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American Morning
CNN TRAVEL NOW: Texas Safari
Aired June 01, 2001 - 09:50 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN ANCHOR: June 1 now and that means summer's almost official, almost here. And if you haven't planned your summer vacation yet, how about an African safari or how about not?
CNN travel correspondent Stephanie Oswald is joining us now with an idea for some people who'd like to see a little bit of wildlife but a lot closer to home -- Stephanie.
STEPHANIE OSWALD, CNN TRAVEL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Stephen.
And true African safari usually comes with a hefty price tag and a time commitment. But you don't have to travel all the way to Africa. Our home base tomorrow on "CNN TRAVEL NOW" is a place in North America where an afternoon with the animals can help you decide if you are ready for the real thing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): On any given day here, events might include an injured deer learning to walk again, a rhinoceros getting an ultrasound.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can even document pregnancy in animals at about 30 days.
OSWALD: Or a herd of giraffes eating out of the palm of your hand. These activities are par for the course at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center just outside Glen Rose, Texas, about a 90-minute drive southwest of Dallas.
One surprising truth about Fossil Rim, it wasn't built as a tourist attraction. In fact, it was once known as Waterfall Ranch. An oil magnate purchased it as a home for exotic and later, endangered species.
(on camera): So Fossil Rim started out as a private reserve owned by a wealthy man with a simple passion for wildlife. In 1984, it opened to the public and has evolved into a world-class center for research, education and conservation.
(voice-over): My personal favorite, however, was this proportionately tiny creature named Jabu (ph). How are you? A three- week old white rhino calf, we watched her for a while running around in the protection of mother.
ADAM EYRES, ANIMAL CARE SPECIALIST: The white rhinos are threatened. All the other four species are endangered, as it's a result of poachers. People come in and they kill them and they cut the horns off.
OSWALD: And at the end of the day, a scene such as this puts an exclamation point on the purpose of this wildlife refuge creating a haven where the deer and the antelope play and tourists get a dose of safari fun along with a serious lesson in environmental awareness.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FRAZIER: Those pictures look like something right out of "The Lion King." It's amazing.
OSWALD: It was incredible. And, you know, it's not like a zoo where the animals are in cages and you walk up to them, it's more like the people are in the cages. I'm -- you're in a jeep -- an open-air jeep and the animals come right up to you.
FRAZIER: That was you where they came right over to you.
OSWALD: Yes.
FRAZIER: Right. Fabulous.
OSWALD: It was great.
FRAZIER: Well, what else did you like in that experience besides that little baby rhino?
OSWALD: Well, I loved that baby rhino. But you know, there were also amazing giraffes. And these giraffes come right up to you. You're in this open jeep and a herd of giraffes can come up, as you can see in these pictures, and they'll just eat right out of your hand. And these giant creatures but yet they're so friendly.
FRAZIER: I thought they were timid -- giraffes -- that they ran away. (INAUDIBLE).
OSWALD: Well, they're very graceful when they run and that was really interesting to see as well. But they're so friendly. I mean, look, they just come right up to the jeep. And at one point I asked the head of the park, now should we be afraid? And he just said -- he said, no, no, as long as you just hold your hand out, let them take the food and they'll just kind of nuzzle you and they're really sweet.
FRAZIER: Thought I saw in the pictures there too some wildebeests -- those amazing animals.
OSWALD: They are incredible. Usually you see them getting eaten on National Graphic but not here.
FRAZIER: All right. This time a happy ending. Yes, welcome to Texas. Well, you can find out a lot more about Stephanie's adventure online at CNN.com/travel.
OSWALD: That's right. We've got a few personal -- other personal experiences as well as the rhinoceros -- a few other details.
And also, tomorrow morning at 6:30 and 11:00 a.m. Eastern, we'll take you on safari in the United States and also in Africa as well.
FRAZIER: Sounds like a terrific program. Hope you got the African part of it, too. A little personal trip there.
OSWALD: That's still on my to-do list.
FRAZIER: Excellent. All right. Stephanie Oswald, thanks for joining us this morning. Have a great program tomorrow.
OSWALD: Thank you, Stephen.
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