Fossil Rim Wildlife Center

Nile lechwe are no stranger to getting wet! In their natural habitat, they live in river wetlands, wading into the water to eat aquatic plants.

Have you met the newest addition to the Preserve pasture? This little lady is a Hartmann's mountain zebra, and one of two foals we've had since 2024!

The snow has melted and we are back open for regular hours! Big shoutout to our Animal Care and Support teams who kept everyone and everything nice and toasty this past week!

In anticipation of the incoming winter storm, Fossil Rim will be closed this Saturday. No worries though, our Animal Care and Support teams are bundled up and taking all the necessary precautions to keep our animals safe, warm, and well cared for. Stay cozy and we’ll see you soon!

a small aoudad lamb turns to look behind at the camera. They are a sandy brown color with small ears and large brown eyes.

a small aoudad lamb runs around, caught with only one foot on the ground. They are a sandy brown color with small ears and large brown eyes.

Look who decided to show up! Aoudad can be born any time of year, and this little guy chose a particularly chilly one. Luckily, they're strong and full of energy to keep warm this weekend!

Dust baths are an important part of being a zebra. The entire herd may choose one spot to roll in for a while, inadvertently creating a divot that can fill up with water and form a new pond.

POV: You are a delicious bug and I am a humble baby prairie chicken

The council has met to decide your fate over some delicious nopales and greens.

Chilly weather calls for some cheetah cuddles

Adult black-footed cats only weigh around four pounds when fully grown! This means kittens are only a few ounces at birth 😻

The left are a pair of male dama gazelle, and the right are roan antelope!

Did you know gazelle is just a term for a smaller, faster type of antelope? In general, all gazelle are antelope, but not all antelope are gazelle.

Mrs. European Red Deer seems to be a fan of the GooGoo Dolls….will be looking more into this naturalistic phenomenon.

A male greater kudu faces the camera. The antelope is a dusty brown color, with large ears and two horns that spiral outwards.

Three antelope stand in frame, partially obscuring one another. Two are pale tan males with spiraling horns. A dusty colored female with white stripes bends to graze.

Greater kudu are known for their mild temperaments, rarely fighting or causing injury to each other even when sparring during mating season.

We hope everyone had a wonderful new year! Happy 2026!

"If not friend, why friend shaped?" Baby, that's an apex predator

Quick roan stretch to keep you limber this afternoon 🙆‍♂️

Did you know giraffes can lay down to sleep? While typically they choose to fold their legs underneath their bodies, sometimes they experiment with other positions 😂🌍

A jazzy Naia for your Thursday! Naia is the oldest black-footed cat ever recorded! 🌎

Bongo zoomies? Yes, please!

Blackbuck are the smallest antelope at Fossil Rim! Calves are particularly tiny, and depending on gender, will only average between 50 and 80 pounds when full grown!

Our addax herd are getting their winter coats! Despite being a desert species, addax hair changes with the seasons, getting lighter in the summer and darker in the winter. These colors help them reflect and retain heat respectively based on their environment!
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The aoudad are sparring lately, ending in several silly looking tangles with no clear winner. Luckily, sparring isn't just about competition, but about strength and social bonds. 🌍🧪🏆

A close up shot of a white antelope with a brown triangular marking on its nose.

A shot of the same antelope from a distance. Its body is round, and it has two horn that stand straight up at a great length.

Arabian oryx are one of the smaller oryx species, but they make up for it with their impressive horns. These horns begin growing at birth, and can reach over two feet in length! 🧪🌍

Gemsbok calves begin growing their iconic horns soon after birth. It will take several years to get to their full length of over two feet 💪

Good morning from Poppy the North American porcupine! Poppy is mostly nocturnal, and during cold weather she sticks close to her den, so seeing her is a real treat! 😍

Cheetahs don't roar- instead they communicate through chirps, purrs and growls. Mothers use these methods to let their cubs know where they are, and to give them other cues.

#internationalcheetahday 🌍🧪

Cheetahs play an active role in slowing desertification, an ongoing problem in arid countries where fertile land is degraded. By keeping grazing prey populations lower, plants are able to regrow faster and stronger. #Internationalcheetahday 🌍🧪

Join us on Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok on Thursday morning at 10 am central as we go live to celebrate #InternationalCheetahDay!

a red colored antelope with thin white stripes and short horns grazes behind a bare bush of twigs.

a red colored antelope with thin white stripes and short horns glances towards the camera from behind a group of bare trees.

It's thought that the mountain bongo's white stripes help it blend into its forest habitat. Here you can see the way the stripes mimic twigs and branches! 🌍🧪