Camel Safari Offers Nearby Day-Outing

By BOBBIE GREEN

The Progress

The Camel Safari Ranch offers a unique experience for visitors from all over the world. But how nice to have it so close by, right here in the Virgin Valley. Especially if you bring youngsters for a visit. This is a fun and educational day for all ages to enjoy.

Camel Safari Ranch, located at 2725 River Cliff Road, just off I15 exit 112, was opened in 2016 by Guy Seeklus. Just a year before that Seeklus came to Bunkerville from Bellingham Washington because the climate here suited his collection of camels and alpacas better.

Seeklus had been collecting the animals for quite some time before because of his daughter’s interest. Then became interested himself.

Since opening the ranch in 2016, Seeklus has offered tours of the ranch and surrounding areas by reservation through Tripadvisor and Expedia. They brought tour vans out from Las Vegas. The business got off to a great start.
“By 2019 we were up in revenue by 300 percent,” Seeklus said. “Then COVID hit.”

Tourism in the region plummetted. Camel rides suddenly had to stop. And everything changed.
But being an animal lover, Seeklus has been accumulating others. A few years ago, the ranch took some exotic animals from the Roos N More Zoo that closed in Moapa. But the latest acquisition is a New Guinea Singing Dog, or Dingo as some call it.

Camel Safari now has an accreditation from the Zoological Association of America. ZAA. They have 32 camels (Dromedary, Bactrian, and Hybrid), alpacas and llamas, two desert sand cats, horses, a donkey/zebra mix, a beautiful African Crested Porcupine, a two-toed sloth and two Armadillos. All of these fascinating creatures are available for close-up personal encounters.

The most native and educational species on the property is human zoologist Allie Singer who is also a tour guide and friend to all the animals.

Singer has been working at Camel Safari Ranch for three years. Before coming here, she was working at a zoo in northern Utah after graduating college. But Singer decided that was not for her even though she had gotten her degree in zoology. When this job opened up, she applied and relocated here. Anyone who takes the tour can tell she has found her niche.

“Their goal is to respect the animals and treat them with care,” Singer said. “They have rescued some of them and are trying to save endangered species. They try to give each visitor their own personal experience with the animals. But that’s not a guarantee. No animal is ever made to do something it doesn’t want to do. “

Singer had two young volunteer ladies helping her with the feeding. She is looking for more volunteers. Working there can be used as a college credit. Volunteering at the ranch pronuses to be an educational experience.

Currently Camel Safari is offering two different tours. An 8 am morning tour taken in a golf cart around the property while the crew is feeding the animals. It is truly a sight to see when twenty-some camels come running to eat.

The desert setting helps make these tours captivating, and amusing. You will laugh watching the up close encounters with the various animals.

The second tour begins at 11:30 am and takes the same golf cart route. You will still get close encounters.
On the property are authentic Mongolian Gers, a large, round, tent-like structure where Mongolian families make their home. On this tour, visitors will visit the Gers and engage, if they wish, in combing camel’s hair into strips and braiding it into a bracelet or trinket for themselves. Kids will love this!

The Gers are furnished with authentic furnishing from Mongolia. Inside the Ger the wood is colorfully painted and is beautiful.

Each tour is definitely educational, you will learn the origins and history of the camels and the other animals.

It is dusty out there, so wear casual clothes, comfortable shoes, and bring water. The facility has picnic tables on site. Presently you can book your tours online at www.camelsafari.com.

Current admission is adults $100. Children up to 15 years old are $79. Ages 3 and under are free. With COVID restrictions being loosened, changing, and adding tours is a work in progress.

For more information go to camelsafari.com.