WAN Exclusive: Cedar Hollow Ranch Manager Responds To Questions About Exotic Wildlife Breeding & Trophy Hunting
After Gracie the giraffe disappeared for nearly two weeks in the Texas Hill Country, her story sparked a broader conversation about the private breeding of exotic wildlife in Texas and the fate of animals born in captivity. For many readers, the questions extended far beyond Gracie’s safe return and focused on what ultimately happens to these animals after they leave private breeding facilities.
World Animal News received numerous questions from readers about Cedar Hollow Ranch, the facility where Gracie lives, and whether animals bred there are ultimately sold for trophy hunting.
Those questions prompted WAN to contact Cedar Hollow Ranch directly. Ranch manager Vick Jones spoke exclusively with WAN, answering questions about Gracie’s arrival, the ranch’s breeding program, the species it maintains, and allegations surrounding the sale of its animals.
Jones told WAN that Cedar Hollow Ranch is a privately owned exotic wildlife breeding facility near Leakey, Texas, operated by a husband-and-wife team. He said the ranch is privately funded, is not open to the public, and focuses on breeding a variety of exotic wildlife.
According to Jones, Gracie, a four-year-old reticulated giraffe, arrived at Cedar Hollow Ranch in May. When WAN asked whether she had been imported from Africa, Jones said she had not and explained that she was purchased from another private breeder. She joined Atlas, the ranch’s male giraffe, shortly before her escape.
When WAN asked about the ranch’s breeding program, Jones said Cedar Hollow primarily breeds animals for private collectors and other breeding facilities. When WAN asked how the ranch determines who purchases its animals, Jones said the ranch generally knows the individuals and ranches purchasing its animals through established relationships within the industry. He added that some animals have been sold to buyers outside of Texas.
Jones said Cedar Hollow Ranch is a member of the Exotic Wildlife Association (EWA) and stated that the organization has standards and rules for its members.
WAN asked Jones whether Cedar Hollow breeds or sells animals for trophy hunting, including giraffes.
Jones responded:
“We do not trophy hunt giraffes.”
He added, “We do not sell animals for trophy hunting.”
Jones said giraffes are extremely valuable breeding animals and that the ranch does not raise or sell them for hunting purposes.
However, in a 2018 interview with the Houston Chronicle, ranch owner Dan Allford said Cedar Hollow sold other exotic animals to private collectors and hunting ranches to help support the ranch’s breeding operation.
Public records reviewed by WAN show Cedar Hollow Ranch consigning greater kudu, impala, and Nubian ibex through Exotic Wildlife Association auctions.
When WAN asked what species are maintained at Cedar Hollow Ranch, Jones said the facility breeds a variety of exotic wildlife, including reticulated giraffes, greater kudu, Nubian ibex, and other antelope and deer species.
Jones also told WAN that the ranch has a rare species native to China that he described as having once been extinct in the wild. Public records reviewed by WAN identify the species as Père David’s deer (milu), which disappeared from the wild before surviving through captive breeding and later reintroduction efforts in China.
Public records reviewed by WAN also identify Cedar Hollow Ranch as maintaining species including mountain bongo, barasingha deer, sambar deer, and aoudad (Barbary sheep). Previous reporting has described the approximately 1,000-acre ranch as home to more than a dozen exotic species, including several that are threatened or endangered in the wild.
Why This Story Matters for Wildlife
The questions surrounding Cedar Hollow Ranch reflect a larger debate over the commercial breeding of exotic wildlife in the United States and the future of animals born in captivity.
Under Texas law, many non-native exotic species are considered private property rather than native wildlife and may be hunted year-round on private land with a valid hunting license and the landowner’s permission.
Animal welfare organizations have long opposed both canned hunting and trophy hunting. Canned hunting involves captive wildlife being confined within enclosed areas with little to no opportunity to escape before being killed. Animal welfare organizations argue that wild animals should not be bred or managed for commercial hunting or treated as so-called trophies.
Gracie’s story has become about far more than one missing giraffe. It has opened an important conversation about the future of captive-bred wildlife and the responsibility we all share to protect the world’s remaining wild species.
World Animal News and Peace 4 Animals believe the future of threatened and endangered species lies in protecting and restoring wild populations and preserving the habitats they depend upon. Conservation should prioritize keeping wild animals in the wild, where they play a vital role in healthy ecosystems, rather than expanding the commercial breeding, private ownership, or exploitation of wildlife.
