Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch

Great place to have fun with the entire family! Lot of things to do for kids — pony ride, mini safari, petting zoo, pictures with boa, alligator and lemur. We enjoyed the half day spent there. Very attentive and helpful staff. We would go there again.

We did not get a chance to see a lot of animals but my daughter did really have so much fun. Even today was our first and also last time being there, we love places like here.

Brought my daughter out here and we had the best time! We added on the picture with a lemur and did a one-​on-​one animal encounter and it was well worth the extra money bey! (Although the encounter was only a few minutes!) The animals are week loved and you can tell that the staff and volunteers love being here!

So first off I get that this is a not for profit rescue organization, however they are open to the public and charge almost as much as a regular zoo by the time you «donate» for parking and pay for animal feed. The first part of our experience was good, feeding horses and camels, the pony ride etc., but the place does seem a bit rundown and not enough staff monitoring the areas especially in the petting zoo. There was no one in there, and some children and adults were picking up the baby goats, and there was one really really small baby goat that seemed terrified, and of course he was the one getting all the attention from people who didn’t seem to notice or care how scared the poor guy was. Another baby goat of the same size was in a separate pen that was closed off so people couldn’t go in there, I questioned if the one in the petting zoo should have been there. Next was the tram… that experience was so disappointing. We got in line right after a tram left, they were only running one tram. There were about 10 people in front of us initially, during our wait, people cut in line constantly. At one point a private party of 10 or 15 people was able to use the other tram, I figured they had paid for this private tour. Then I hear from someone behind us who overheard the private party in the café that is was just someone who had been chatting with the owner at the café and he setup the private tour and even made the the comment that «the people waiting in line aren’t going to like it, but oh well.» So whatever, the first tram should be back soon, well it came and guess what? We didn’t make it on because of all the people cutting in line. Our 4 year old didn’t want to wait again, she just kept asking why we couldn’t get on the one that just came back, she was disappointed, but she’s not one to throw fits. She just wanted to go back to the petting zoo, so we took her back there and she was happy. While my husband took her back to the petting zoo I went and spoke with the staff in the gift shop and told them what happened, I just wanted to make them aware of the situation, but they were just rude about it and said they can’t help what people do, I understand that, but maybe you need to have someone run over there and monitor the line, or maybe at least post a sign that says you must wait in line, no saving places for anyone etc… Oh and the kicker is, I think lots of other people started to complain because a staff member came into the gift shop and said they were going to have to start running the second one. The lady said we could go get back in line, I said no thanks, we have already been here 3 plus hours and, an hour of which we spent waiting for the dang tram, so we will be on our way and not be returning, it felt like a waste of money.

The fam came here thanks to Groupon. Without Groupon, I would have never known it existed. About an hour and a half trip from Dallas is worth it to come here. We saw so many animals up close. Lemurs, zebras, a zebra-​horse, a zebra-​donkey, horses, camels, snakes, emu, and a tegu. The hubs and I agreed if we had the money, we would love a ranch like this.
I highly suggest you check out every exhibit. There is a tram that takes you back to feed the more exotic animals. Pack of food are 4 for $ 20. So worth it. It cracked us up to watch the animals in the petting zoo jump up like puppies waiting for treats. I also did not realize how fuzzy a camels mouth is. Too fun.
For $ 20 you can even get your picture taken with an animal. Now the F family has a picture with a lemur. Where else can you do that?

I came here for a field trip. We first started off at the tram ride. You go to the area that has horses that you’re allowed to pet. Then you go to a second area with other exotic animals such as zebras, potbelly pigs, and llamas. The third area has camels. You’re allowed to pet these animals.
Then we were brought to an area with lemurs. In this area students were taught about lemur behaviors and the possible extinction of lemurs. They brought out a lemur for students to touch.
We were then brought to a kangaroo area. The students were taught about the biology and physiology of the red female kangaroo. This part of the tour gave more information about the kangaroo species.
The strange part was our field trip was over in 90 minutes. This was the shortest field trip I have ever been on.

The concept is quaint but the operations are rundown and the pricing is equal to that of the Fort Worth Zoo. The «donation» for parking is more forced than requested. The tiny bags of feed are pricey (and one of the way they squeeze more dollars out of you). Not including the fact that you have to drive, at least, an hour both ways. If you want to spend a day with the animals, go to either the Ft. Worth Zoo or even the Dallas Zoo, it is worth the money… Sharkarosa is not. Disappointed

So much fun! They take good care of the animals. Interactive experience. Would be nice if they had more different types of animals. If you do the private encounter it’s a little pricey — $ 35 on top of your admission, food to feed the animals, etc but 6 people can go in.

Fun times for kids and adults and any animal lovers! Spent about 4 hours there! Buy a bag of feed or two for about $ 3 each or 4/​$ 10! Pet the ponies in the petting zoo!!! So cute! Make sure you also pet the baby goats, donkeys, baby horses, Clydesdales & sheep! Don’t forget to look at the daily schedule for the reptile, lemur, and bear educational programs. They let you pet some reptiles!
Make sure you leave time to stand in line and ride the 30 min tram ride to visit the 3 animal sections: the horses first, second, the pigs, zebras, deer, and emu, third, the camels! They will eat out of your hand but usually eat from the bucket on the side of the tram where they ask u to throw the food for them. So cute and friendly!
The bear show near the pizza/​italian restaurant called the «bear’s den» near the playground is cool b/​c you see how cute and human like black bears are to people! The brother and sister bears are so cute and expressive! The pizza place is decent and the Purple Pig pizza was surprisingly addicting! Good for 2 – 4 ppl to share.
Donate to the conservatory before you leave so they keep getting larger to save more animals and care for them! Good weekend trip! Only about 45 min from Dallas! If you go in the spring around March and April, stop by the Texas Tulips farm 10 min. away for some gorgeous pics and tulips! (The tulip place only takes about 30 mins to see. Hugs to all the friendly staff and animals at the conservatory! I think Fossil Rim is a grander conservatory but both are good near Dallas for relaxing and getting some nature when the weather is nice! Bring a jacket! It gets windy!

The animal conditions just seem sad. I would have given them a below one star on their cleanness. Also try to use restroom before you get there. It’s Chem can toilets only. You would think for being a commercial location they would have a real indoor plumbing bathroom with sinks for washing your hands after restroom and after petting areas. They charge enough for indoor plumbing!

This place is wonderful! This place is incredibly clean and a great way to spend an afternoon. The animals are very well cared for and seem happy. I love the sloths :-)

I came for the sloth and stayed for the capybara.
I’m not a big fan of zoos, they usually just make me sad, so I thought I’d try a non-​profit ranch. I can say now that the environment and energy you feel from the animals is a night and day difference.
Be sure to catch one of the hourly tram tours. On your first stop, you’ll be promptly greeted by a troop of majestic horses. Sets the mood for the whole tour!
The owners are doing preservation research on many of the animals to expand the zoological body of knowledge for these rare species. That’s something I am proud to support with my ticket purchase.

Our kids had a such a good time. We dined with the bears. The food was really good and the staff was great about talking to the kids about the bears. They ate on picnic tables! It was really fun. We’ll go back.

Been sitting on a Groupon purchased for Sharkarosa for a couple months just waiting on a nice weather day to take my two year old son to check the place out. That day happened a couple weeks ago. Didn’t really know what to expect of the place but when you have a two year old who loves animals it isn’t difficult to disappoint them. And Sharkarosa did not disappoint. I was expecting more animals myself but my kiddo was happy and that is what mattered the most. We did the wildlife ride a couple times so he could feed the zebras, horses, camels, goats and other animals along the way. He loved every moment of it. He still talks about getting to pet a goat. Myself, I was most impressed by the kangaroos. Seeing them up close like that was something new to me. Usually in a zoo setting they are more at a distance but these guys were up close and looked amazing.
Overall it was a quality trip. Including lunch we stayed for about three to four hours just checking things out and my son did not want to leave when it came time. Great place for kids and enough to keep adults interested too.

What a Great experience! We took my daughter and 2 nieces for the first time yesterday. We all had a wonderful time.
We purchased a family of 5 package (they also do a family of 4 package) at the front great. This really is a $$ saver. When we calculated what everything would have cost, it saved us about $ 40. This comes with 2 adult and 3 children entries, 3 pony rides (weight limit 67lbs), a private encounter with an animal of your choice (from a list of course) and 5 bags of feed (which all the animals love and eat. This is a must, I believe it sells for $ 3 a bag) in addition to everything else you get to do and see.
We did 3 animal presentations-​reptiles, kangaroos, and the bears. The staff is so friendly and knowledgeable about all the animals and establishment. The pony rides were fun for the little ones. The petting zoo is goats and sheep. When they know you have food they basically follow you around. Be careful letting little ones hold the feed bags, the sheep will snatch it from them.
The safari ride was really great, it let the kids get up close (safely) next 2 the animals. It lasts about 40 minutes. There are 3 pastures; 1. horses 2. Zebras pigs and llama looking things and 3. camels. Make sure you have feed for this ride. With the exception of the zebras (they bite) you are encouraged to put feed in the buckets on the side of the train and pet the animals when they come up to eat.
Our private encounter was with a lemur. When I say private, they take you to a secluded area and you get to hold and feed and learn about the animal. (I believe you also get to choose from a lizard and snakes.) I got some really amazing close up pictures of the kids with the lemur, If you can work this into your budget (without the package, $ 35) I highly recommend this.
When grabbed a late lunch at The Bears Den. The menu consists of pizza, salads, and pastas. The food was AWESOME!!! There is someone in front cooking pizzas in one of those brick (but not brick) ovens. For 5 ppl, we ordered a pepperoni pizza and chopped salad. I made a few customization’s to the chopped salad, but it came out I guess our waitress forgot to put them in. Boy was I glad!!! Everything mixed together was awesome tasting!!! I should have ordered it straight from the menu. Needless to say the pizza was great too. All 3 kids raved about it.
Please note the only real bathroom is at The Bears Den. It is a single use bathroom and there is always a line. There are porter potties on the grounds, but if you’re like me, I will wait in line for a clean, normal bathroom.
Lastly, there is a playground right outside The Bears den. That is how we ended our day.
These animals were all rescued and being cared for by people who have a passion about what they do
1 hour drive, 4 hours of awesomeness and would I do it again? Absolutely
P.S They are getting new animals — a Grizzly bear and a Lion.
I feel like I should add; This is not a zoo, this is not a zoo experience. There are not nearly as many animals, but, these animals are also not in tiny cages. Most of then have entire areas to run around and be in nature. When you come, try and appreciate this for what it is. Most of these animals would probably not be a live today if it wasn’t for Sharkarosa.

My 5 and 6 year old sons loved this place, although today’s heat was a bit much for people and animals alike. Definitely recommend getting the shaved ice to cool down!
The highlight of the day was our private encounter with a red ruffed lemur. We spent 10 minutes alone with the lemur and her handler — who knew everything there is to know about red ruffed lemurs. Amazing and gentle creatures.
My sons also enjoyed the snake show, and 50% of my sons enjoyed the safari tram. The tram can be a bit rough if you have allergies.
The kangaroo show was a disappointment. No cover over the bleachers, so no shade; and the roos were smart enough not to leave the shade for our pleasure. Would like to try it again on a cooler day.
The petting zoo was ok — the sheep are really pushy. And the animals will take your bag of feed at the first opportunity.
One thing that stood out is how clean and well maintained the animal enclosures were, and every animal exhibit appeared to have hand sanitizer available.
All in all a fun day trip.

This exotic wildlife ranch really supports a great variety of rescued animals. We were impressed with how clean and nice the facilities were kept. The animals looked well cared for, and the zoology staff were well educated and helpful. We learned a lot from the tours, tram ride, and hourly shows about the kangaroos, sloths, zebras, and more. It’s not a big place, so it would be good for someone who needs to walk only short distances, however it is outdoors, and you will need to be able to maneuver walking across the grass for about 50 – 100 ft. if you want to ride the tram. We spent about 2 hours, and had a pretty good pizza at the Bear’s Den, while watching the dancing bears over lunch! It was a beautiful drive in the country, too. Don’t go when it is really hot, because almost everything is outdoors.

We didn’t really wanted to spend the whole day at the big zoo in Dallas and this place was perfect for a short visit with our 2 years old kiddo. The walking distance was between the animals was short which is a big plus for me as well as the shaded areas everywhere. Nice place to spend a couple of hours. Prices are very reasonable and and feeding the animals was fun!

Great place! So much better than a typical zoo. For what we would spend at the Fort Worth or Dallas Zoo we were able to go into the sloth habitat and feed them, take a tram ride out to feed several types of horses, camels, zebras, emus, etc. We got to ride ponies and do a petting zoo. Saw monkeys up close as well as lemurs and snakes and black bears. They even had a great playground! Really loved it here! Definitely will be back.

Great alternative to going to the zoo for an animal-​lover/​activists.
Okay yes, the zoo is a lot bigger and has a lot more exotic animals/​attractions but for a person who can’t see animals enclosed in small man-​made habitats, this is a more acceptable place.
You will be pleasantly surprised that most of these animals have been rescued and this is their safe haven. You get an up-​close and personal wildlife experience with a lot of these animals that seem pretty happy at the ranch. They are grouped up with other compatible animals and they live together. The habitats are large and the animals seem comfortable. I would have liked to see a bigger area for the kangaroos but I know they have been expanding the area. A few other animal areas I wish could get more room but overall, way better than the zoo!
Warning: don’t expect zoo-​like experience though. Think of it this way, if you’re allowed to get pretty close to most of these animals, they probably are the calm ones. You are on a ranch.
I purchased a group-​on and it was a great deal. You are allowed to bring food and enjoy it in their picnic area. There are educational shows available for you to attend at no cost either. The cart tour lasts about 20 minutes and a little bumpy. I was afraid I would get motion-​sick (I’m a weakling) but wasn’t a problem! The lines for the tour can get a bit long but go fairly fast.
Definitely worth checking out!