Our "Crack O’ Dawn" Tour will be offered every weekend until September 29, 2013! Costing only $29.00 per person, this tour is a savings of almost 25% off the regular tour price.
Get an early start to your day and see the animals when they are the most active. This two-hour tour will leave the Overlook in an open-air vehicle. Price includes one cup of feed. Reservations are strongly recommended and seating is limited. Check-in at the Overlook is 7:30am, so please don’t be late. If this tour is too early for you, we also have tours (at full price) available at 10:30am and 2:00pm (see below). Suitable for all ages! Recommended for those of you with vehicles who’s rear windows do not roll down, allowing everyone to feed the animals. Crack O’ Dawn tours end Sunday September 29th.
Detail Recap:
Every Saturday and Sunday until September 29, 2013
Reservations – not required, but are strongly recommended
Free cup of feed
Suitable for all ages
Check in at 7:30 am
Tour leaves promptly at 8:00am
Full price tours also available later in the day (see below)
Late arrivals are not accepted
Doesn’t include Scenic Drive Pass
Leave from the Overlook, NOT the Main Gate
The Crack O’ Dawn Tour costs $29.00 per person. Need more information? Click here for our printable/downloadable flyer.
Call 254.897.2960 if you would like to make reservations.
Overlook address: 1789 County Road 2009, Glen Rose, TX 76043.
Guided Family Tour
Making it to Fossil Rim by 7:30am for the Crack O’ Dawn tour not a possibility? Try our Guided Family Tour, priced at
$38 per person. You and your family will enjoy the same tour as the Crack O’ Dawn tour, but at times later in the day! The cost of the Guided Family tour also includes a Scenic Drive Pass, good for the next 24 hours from the time of your tour. This pass allows you to drive through our Scenic drive at your own pace.
Every weekend from now until September 29, 2013 this leaves from the Overlook, daily at 10:00am and 2:00pm.
Spreading Our Message
GREAT NEWS! Students from Southern Illinois University filmed a video segment at Fossil Rim about our conservation efforts. SIU won Best Magazine Show at the College Television Awards in Los Angeles last week. Check it out!
Tarleton, Fossil Rim Sign Formal Agreement to Foster Learning, Research
STEPHENVILLE, Texas—Officials from both Tarleton State University and Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in nearby Glen Rose gathered Wednesday to formally create a partnership that will implement a cooperative educational program and mutually benefit both entities in their research endeavors.
Tarleton President F. Dominic Dottavio and Dr. Patrick R. Condy, executive director of Fossil Rim, signed a cooperative agreement that will provide both unique learning experiences for the university’s students while enhancing academic and research opportunities for both the faculty and wildlife center’s staff.
“We very much look forward to being a part of this partnership and having the ability to help Tarleton, providing the university with a venue for faculty research and student research and training,” said Dr. Condy. “We are very happy to be a part of, and be able to facilitate those opportunities at Fossil Rim.”
This week’s formal agreement follows a recent United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) grant, totaling $691,000 that was awarded to Tarleton’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in December 2012.
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center was awarded $77,400 to expand its current partnership with Tarleton by developing outreach activities to promote public understanding of global food security issues and how these issues affect natural resource conservation. These activities will include hiring several interns at the Fossil Rim’s Glen Rose facility to assist with outreach efforts.
“Being able to create a relationship with such an outstanding organization has meanings for me on multiple fronts,” said Dottavio, who previously served as a chief scientist for the National Park Service focusing on conservation biology. “It’s a great day for us at Tarleton.”
“The changes that are taking place in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, by design, having environmental sciences in there, really expands the historic scope of what it is we’ve done in that college,” Dottavio added. “We are so pleased with some of these new faculty members, who I think, are changing how it is we approach the ag and environmental sciences and provide us great momentum for stronger partnerships with Fossil Rim.”
Dottavio credited Fossil Rim’s resources and capacity in carrying out its mission in serving humanity. “And for Tarleton, the opportunity for us to link formally, even though we’ve had some measure of association for many decades, this formal partnership is a great statement, both about where we’re headed as an institution and the great things Fossil Rim has been doing and will be doing in the future.”
Funding for the program, titled “Tarleton State University Program in International Natural Resource Management: Addressing Global Food Security and Hunger through Integrated Research, Education and Outreach in Resource Conservation and Sustainability,” will help address NIFA’s priority area of global food security and hunger and be led by program director Dr. T. Wayne Schwertner, assistant professor in the Department of Animal Science and Wildlife Management.
“I think a lot of people don’t realize the type of facility we have in our own backyard with Fossil Rim. The center is a global leader in wildlife conservation. This relationship will provide amazing opportunities for our students in endangered species management, wildlife medicine, and other facets of wildlife conservation,” said Schwertner. “Our joint research and education programs will only grow as we develop the College of Agricultural and Environmental Science’s new wildlife and natural resource sciences department.”
“This formal relationship with Fossil Rim symbolizes an already great working relationship while expanding future opportunities for students and faculty,” said Dr. Don Cawthon, dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “Having access to such a great facility for student and faculty engagement and research underscores our continuing efforts to develop public-private partnerships to enhance the mission of our college.”
For more information about Tarleton’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences or the Department of Animal Sciences and Wildlife Management, please visit www.tarleton.edu/animalsciences.
Pick A Camp... Any Camp!
Fossil Rim still has plenty of room for you to book a camp for this upcoming Spring, Summer or Fall! Camps are held all year, so go ahead and pick your date – every day of the week is an option!
Overnight Camp
Our overnight camps allow you and your group to stay in our rustic cabins up at Wolf Ridge Camp. These cabins are heated and air conditioned, for those who like to camp, but like their climate control as well. Each overnight camp runs from 10:00am on the first morning until 9:00am the next morning and comes with a guided safari tour of our scenic wildlife drive, a hike down one of our nature trails, 3 of our educational programs, a campfire, dinner and breakfast the next morning. If you come with your Boy Scout or Girl Scout troop, you can even earn a badge while you are out here. We offer badges for every age group.
Day Camp
Just wanting to come for the day? Well that’s fine too! Our day camps run from 9:00am-4:00pm and offer a guided tour of the scenic wildlife drive, a nature hike and two of our educational programs.
Educational Programs
Our educational programs are a great way for you and your class, troop, family or friends to learn about a variety of different things. We have classes on how our veterinarians capture animals, how we track animals, animal facts vs fiction, tie dye, archery, insects, enrichment, and even one on Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax!
To book, or for questions – please call 254.897.2960. Hurry, as dates book quickly!
Animal Spotlight
Click on a photo link above to see the video.
Sable Antelope
Sable Herd Welcomes Newborn Calf
Please welcome Fossil Rim’s first sable calf of the year. This cutie was born March 7th to a practiced mom. Sable antelope are native to Africa, and Fossil Rim has held a herd for over 25 years. Sable are one of Fossil Rim’s focus species for our long term investigation of the captive management of large herds, a multifaceted study of herd management, including behavior, herd health, effects of vasectomized male, and concentrated calving interval. Several years ago management changes were implemented to improve demographics, optimize use of pasture and resources, while continuing to maintain good genetic diversity through strategic bull rotation and holding back female offspring based on population modeling studies. One of the questions we are trying to answer through a collaborative behavioral study with Texas A&M, is whether maintaining multiple generations of antelope together may produce a more behaviorally resilient animal, one that is able to cope well with changes such as moving to different facilities or one day becoming a herd bull. You can see in this video, that the offspring from last year are very curious about this new calf, perhaps they are gaining experiences that will be important years from now.
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is one of the key institutions working with United Stated Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in keeping this species from extinction. The captive breeding and rearing of chicks is a critical component and we’ve been producing Attwater’s Prairie Chicken chicks since this programs inception in 1992. To date, over 1000 of our chicks have gone to the release sites. Fossil Rim Wildlife Center produces two-thirds of the total population annually and is a significant contributor to the release of Attwater’s Prairie Chickens back into the wilds of Texas.
Newest White Rhino Calf Born to Oldest Female on Record
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center welcomes the newest addition to their white rhino herd–a female calf whose mother is the oldest white rhino ever to calve in the US.
Edith, the 42 year old mom, was brought to Fossil Rim in 2008 to ‘retire’ with the herd and did not expect her to breed, much less produce a calf. But, after a 16 month gestation period she gave birth to a very healthy calf on October 27th, 2011 and is doing a fabulous job of raising her.
She is an experienced mom, having had 13 calves prior to this one. She’s traveled extensively as well, spending time in Ohio, Florida and Texas. This new calf will automatically become part of the Species Survival Plan for white rhinos and will help her wild cousins by producing more rhinos and being an ambassador for the public to see and learn about. We will keep her at the barn during the colder weather over the next couple of months, but look for her on display when the weather warms up.
From the International Rhino Foundation Web Site
“During the nineteenth century, southern white rhinos were decimated by poaching and habitat destruction in South Africa. By the turn of the twentieth century, there were fewer than 200 animals left. But, thanks to the dedicated efforts of conservationists, researchers and concerned individuals (especially in South Africa), southern white rhinos were protected and have recovered to about 18,000 individuals. They are now the most abundant rhino species in the world – their population is more than all the other individuals of all the other species of rhinos put together! – and they range throughout South Africa.”
Looking to coordinate your trip to Fossil Rim with some other events? Almost every weekend the Glen Rose area has some event scheduled, and they’re usually free! Below are some of the events scheduled in our area over the next couple of months. Please check the venue’s web site or call their phone number if listed, for more information. All times and dates are subject to change without notice.
May
25th–27th • Tuley Roping – Held in the Main Arena, Somervell County Expo Center. Click here to find out more.
30th–June 1st • Dino Days/Carnival – Held at the Expo Center Parking Lot, Somervell County Expo Center. Click here to find out more.
June
1st • Dino Days/Carnival – Held at the Expo Center Parking Lot, Somervell County Expo Center. Click here to find out more.
3rd–5th • Somervell County 4-H Horse Camp – Held in the Main Arena, Somervell County Expo Center. Click here to find out more.
6th–8th • All Around Ranch Rodeo – Held in the Main Arena, Somervell County Expo Center. Click here to find out more.
7th • First Friday Summer Concert Series – Free concert starting at 8:00pm, featuring Union Hill at Historic Oakdale Park. 1019 NE Barnard Street, Glen Rose, Texas
8th • Hot Rods for Heroes – Held at Equestrian Field of the Somervell County Expo Center. Hot Rods for Heroes Car, Truck & Motorcycle Show Benefiting The Somervell County Volunteer Fire Dept. Shopping vendors, food vendors, music, games, free spectator admission. Click here or call Ashley at 254.897.7361 to find out more.
14th–16th • American Miniature Horse Registry – Held in the Showbarn, Somervell County Expo Center. Click here to find out more.
15th • “Art on the Square” – Come see artist, artisans and craftsmen with original, hand-crafted products. Held every 3rd Saturday around the Historic Courthouse Square. Free to the public. For more information call 254.897.3081.
15th • Girls’ Night Out – Shop on the Historic Courthouse Square in Glen Rose. Shops will be open late with refreshments, specials and entertainment. Third Saturday of every month from 5:00pm to 9:00pm. Click here to find out more.
15th • Bluegrass Jam Sessions – Held at Oakdale Park. Free bluegrass jam sessions at Historic Oakdale Park. All levels of musicians are invited to attend from beginner to old pros. Or just come and enjoy the music. Free to the public. Click here or call 254.897.2321 to find out more.
29th • Texas Bash W-W Derby – Held in the Main Arena, Somervell County Expo Center. Click here to find out more.
