The Preserve — Attraction in Fredericksburg

I surprised my granddaughter with The Elephant Experience as an early birthday gift. She has been obsessed with these amazing, intelligent and majestic creatures for almost her entire life!

This was not her first encounter with elephants. In 2022, we visited The Elephant Sanctuary in Hugo, Oklahoma. She was 2 1/2 then and had no fear or hesitation when approaching these magnificent animals! It was no different this time either!

These incredible gentle giants were introduced with fascinating facts shared by the staff right from the outset. We got to meet Kitty (58), Rosie (41) and Becky (38).

After the introductions and a couple of quick demonstrations, we moved to the “bathing” pavilion. (Thankfully, it was a very short distance because it was bloody hot that day!) More interesting facts were shared as we all took our turns “bathing” Becky. (We were given a small scrub brush that had been dunked into a bucket of water and Mr Bubbles Bubble Bath.) Because there were so many people, we spent between 30 seconds to maybe a minute and a half “bathing” Becky. The staff were incredibly accommodating and friendly, capturing memories for us by snapping both photos and videos.

From there, we moseyed on over to the pavilion next to the bathing pavilion. We were given a brief — barely Cliff Notes-worthy — explanation and demonstration for their foot care. The entire process actually takes an hour to do all four feet. (I know we were all grateful they kept it short because of the Texas heat!)

Once the demonstration was over, we had another fantastic photo opportunity! The staff truly did capture awesome pictures for us!

Once we were back at the original pavilion, the staff continued to share their knowledge about these awe-inspiring creatures. They explained the difference between Asian and African Elephants. (There are quite a few: Asian Elephants are more closely related to wooly mammoths while the African Elephants are more closely related to mastodons; Asian elephants have five toenails on their front feet and four on their back feet while African Elephants typically have four and three respectively.)

The staff did say Rosie is the most vocal of all three ladies. They are not wrong! At times, Rosie sounded like she was barking! She is definitely a character!

The encounter ended with treats for the elephants and a final photo op for the humans.

The staff made learning about elephants fun and entertaining. There all so very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful.

Helpful Tidbits:

Dress for the weather! The encounter is 100% outdoors. If possible, bring a Yeti- or Stanley-type of mug filled with ice. (Bottled water is provided.) This will DEFINITELY come in handy on the blazing hot days! Wear comfortable shoes — preferably close-toed. There will be quite a bit of standing once you move to the bathing pavilion. (Plus, it will protect the toes and feet should they get accidentally walked on by a human!) It is definitely recommended to use the restroom before the experience begins. (You will not want to miss a single moment!)

When asked if she would want to go again, my granddaughter’s immediate response was an emphatic YES! It truly was an...

I am a true animal lover and was gifted this by my husband for my bday. At first, I was nervous because I'd heard negative reviews and read an article from PETA on this place but it was wonderful. It exceeded my expectations entirely!

There were zero signs of any abuse or neglect. The animals looked healthy (I googled signs to look for), their feet clean, moisturized, pedicured. Their eyes bright. Their skin free of any kind of discoloration, soars etc.

The grounds were pristine, including landscaping, fencing etc. It was beautifully kept and there was plently of land to roam. The girls sleep in a barn with heated floors and water, truly living in luxury. Honestly zoos smell worse. This place was CLEAN.

Though the trainers carried bull hooks (which are being phased out in zoos) but they rarely if never used them. The trainers have a good bond with the elephants. They are truly only for emergencies, like if someone gets too close to an elephant or spooks them. Also the bull hooks were not spikey, the trainers let me touch one. They were dull.

There was little performing. Mostly it was letting us bathe them, and showing us that they can paint, while also educating us on grooming, food, conservation efforts etc.

It was worth it. You get up close and personal.

While I understand PETA and many people's concerns, and there is definitely an argument for whether to have these animals domesticated like this or place them in a true wild preserve....to me it's a mute point. The Johnsons did not purchase these animals for entertainment when they were young. Two were given by a zoo who found them too young and wanted older elephants that were more docile, and one was from a circus that closed. These sweet girls had been in captivity and made to perform and be gawked at, and it would take awhile to train them to live in a true wild preserve.

This is probably the best outcome for them, given the situation--they don't have to perform or be ridden by tourists, but do get to interact with humans as they are used to and live a pretty luxurious chill life. Now, should elephants be in zoos and circuses? Nope. But the question is what to do with the ones that are? Where do they go now? At least the Johnson's have a solution. If you really want to stop this situation from happening, stop going to zoos and circuses that buy young calves from their momma's and bring them here. That's how this craziness will stop and how we will make places like the Johnson's obsolete. Also the Johnson's came to Texas, not because they were run out of California, but because Texas is cheaper--got to chat with them a bit. We have so many transplants in Texas from Cali and NY due to a cheaper cost of living here. They could buy more land and build cheaply. Bonus: It's in the beautiful wine country of Texas (hill country) so you can stop off at a local winery after! I recommend 290...

Honestly, I had concerns going into this place. I'd seen the bad reviews and read some of the "bad press" online. And I went into the experience with mixed feelings. I asked multiple questions and got answers. I pressed one of the trainers hard about the training prod he had by his side. He answered all my questions and even let me hold the prod, but I wasn't satisfied with his answers since he wouldn't look me in the eye; however, he did say this is the same device used with elephants historically, and I found that to be true - in situations where any large animal is going to be handled or trained. Am I completely comfortable with this? No, not by the definition of Preserve and Sanctuary, where it would be assumed that animals are free to live as normal as possible a life without performing. However, my time at the Preserve was lovely, because I did learn about elephants and their plight in the wild, and I do feel compelled to learn more. The staff took a lot of photos which of course leads to posts, which leads to more awareness (free advertising for the Preserve, yes, and hopefully more education about elephants).

I am very pleased to know that there are only two experiences per day - and not every day. I expected there to be back to back visits all day long. Only those with tickets are allowed through the gates, which are closed the rest of the time.

Trainer Katie was incredible. Her love for the animals was obvious, and I enjoyed talking with her.

The grounds are very, very nice and well maintained. The other animals onsite - giraffes, tortoises, etc - are off limits for those with tickets to the elephant experience only. There are 2 single restrooms for the entire group, so plan for a line. The gift shop is small with unique items including art created by the elephants.

Follow your gut on this one. The entire time I was there, I did not see any elephant touched by a prod, they did not seem to be in distress to my untrained eye. This is what I would tell anyone asking me if...