Surviving Winter: Baker's exotic animals make home in colder climate

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Published on Friday, 10 February 2012 14:55

Mary Loveland
Daily Elk Citian

Exotic animals from all over the world have surprisingly found a home for themselves right here in western Oklahoma.

Longhorn cattle, zebras, axis deer, sika deer, white fallow deer, giraffes, blackbuck antelope, scimitar oryx, aoudad sheep and mouflon sheep all live on about 800 acres worth of fenced-in land one hour north of Elk City.

Dr. L.V. and Pat Baker began the journey of buying and owning some of the world's exotic animals after a visit to Africa many years ago. They have been back three times since.

"My wife and I have always loved animals since we were little and we always had a bunch of them," L.V. said. "Then we went to Africa and that did it. We got so excited about the animals there."

L.V. recalls the trip to see a pack of gorillas and calls it the "most exciting thing he's ever seen."

"We started [the excursion] early in the morning," L.V. said. "The gorillas move every day and sleep at a different place every night so we just started hunting."

Once they found the gorillas, visitors are limited to spending only one hour near them.

"When I first saw the gorilla, I nearly stepped on a male," L.V. said. "He was faced the opposite direction and was hidden between some trees. Later, he threw a coconut at me right as we were getting ready to leave. Luckily he didn't hit me."

When L.V and Pat opened Safari B Ranch in 1972, they started out with longhorn cattle.

Over the years, they have raised over 3,000 registered longhorns.

Then, more exciting exotic animals from places like Africa, India, the Middle East, Japan and China were added to the family.

"The scimitar oryx has a very long curved horn," L.V. explained. "They will even attack a lion if a lion tries to get a young. They hold their heads down with their long sharp point."

The scimitar oryx is native to the Middle East. The fallow deer, which are white, red or black in color are from Europe and blackbuck antelope are from India.

The ranch also currently houses nine zebras.

"We have one that's very much like a pet," L.V. said. "He will come up and bite me real easy to show me that he likes me."

He said zebras are extremely wild animals but with a little gentleness and work, they can be partly tamed.

So how do these animals from some of the world's warmest places find happiness in a place that sees below freezing temperatures several months out of the year?'

"Most of them run wild and we have wind breaks so they can get behind them when it's cold like now, especially when we feed them," L.V. said. "The giraffes were more difficult."

Safari B Ranch no longer has any giraffes after the pair died several years ago.

"They have to stay at 40 degrees and if they get colder than that they die," L.V. said.

L.V.’s giraffes died of old age and poor health, not because of low temperatures.

To keep the giraffes warm during the winter, L.V. built enclosed pens with heaters in them.

"The Tulsa Zoo lost a female [in 2010] by letting the temperature get too low," L.V. said.

All of the animals at the ranch were purchased from within the United States from various breeders that raise certain animals.

He said in many cases the U.S. will have more of a certain breed of animal than the native country.

"The Americans protect them and appreciate them," L.V. said. "We're trying to keep them in existence here in this country. There are many animals that are in trouble."

The exotic animals are just an extension of the Baker family's experience with furry and feathery friends.

L.V. has also raised countless types of birds, a pig and even a badger that were all considered pets.

"The badger was raised on a bottle," L.V. said. "We could go outside and call her name and she would come running to me. We love animals. We don't do it for the money."