Have you ever been to the Fort Worth zoo? Or any zoo for that matter? We have been on several occasions and it’s always amazing BUT anytime we’ve gone a teeny tiny part of me wishes we could get just a little bit closer to some of the animals in a safe way (like the time we fed a lion in Las Vegas). Well months ago I just so happen to come across a lady who told me about elephant encounters. Of course I was all ears and began plotting a way for us to have that amazing experience for my girls during summer break.

In the town of Hugo Oklahoma, there’s an unsuspecting elephant preserve called Endangered Ark Foundation. The foundation exists to service retired Asian elephants and keep them thriving as they live out the rest of their lives.

We drove a quaint 2.5 hours crossing the border into a modest Hugo pulling right up to the gate that houses these amazing elephants. Upon entry we could see across the front yard where a little elephant (named Cameron) ate hay while hanging out with his aunt Traci. The girls cooed their excited hellos at the unassuming animals while we waited for our tour guide to arrive.

After about 10 minutes, it was time to go inside and start our private tour. Because it had been raining earlier that day, our setting would take place inside their main barn, but that certainly didn’t dampen any of our experience.

Across the way and closer than I had ever been to any elephant were Traci and Cameron chilling in the shade minding their own. Our guide started by telling us a little more about them. Traci is roughly 7000 pounds and considered one of the smaller adult elephants at the preserve. She seemed really even keel and ate hay while throwing dirt on her back. We learned that they do this to keep a barrier between their skin and pesky insects.

Cameron is the official baby of the park. He weighs a cool 200-300 pounds and is truly adorable! He stuck really close to his aunt while they were eating and even seemed playful with her at times. He occasionally would get some distance to kick his bowling ball (he kicked it as if it was a soccer ball).

Traci lounged around the gate and quaintly relieved herself right in front of us at one point. Elephants pee in gallons so it sounded like a rushing stream and looked like a broken water main line. She didn’t mind and promptly walked back over to her hay stash to continue dining.

The highlight of our tour was when we got introduced to one of the larger elephants, Delrita! She proudly sauntered in with her trainer displaying her massive size. To see her grandness in person was flooring! It’s like she didn’t realize how intimidating she was. Suddenly I felt very aware that this giant could squash us like bugs.

Deltrita was a trim 9000 lbs and that’s not even the largest Asian elephants can get! The trainer told us they have a hefty appetite of hay, fruits, veggies and the occasional donut or cell phone of an unsuspecting visitor (apparently cell companies don’t insure your phone if it gets swiped by a large mammal 😂).

Upon introduction Delrita walked right up to the gate which was roughly 5-6ft away if that. She had the sweetest eyes and was wagging her tail as if she was a puppy. What she was most interested in was the large bucket of bananas placed on some chairs behind us.

We had no need to hinder her anymore from those yummy treats. Ecstatic, the girls grabbed as many bananas as their little hands could carry and went to work doling them out. And boy could she eat! Her trunk was amazingly dexterous! It’s the equivalent of our arm, wrist, hands, and fingers. She can even pick up a single grain of rice with one intentional swipe!

The trainers had really great rapport with Delrita. She let them show us her feet and gave a quick pedi (Elephants sweat from their feet so gotta keep those nails super clean). They also informed us that she can blow from her trunk up to 200 mph. Learning so many new facts about elephants really showed me just how little I actually knew about these magnificent creatures.

When our tour came to a close we got to stand with Delrita for photos and say our goodbyes. She was so well behaved and just as sweet an elephant as could be.

The girls got a couple of items from the gift shop and almost as quickly as we arrived it was time to pile back in the car and head for good ole Texas. We couldn’t stop talking about how amazing the preserve was and of course the star of the show, Delrita.

If you get a chance you should check out Endangered Ark and see about doing a tour. It’s a unique experience and as much as we love the zoo, I know the girls will have this stamped on their memory for good. I would love for us to come back and visit the other elephants one day. I know the fam would absolutely be thrilled to do it. They say elephants never forget and best believe we won’t either.

Til next time, happy adventures 😇