South Texas Safari
(This article was written by Lisa Campos and appeared in the July 2024 issue of Explore Harlingen Magazine .) Just a short drive from Harlingen going towards South Padre Island, lies the Rio Grande Valley’s (RGV’s) newest family-friendly attraction: the Safari Park at Fragile Planet Wildlife Park in Los Fresnos. Explore Harlingen was honored to be among the few who were invited to preview the park on June 6, 2024 (it opened to the public on June 8). My daughter, our friends, and I had an incredible experience! We got to feed various animals such as a camel, bison, and water buffalo on the wagon tour. The highlight was feeding carrots to the wallabies in the kangaroo walkabout. We also enjoyed holding silkie chickens and goats in the petting zoo. A friendly deer named Bug tried to eat my hair, which made me rethink my conditioner. Lastly, my daughter and her guest mined for gems. Pricing is as follows: Safari wagon tour general admission $15 (ages 2 and younger are free) Kangaroo walkabout (included in admission) Petting zoo (included in admission) Pint of zoo-grade feed $10 Mining for gems $10 for a 3-pound bag or $25 for a 10-pound bag - “the mother lode” (good for families with multiple kids to share) One of the owners told us that they plan on having special events such as a Jeep meetup, Singles Safari, night-time safari tours, and more. They are also able to accommodate large groups for private tours and VIP ATV tours at an additional cost. Fragile Planet Wildlife Park is located at 34748 FM2480 in Los Fresnos. Hours of operation are 8 am to 8 pm daily except for holidays, with the first wagon ride starting at 9 am and the last ride departing at 7 pm. They can be reached at 956-710-2025 or on their website, https://fpwildlifepark.com/ . We recommend planning on staying at least two hours to get the most out of the experience.