DesertFox
09-09-2007, 08:44 AM
Amid the limestone cliffs and gnarled live oaks of Somervell County, the greater kudu, giraffe and gemsbok look right at home.
The rhinos, roans and wildebeests do, too.
But not that long ago, in the gloomy months of 2003 and 2004, they all needed to find a home.
The Fossil Rim Wildlife Center wobbled on its last legs, and few people, even those who loved it most, thought it could be saved from financial ruin. Contingency plans were prepared to close the park and sell the animals within a few months, shutting down one of the most unusual wildlife centers in the nation.
For 23 years, Fossil Rim, about three miles outside Glen Rose, had offered people a glimpse into Africa from the northernmost reach of the Texas Hill Country. But being novel is not always a guarantee of success, as Fossil Rim's succession of leaders unhappily discovered.
What ultimately delivered Fossil Rim from collapse -- it is now in better financial standing than ever -- is, strangely enough, an African.
Pat Condy, a native of Zimbabwe, has led Fossil Rim's resurgence with ruthless practicality and farsighted vision.
"It's a funny feeling here," he said one morning. "There are parts of this place that are very similar to parts of Africa. Sometimes I have to pinch myself and ask, 'Where the hell am I?'"
More (http://www.star-telegram.com/news/story/228950.html)
The rhinos, roans and wildebeests do, too.
But not that long ago, in the gloomy months of 2003 and 2004, they all needed to find a home.
The Fossil Rim Wildlife Center wobbled on its last legs, and few people, even those who loved it most, thought it could be saved from financial ruin. Contingency plans were prepared to close the park and sell the animals within a few months, shutting down one of the most unusual wildlife centers in the nation.
For 23 years, Fossil Rim, about three miles outside Glen Rose, had offered people a glimpse into Africa from the northernmost reach of the Texas Hill Country. But being novel is not always a guarantee of success, as Fossil Rim's succession of leaders unhappily discovered.
What ultimately delivered Fossil Rim from collapse -- it is now in better financial standing than ever -- is, strangely enough, an African.
Pat Condy, a native of Zimbabwe, has led Fossil Rim's resurgence with ruthless practicality and farsighted vision.
"It's a funny feeling here," he said one morning. "There are parts of this place that are very similar to parts of Africa. Sometimes I have to pinch myself and ask, 'Where the hell am I?'"
More (http://www.star-telegram.com/news/story/228950.html)