permit to vet their legitimacy — since the agency doesn’t just give them out liberally — and said that Brown has offered to help suss out any potential zoo buyer to make sure the animals are cared for.

“This is a small world, he understands that most likely he’s going to know the buyer or the operator,” Mazeine said. “He wants to get paid, but he also wants to make sure that it’s left in good hands.”

And, first, Mazeine has to wade through all those phone calls he’s gotten to find the serious buyers in the mix.

“We’ve been inundated with calls and emails and inquiries and, at this point, we are still sorting through what is real and what is not,” Mazeine said. “This is something where we’re just seeing people with curiosity reaching out whether they’re qualified or not. We figured there would be interest from those that were not necessarily qualified to move forward, but I think we underestimated how many people were just going to pick up the phone and want to know more.”

This reporter included. 

Nicholas Rizzi can be reached at [email protected] .

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Zoo animals got quiet, exhibited nighttime behavior during total solar eclipse

By Aliza Chasan

Updated on: April 9, 2024 / 5:08 AM EDT / CBS News

Scientists and zookeepers watched Monday as giraffes, gorillas, lions, macaws and flamingoes exhibited unusual behavior during the total solar eclipse . 

Because total eclipses happen so infrequently , researchers don't know much about how they impact animals. They studied animals on Monday at several zoos situated along the eclipse path of totality , such as the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas. Animals were largely calm at the Fort Worth Zoo, though some, including the gorillas, lions and lemurs, showed increased signs of vigilance and curiosity. 

"Most importantly, we did not observe any signs of increased anxiety or nervous behaviors," a Fort Worth Zoo spokesperson said. "And by the time totality had passed, things went back to normal, almost immediately!"

Several animals at the Fort Worth Zoo made their way toward their barn doors, which is where they go at night, as the skies darkened during the eclipse, the zoo spokesperson said. The Aldabra tortoises, giraffes, elephants, kudu, bonobos, coatis and gorillas all headed toward their barns. 

Zoos were also able to observe some unique daytime behavior from nocturnal animals. At the Fort Worth Zoo, a ringtail cat and two owl species showed increased activity during the day.

Also in Texas, zookeepers at the Dallas Zoo saw giraffes and zebras run around during the eclipse. Chimpanzees patrolled the outer edge of their habitat at the zoo while all but one of a bachelor group of gorillas went to the door they use to go in at night. 

An ostrich at the Dallas Zoo laid an egg during the eclipse. Other birds got louder before totality, then went silent. Flamingos and penguins huddled together. 

Birds also showed unique behavior at the Indianapolis Zoo, a zoo spokesperson said. Macaws, budgies and other birds got quiet and roosted up high, which is nighttime behavior.

"You can hear they're totally silent now - not a peep, and no movement," Indianapolis Zoo President and CEO Dr. Robert Shumake said in a video recorded during totality. 

Flamingos at the zoo huddled together and also got quiet. Cheetahs and a warthog displayed behavior normally seen during the evening. The cheetahs paced at the highest point of their grassy yard during the eclipse while a warthog waited at its back gate. 

At the Philadelphia Zoo, which was not on the path of totality, visitors observed the animals during the partial eclipse, CBS Philadelphia reported. Visitors were able to sign up with zoo staff, pick an animal to observe and use their phones to track behavior before, during and after the eclipse. Most of the zoo's animals seemed pretty unfazed by the partial eclipse.

Researchers also studied zoo animals during the 2017 solar eclipse . In a study published in 2020, researchers noted they'd reviewed the behavior of 17 species — mammals, birds and reptiles — at the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, South Carolina, during the eclipse. They said around 75% of species showed a change of some sort in response to the eclipse. They largely exhibited behaviors usually seen in the evening or at night, with some animals showing signs of anxiety.

Zookeepers and researchers in the U.S. won't get a chance to do this kind of research during a total eclipse again until 2044 , when the next total eclipse in the contiguous U.S. will happen. Just three states are on the path of totality for the Aug. 23, 2044 eclipse, according to  The Planetary Society .

Aliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBSNews.com. She has previously written for outlets including PIX11 News, The New York Daily News, Inside Edition and DNAinfo. Aliza covers trending news, often focusing on crime and politics.

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Mating, Galloping and Vocalizing: Animal Behavior During Eclipses

The NC State campus might not be on the path of totality for the April 8 solar eclipse, but our scientists will be. A group of NC State researchers are heading to Texas to study animals' reactions to the phenomenon.

On April 8, a solar eclipse will cast a shadow over North America for between two and four minutes in the middle of the day — with the path of totality in the U.S. following a narrow strip of land from Texas to Maine. Adam Hartstone-Rose, a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences , has spent months preparing for those few precious minutes.  

Hartstone-Rose will travel to the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas with a group of colleagues and students to lead a study on animal behavior during eclipses . This will be a follow-up to his 2017 study at the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South Carolina, which was on the path of totality during the solar eclipse that year. 

During the 2017 eclipse, he observed surprising behavior from 17 species of animals. This time around, Hartstone-Rose is expanding the study. He’s studying more species and enlisting the help of the public to gather data from all over North America. 

An Accidental Expert

As a biologist, Hartstone-Rose is no stranger to studying animals. But his status as a leading expert in animal behavior during eclipses came about accidentally.  

In his usual research, which centers on comparative anatomy and functional morphology, most of the animals he studies aren’t alive. 

“Basically, in my lab we study how animals are adapted to do what they do,” Hartstone-Rose said. “We study this across all of the levels of deadness. That does involve studying some live animal behavior — that’s the least dead you can be. I also study skulls and teeth — that’s more dead — to see how those are adapted for diets. Then we study fossils — that’s the most dead you can be — to understand things like the diet of extinct species.”

What’s great about being a scientist is that you are constantly surprised. I get super excited when I’m completely wrong.

In response to the public’s questions about how animals would react to the 2017 solar eclipse, the staff at the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden asked Hartstone-Rose, who was a professor at the University of South Carolina at the time, to organize a study. He trained a group of 40 researchers and they observed mammal, reptile and bird exhibits around the zoo. 

Hartstone-Rose didn’t expect much to come of it. 

“I didn’t think we were going to see anything. I didn’t think the eclipse was going to be cool. I didn’t think the animals were going to have any reaction, because clouds pass over and they don’t have a reaction to that,” he said. “I’m proud to say I was completely wrong on both counts. The eclipse was amazing and most of the animals did amazing things.” 

The famously slow-moving and longevous Galapagos tortoises started moving more rapidly and mating.

Giraffes don’t typically run unless they’re being chased. During the 2017 eclipse, they began galloping.

Known for their loud vocalizations, siamang apes made a different vocalization pattern than they normally do.

*Animal behaviors Hartstone-Rose observed at the peak of totality during the 2017 solar eclipse.

It turns out, Hartstone-Rose’s study was the most comprehensive one published on animal behavior during eclipses in nearly a century. As a result, Hartstone-Rose has unexpectedly — but happily — found himself regarded as an expert on animal behavior during eclipses. 

“What’s great about being a scientist is that you are constantly surprised. I get super excited when I’m completely wrong, and that’s such an important message to send to our students,” Hartstone-Rose said. “Professors, we are people too. We are very fallible. In fact, part of the scientific method is essentially going out and seeking answers and finding the unexpected.”

Expanding the Study

Hartstone-Rose is looking forward to the surprises the study at Fort Worth Zoo might bring. He and a team of about 40 researchers — including three doctoral students — will observe animals for the roughly two minutes that the Fort Worth Zoo will be in the path of totality. The preparation for those few minutes of observation time has been many months in the making.

“It’s taken crazy amounts of preparation, between coordinating with the zoo and training researchers,” Hartstone-Rose said. “Interestingly, we have a bunch of high school teachers from Vancouver, Canada, that are coming to join us. I’ve been training them in animal behavior over Zoom for a few months, and they’re going to be our main observers.”

This time, the researchers will also be observing a wider variety of animals.

“We’re going to be watching some of the same animals, the same species as last time — gorillas, giraffes and flamingos, for instance — but we’re also going to be watching close relatives of the original animals we observed. So, other species of gibbons, orangutans and pygmy chimpanzees.” 

A Look Back at the 2017 Eclipse on Campus

On the day of the eclipse, there will also be a bit of a circus at the zoo. 

“There will be a media storm,” Hartstone-Rose said. “Already, there are three different groups that are planning to film us pretty much the whole day.”

The media groups include local Fort Worth reporters, a prominent Japanese news agency and an Emmy-winning documentary team. 

“Japan is nowhere near the path of totality, but they’re excited enough to send somebody to film us,” said Hartston-Rose. “The documentary team is doing a feature-length documentary about the eclipse from many different angles, but the main gist of it is about how the eclipse is kind of an amazing and unifying experience.”

Become a Citizen Scientist

The U.S. won’t see another solar eclipse until 2044, so Hartstone-Rose wants to gather as much data on animal behavior as possible from all over North America on April 8. He’s collaborating with Caren Cooper , a professor of forestry and environmental resources, and Kelly Lynn Mulvey , an associate professor of psychology, on a citizen science component of the study called Solar Eclipse Safari. Anyone in North America — including you — can participate.

Hartstone-Rose is the principal investigator for the animal behavior portion of the study, while Cooper, an expert in participatory science, has been in charge of organizing efforts to gather thousands of participants across the continent. Meanwhile, Mulvey will examine the effects of participating in the study on the participants — whether they’re feeling senses of awe and senses of belonging and affinity towards research.

All of North America will be under at least partial totality, and Hartstone-Rose and his team want to know how animals react in the different percentages of totality. 

“We’re interested not only in figuring out which animals react to the eclipse and how, but what extent of totality is necessary to cause a reaction,” he said.  

Hartstone-Rose will be at the zoo, but Solar Eclipse Safari participants can make their observations from anywhere. 

“We’re really excited about getting data from people that might be at farms or cattle ranches,” he said. “We’re hoping that people will go out into the woods and see what squirrels, deer and birds are doing. And I’m really excited about people just observing their pets in their backyard.”

Interested in participating? Here’s what you’ll need to do:

• Download a print form or use a smartphone or tablet to record your observations. 
• Figure out when the totality will take place in your area — Solar Eclipse Safari can help you with that.
• An hour before totality, begin jotting down your observations. Solar Eclipse Safari has instructions on how to collect eclipse data .
• During totality, jot down minute-by-minute observations.
• Upload your form or submit your observations online.
• citizen science

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It’s eclipse day, Texas! Here’s everything you need to know about the total solar eclipse

From when and how to view it safely, to what kind of traffic to expect, to how animals might respond, here’s your complete rundown of all things eclipse.

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Michael Minasi / Texas Standard

Totality in Kerrville on Monday.

From The Texas Newsroom :

Sure, we love the sun. After all, its continued existence is essential for the survival of all life on Earth. But don’t you sometimes just wish it would dramatically disappear for a few minutes, completely obscured by the moon?

Of course you do!

And today, you’re in luck. It’s finally Monday, April 8. This afternoon, thirteen states — and some 30-million Americans — will be in the path of a historic, total solar eclipse. That includes a wide swath of Texas, stretching from Eagle Pass on the state’s southern border all the way to Texarkana.

So, take that, sun! We’re ready. After all, the U.S. won’t see another eclipse like this until 2044 . Read on for everything you need to know to maximize eclipse-related awe and minimize eclipse-adjacent headaches.

When and where to watch

First off, not all of Texas will be in the path of totality. But those lucky enough to be should first start noticing changes in the sky just after noon.

“The solar eclipse begins with what we call first contact. That’s when the moon first starts to impinge on the disk of the sun,” said Angela Speck, chair of the University of Texas at San Antonio’s physics and astronomy department, in a recent Texas Standard interview .

“Basically, 12:15-ish we start to see a partial eclipse,” she said.

According to GeatAmericanEclipse.com , totality will begin in Texas around 1:27 p.m. on the state’s southern border after moving up through Mexico. This will give folks in Eagle Pass, Del Rio, Uvalde and the surrounding areas the first glimpses.

A few minutes later, the path of totality moves onto the Fredericksburg, Kerrville and San Antonio areas. It’ll then cut a path northeast that will include Austin, Waco and the DFW metroplex before moving out of Texas just before 1:50 p.m. Check here for more specific timing in your area.

What’s this whole ‘totality’ thing again?

Basically, it’s what we call the moments of complete darkness during a total solar eclipse, when the moon passes directly in front of the sun.

As NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce explains it , “During a total eclipse, the sky darkens suddenly and dramatically . The temperature drops. Stars come out. Beautiful colors appear around the horizon. And the once-familiar sun becomes a black void in the sky surrounded by the glowing corona — that’s the ghostly white ring that is the sun’s atmosphere.”

According to people who’ve witnessed totality before, many have a “ deep emotional response ” to the awe-inspiring experience.

“Awe” truly is the best way to explain it — “This emotion people feel when they come across something mind-blowing or unexpected,” Sean Goldy recently told KERA .

Godly is a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University who studied peoples’ responses to the 2017 total solar eclipse, which stretched from Oregon to South Carolina in the U.S. He said his team found people felt humbled after viewing the total eclipse. They also felt more empathetic, less angry and more connected to people around them.

Totality can also be a spiritual experience. Ahead of the eclipse, KUT’s Chelsey Zhu spoke to several Austin yogis, astrologers and even tarot card readers. “They all agreed the eclipse is a rare opportunity for personal growth if you know how to take advantage of it,” said Zhu.

How can I watch safely?

You’ve likely already heard that today’s forecast shows overcast and rainy skies across much of Texas. But if the weather is on our side (and storms hold off until later this afternoon) here are some tips for safely observing the eclipse.

First — and this is very, very important — don’t stare directly at the sun!

“Looking at any part of the exposed sun without the right kind of protection can permanently injure the eye’s light-sensitive retina,” reported Greenfieldboyce.

Specifically, bright light from the sun can damage a small part of the retina called the foeva, causing what’s known as solar retinopathy.

“In simple terms, you can think of it as burning the back of the eye,” Dr. Karen Saland, an ophthalmologist with Texas Health Dallas, told KERA . “But it’s really more damage to the cells that are back there. And it’s the intense light producing a chemical reaction which then causes this solar retinopathy.”

This is serious. In fact, numerous people ended up in the optometrist’s office after the 2017 solar eclipse. According to Saland, once something like this happens to the eye, “we can assume that the damage is permanent and irreversible.”

But damage can be avoided with proper eye protection. Luckily, given all the excitement around today’s eclipse, safety glasses have been widely available everywhere from gas stations to grocery store checkout lines. While 2017 saw a flood of counterfeit eclipse glasses, KUT reported the American Astronomical Society said it has “seen no evidence so far this year that any eclipse glasses or solar viewers are unsafe.”

Still, if you’re shopping for last-minute specks, Saland recommends looking for ones with “ISO 123122” written somewhere on the packaging. Then, test them out beforehand. “When wearing your glasses you should not be able to see anything in the sky except for the sun,” reported KUT.

Don’t have glasses? You can also make a pinhole projector which will allow you to track the action in the sky without looking up at the sun.

Travel and tourism could mean big bucks for Texas

While a lot of classic rockers may spend Monday listening to Brain Damage/Eclipse from Pink Floyd’s classic album Dark Side of the Moon, another track from that record would be just as appropriate: Money .

That’s because Texas could see an eclipse-related economic impact of around $1.4 billion, as KUT reported . Estimates state hundreds of thousands (possibly even millions) of people could visit Texas for the eclipse, igniting an economic boom that could resonate well beyond today. A report from the Waco-based Perryman Group says that amount includes $749.5 million in gross product and $453.6 million in personal income.

The report notes that Fort Worth, Arlington and Grapevine could see an estimated $53.9 million in direct expenditures and an economic impact of $197.2 million.

Bulent Temel, an assistant professor of practice and economics at the University of Texas at San Antonio, told the Texas Standard that Monday could feature the “most profitable 22 minutes in Texas history” — though his estimates aren’t as high as the Perryman Group’s.

What about traffic?

So, the good news is that most Texans are already used to heavy traffic. The bad news is that traffic is only predicted to get worse during activities surrounding the eclipse.

A lot worse, actually.

The gridlock could be “historic” according to KUT . Travis County even issued a local disaster declaration ahead of the eclipse, allowing the county to control and coordinate traffic.

“The emergency services personnel asked me to enter this declaration so that we have the ability to regulate traffic to allow for the passage of emergency vehicles during the eclipse,” County Judge Andy Brown told the station . “We also want to make sure we have a good sense of all events in that area and how that will impact traffic.”

In North Texas, the Texas Department of Transportation warned drivers to take extra caution Monday.

“TxDOT wants to make sure that drivers pull into a safe location to watch the eclipse,” said Bethany Kurtz, a public information officer at TxDOT’s Fort Worth District, in a recent interview with The Fort Worth Report.

“It’s important that drivers pull over in a designated parking space before the eclipse if they want to view it. Parking or standing on road shoulders, medians or stopping in the middle of the road will not be permitted” Kurtz explained.

The eclipse might freak out your pets

We modern humans know this solar eclipse is coming. News coverage and the massive amount of anticipation around it have been almost impossible to avoid. But our animal friends won’t be as prepared.

When faced with sudden darkness in the middle of the day, animals may become confused, think it’s nighttime or even become stressed.

“The shadows get sharp, the birds start going to roost, the crickets start chirping, the dogs lay down,” Patricia Reiff, a self-proclaimed “eclipse junkie” and Rice University professor, told Houston Public Media .

Past eclipses can give us some idea of what to expect. “Researchers observed unusual animal behaviors at the Riverbanks Zoo in South Carolina” during the 2017 solar eclipse, HPM reported . “According to a 2020 study, approximately 75% of the observed animals at the South Carolina zoo responded to the eclipse. Animals including baboons, gorillas, giraffes, flamingos and lorikeets displayed characteristics of anxiety.”

Jamie Wallace, owner and operator of Safe in Austin, a 10-acre rescue ranch for abused and neglected animals in Leander, pets her horse ‘Louie.’ Wallace has invited children to her ranch on April 8 to help comfort animals during the total solar eclipse. Kailey Hunt / KUT News

Total solar eclipses also offer a unique opportunity for those who study animal behavior, something teams will be doing all over the state today.

And if you’ll be spending today’s eclipse viewing with pets — or even just watching animals in your backyard — you can share observations with the Solar Eclipse Safari project.

“We are interested in collecting data from anywhere where people are,” Adam Hartstone-Rose, a North Carolina State biological sciences professor, told KUT .

While Hartstone-Rose will be spending Monday at the Fort Worth Zoo, his project is hoping to hear from people all over.

“We are really interested in learning about not just which animals react to an eclipse and how they react, but what extent of totality is necessary … to cause that reaction,” he said.

But what if I’m not in the total path of totality?

A large chunk of Texas — including El Paso, the Panhandle, the Rio Grande Valley and the Houston-area — will miss out on a total solar eclipse. But there’s still a worthwhile show in the sky and plenty of things to do.

El Paso will see a partial eclipse, with more than 80% of the sun blocked out — a rare sight for a place known as the Sun City. The peak will come around 12:25 p.m. Mountain time. If you haven’t already made plans, The El Paso Times has this handy list of watch parties and other local events.

While Houston won’t be totally blacked out either, it will see a slightly more dramatic show than El Paso. The sun should appear between 93% to 95% covered.

“It’s going to look kind of like a crescent moon,” UTSA’s Angela Speck told Houston Public Media .”If you block out enough of the sun, what’s left is just a crescent of it. That’s pretty cool, and it’s going to look like a fairly skinny crescent.”

That should peak around 1:40 p.m. in the Houston area.

In the Rio Grande Valley, the eclipse will vary depending on your location, with sun coverage ranging between 88% and 93%, according to the local CBS station.

Reporters from KUT Austin, KERA North Texas, Houston Public Media and Texas Public Radio in San Antonio contributed to this story. Visit the websit e of your local public radio station f or more Solar Eclipse 2024 coverage.

If you found the reporting above valuable, please consider making a donation to support it  here . Your gift helps pay for everything you find on  texasstandard.org  and  KERAnews.org . Thanks for donating today.

More from 04/08/2024

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‘Everyone here is a scientist’: Understanding the ‘observer effect’ during an eclipse

Texas Standard for April 8, 2024: Live from the Kerrclipse Festival 😎

Watch live: Total solar eclipse

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Texas Zoo Animals Caught on Video Reacting to Darkness During Total Eclipse

The playful animals assumed the day was done as the sky grew dark

Animals at the Dallas Zoo were in the middle of a playful day when the eclipse encouraged them to settle down.

Hundreds of guests visited the Texas attraction on Tuesday, April 8, to see the solar eclipse. Many were curious about how different animals would react to totality, and researchers were on hand to document the behaviors at the Fort Worth Zoo, also in North Texas.

The researchers found many animals immediately switching to their nighttime rituals, preparing to head toward their evening enclosures. It was a stark difference from their playful demeanor moments before.

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Ahead of the eclipse, PEOPLE spoke with Erica Cartmill, a professor of anthropology, animal behavior, and cognitive science at Indiana University, about how animal behaviors could be impacted by the event.

Cartmill admitted it's difficult to anticipate behaviors because solar eclipses are "such rare events, especially totality."

"There are not that many reports and not that many scientific studies of animal behavior during eclipses," she explained.

Based on her professional understanding of animal behavior, Cartmill said she thought animals would likely react in one of two ways to the total solar eclipse, if at all.

The likely responses "in order of frequency" are exhibiting nighttime behaviors and exhibiting signs of anxiety, according to the professor.

"The most likely response is animals starting their evening routines and showing evening behaviors," Cartmill noted.

A solar eclipse is "sort of like dropping a little slice of night into the middle of the day. So they might just act as if it is nighttime," she added.

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