Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, Texas, United States

5MAbelini 5:00 PM Aug 23, 2022

To make this an interactive experience, be sure to purchase food when you enter the park
My husband, two adult children and myself really enjoyed this wildlife ranch. What made it most enjoyable was that many animals came up to our car looking for the food that we had purchased at the entrance. It was hysterical to see an Ostrich peeking in your car window or a bunch of African deer surround your car! The pricing for this activity is very steep because it is per person instead of per car. We were able to use our Auto club for a slight discount but it adds up. The food is $5 a bag and we purchased two bags. We visited in mid-August and it wasn't very crowded so we didn't feel rushed by cars behind you or felt like we were crawling behind a large caravan of vehicles. We meandered at our own pace. There is a big parking lot once you drive through the entrance with free parking. You can choose to drive your car directly into the "safari" or park and walk around about ten cages to view monkeys, lemurs, gibbons, an aviary and the giraffes. There is also a gift shop here and a building to purchase food. Bathrooms are clean and found in both buildings. We drove through twice and walked around the "walkabout" when we first arrived and then again at the end. It felt good to break the driving with walking around. The safari has primarily grass eating animals from Africa. Along with many, many, many grazing deer/antelope/zebra/ wildebeests/ostrich etc., there were other animals, giraffes, cheetah, rhinos, kept separated by extra fencing that could not get close to our car. There are several themed sections featuring different species. We found it helpful to look at the program provided which shows photos/info for all the animals found in each section. We kept our windows open and interacted as much as possible with the animals. We only fed those that came up to our window instead of tossing out into the fields. At one point an ostrich reached its head inside the window to eat the food off a magazine they were sitting on! Our interactive experience with these beautiful creatures made this a highlight of our trip.

5LucyBigButt 5:00 PM Dec 12, 2022

A MUST DO!
My husband and I booked a VRBO in the King William District of San Antonio. The Riverwalk was great, but you can only do so much of that before you need a change of scenery. We rented a car and went on this safari, which is about 35 miles from downtown San Antonio. This was BY FAR the best part of our trip, and there weren't many activities within a 60 mile radius that we didn't cover? In fact, we went back to do this excursion 2 days in a row! We purchased 2 bags of food each time, & drove our own rental vehicle throughout this massive and beautiful ranch. You definitely have to purchase the food baggies or the animals will not approach you. The animals literally come right up to the side of your car and are so gentle and friendly. Beware, the ostriches are VERY curious and they WILL stick their long necks into your vehicle if you make it convenient for them to do so. We went to the San Antonio Zoo afterward, and although it was nice...was a disappointment after doing this activity! Here, you are right up close and personal with the animals and can really appreciate their beauty and unique-ness. Skip the zoo and do this instead. The zoo is twice the price anyway, and you won't create the memories you will at a place such as this.