Cango Wildlife Ranch
Encyclopedia
The Cango Wildlife Ranch is a wildlife ranch 3 kilometres north of the town of Oudtshoorn in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

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Established in 1977, the Cango Wildlife Ranch is internationally recognised as one of South Africa’s premier attractions in the Western Cape
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...

, providing visitors with a world-class experience like no other. They are situated on the road to the Cango Caves
Cango Caves
The Cango Caves are located in Precambrian limestones at the foothills of the Swartberg range near the town of Oudtshoorn in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The principal cave is one of the country's finest, best known and most popular tourist caves and attracts many visitors from overseas...

 near Oudtshoorn, on the well-established Garden Route
Garden Route
The Garden Route is a popular stretch of the south-eastern coast of South Africa. It stretches from Heidelberg in the Western Cape to the Storms River which is crossed along the N2 coastal highway over the Paul Sauer Bridge in the extreme western reach of the neighbouring Eastern Cape...

 and Route 62
Route 62 (South Africa)
Route 62 is a tourist route in South Africa that meanders between Cape Town, Oudtshoorn, the Garden Route, and Port Elizabeth, offering the scenic alternative to the N2 highway...

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They are the holders of the most prestigious standard of rating within the zoological park community of Africa. This rating is an accreditation standard set out by the African Association of Zoos and Aquaria (PAAZAB) to raise the operational standards of zoological facilities to a level of good practice that is held in high regard internationally.

Their good standing with the NSPCA (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) is evidenced through their recently awarded certificates for good practise and excellent animal care.

Valley of Ancients

A 60-minute guided tour starts in an ancient temple inhabited by giant flying foxes, various exotic birds, blue duiker
Blue Duiker
Blue Duiker is a small forest dwelling duiker found in the Central Africa and southern South Africa.Blue Duikers stand around 35 centimetres tall at the shoulder and weigh 4 kilograms.They are the smallest of the antelope family. Blue Duikers have a brown coat with a slight blue tinge – hence...

, underwater viewing of cichlids and giant river turtles. There is a Malawian lakeshore home to red river hog
Red River Hog
The red river hog , also known as the bush pig , is a wild member of the pig family living in Africa, with most of its distribution in the Guinean and Congolian forests...

s and prehistoric giant water monitor
Water monitor
The Water monitor, is a large species of monitor lizard capable of growing to in length, with the average size of most adults at long. Maximum weight of Varanus salvator can be over , but most are half that size. Their body is muscular with a long, powerful, laterally compressed tail...

s; and a vulture cliff face where endangered Cape vulture
Cape Vulture
The Cape Griffon or Cape Vulture , also known as Kolbe's Vulture, is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. It is endemic to southern Africa, and is found mainly in South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana and in some parts of northern Namibia...

s roost and share their leftovers with the Marabou Stork
Marabou Stork
The Marabou Stork, Leptoptilos crumeniferus, is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It breeds in Africa south of the Sahara, occurring in both wet and arid habitats, often near human habitation, especially waste tips...

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This themed walk-through experience is designed to make visitors aware of modern day conservation
Conservation movement
The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....

 issues. Visitors can see Madagascan ring-tailed lemur
Ring-tailed Lemur
The ring-tailed lemur is a large strepsirrhine primate and the most recognized lemur due to its long, black and white ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of five lemur families. It is the only member of the Lemur genus. Like all lemurs it is endemic to the island of Madagascar...

s, pygmy hippo, and spotted-necked otters.

After crossing the hanging bridge over Snapper Gorge, visitors are given opportunity to plunge into a World First Crocodile Cage Dive.
As they power themselves out of the water to snatch food from the hands of our guides, the Nile Crocodile
Nile crocodile
The Nile crocodile or Common crocodile is an African crocodile which is common in Somalia, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Egypt, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Gabon, South Africa, Malawi, Sudan, Botswana, and Cameroon...

s at the “Jumping Jaws” pool provide a great reminder of the brute strength and agility which has enabled these ancient relics to survive through the aeons.

Cheetahland

From a meandering, elevated catwalk in Cheetahland, visitors have a bird’s eye-view of some of the world’s most endangered and unique big cats - the rare white Bengal tiger
Bengal Tiger
The Bengal tiger is a tiger subspecies native to the Indian subcontinent that in 2010 has been classified as endangered by IUCN...

, the cheetah
Cheetah
The cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...

 and the white lion
White lion
The white lion is occasionally found in wildlife reserves in South Africa and is a rare color mutation of the Kruger subspecies of lion . It has been perpetuated by selective breeding in zoos around the world...

. As visitors walk above these magnificent cats, in their large natural enclosures, experienced guides take them on a fun-filled and informative tour, highlighting the plight of these mighty animals.

Natural Encounters

Their professionally run Natural Encounters program allows guests to get up close and personal and interact with select
ambassador species. Aside from Croc-Cage Ddiving mentioned above, encounters can also be enjoyed with their tigers, cheetah
Cheetah
The cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...

, snakes, lorikeets and other animals as and when available.

As South Africa’s oldest and longest big cat contact centre, they strive to maintain the highest level of safety and professional ethic. Trained staff will ensure that visitors have the day of their lives! A fully kitted photographic department will capture that special moment on camera, providing each participating client with a complimentary photograph they will cherish forever!

A Walk on the Wild Side

Over and above the guided tour, visitors to the Ranch are welcome to take a leisurely walk through the interactive lorikeet
Lorikeet
Lories and lorikeets are small to medium-sized arboreal parrots characterized by their specialized brush-tipped tongues for feeding on nectar of various blossoms and soft fruits, preferably berries. The species form a monophyletic group within the parrot family Psittacidae...


aviary
Aviary
An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. Unlike cages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flight cages...

, Kuranda Forest, or wander amongst their wallabies
Wallaby
A wallaby is any of about thirty species of macropod . It is an informal designation generally used for any macropod that is smaller than a kangaroo or wallaroo that has not been given some other name.-Overview:...

 in Wallaby Walkabout. Our Snake Park, home to glowing green
gecko’s
Gecko
Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....

 and the worlds largest venomous snake, the magnificent King Cobra
King Cobra
The king cobra is the world's longest venomous snake, with a length up to 5.6 m . This species, which preys chiefly on other snakes, is found predominantly in forests from India through Southeast Asia to the Philippines and Indonesia...

, plus many more slippery serpents, promises
to bring out the inquisitive nature of even the most fearful!

Kidz-Zone

Let the kids run wild in the "Kidz Zone" which includes a waterpark with water jets for those steamy hot days - a safe play
park for all ages, which includes a petting farm, certain to keep younger visitors happily entertained.

For the Hungry

The Cango Wildlife Ranch is exceptionally well prepared to cater to the palate of any visitor. They have 3 differently styled and
unique restaurants catering to visitors varying requirements:

Turtles Restaurant

Fully licensed, and serving a verity of exotic and local foods, the Turtle’s Restaurant offers visitors the chance to telax in
a tranquil atmosphere on wooden decks, surrounded by cascading waterfalls and invites clients to experience a taste of Klein Karoo hospitality.

They request that visitors book in advance, as they would like to offer clients and visitors the best service possible. Tour
group menus, for all tastes, are available on request.

Grunts Fast Food Restaurant

This rain forest themed 100-seater fast food restaurant is ideal for a quick bite or take-away meal. The size of the deck overlooking the children’s water and play park allows for accommodation of larger tour groups for meals or pre-arranged dinners. Lunch packs to be enjoyed off-premises can also be arranged for visitors convenience.

The Wallow

An exclusive, up-market evening venue for pre-booked groups of 10 and more, this themed paradise is situated in the heart of the Valley of Ancients and offers visitors the opportunity to customise the evening and entertainment accordingly.

External links

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