Totally Wild Summer: Four Animal Facts That Bring the Safari to Life

Summer is the perfect season for a little curiosity. The more you learn about the animals that roam the savanna, the more amazing they become. Some are built for height, some for strength, some for movement, and some for survival in ways that sound almost too wild to be true.

At Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, giraffes and rhinos are always guest favorites, but they are only part of the story. Wildebeests and ostriches bring their own incredible adaptations to the mix, proving that every animal has something totally wild to teach us.

Giraffes have powerful hearts and surprisingly familiar necks.

Giraffes may be famous for their height, but what is happening inside that long body is just as impressive. A giraffe's heart can be about 2 feet long and weigh around 25 pounds, helping pump blood all the way up that towering neck to the brain.

Here is another wild twist: giraffes have seven neck vertebrae, just like humans. The difference is size. In a giraffe, each neck bone can be more than 10 inches long. Add in legs that are about 6 feet long and feet that can measure about 12 inches across, and it is easy to see why giraffes feel larger than life.

Rhino horns are made of the same material as hair and fingernails.

Rhinos look like prehistoric powerhouses, but one of their most recognizable features is made of something surprisingly familiar. A rhino horn is made of keratin, the same protein found in human hair and fingernails.

Rhinos also rely on more than eyesight to understand the world around them. They are very nearsighted, but they have excellent hearing and a strong sense of smell. Their ears can even move independently, helping them listen in different directions at once.

Wildebeests are built for life on the move.

Wildebeests are members of the antelope family, but their big heads, strong shoulders, shaggy manes, beards and curved horns give them a look that is all their own. Blue wildebeests can stand up to about 4.5 feet tall at the shoulder and weigh hundreds of pounds, with both males and females growing horns.

In the wild, their most famous behavior is migration. Up to 1.5 million wildebeests can move across the Serengeti and Maasai Mara in search of fresh grass, often traveling alongside zebras and gazelles. Their calves are impressive from the start, too.

A baby wildebeest can learn to walk within minutes of birth and keep up with the herd within days.

Ostrich eggs are the heavyweight champions of the bird world.

Ostriches are the tallest and heaviest birds on Earth, and their eggs match their oversized reputation. An ostrich egg can be about 6 inches long and weigh up to 3 pounds, which is roughly the weight of two dozen chicken eggs.

Ostriches also have some of the biggest eyes in the animal kingdom. Each eye can be about 2 inches wide, which helps them scan open habitats for danger. And while the old myth says ostriches bury their heads in the sand, the truth is much more practical. They may lower their heads to turn eggs in a ground nest or press their long necks low to the ground to be less visible.

See the Wild Side of Summer at Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch

The best part about wild facts is seeing them come to life. At Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, guests can take their own vehicle on a self-guided safari through the 500-acre Ranch, where more than 500 animals from 40 different species roam across the Texas Hill Country. Families can travel at their own pace, feed animals along the way and experience the excitement of being this close to wildlife.

For guests who want an even wilder experience, the Ranch also offers guided tours and VIP encounters with giraffes and rhinos. Whether you are visiting for the first time or coming back for another Totally Wild Summer adventure, Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch is the place to turn amazing animal facts into unforgettable family memories.