Ranch Seeks Permission for Big Cats, Monkeys

Sanctuary Serengeti, the drive-through animal safari on SH 71 near West Point, wants to add a few exotic species to its collection. But first it needs permission from the Fayette County Commissioners Court.

Owner Chuck Schomberg appeared at the Commissioners Court meeting on Thursday, June 10, to ask for an exemption to the County ordinance that prohibits the keeping of certain wild animals. Currently, Sanctuary Serengeti mostly keeps varieties of hoofstock from around the word such as zebras, camels, goats and many species of deer, along with birds such as ostriches.

“As we have grown and received feedback from the public, the top three animals they would love to experience next are giraffes, cats and monkeys,” Schomberg said in a letter to the Commissioners. “Since we are a long way from having the capabilities to incorporate giraffes due to their expense, we are hoping to include cats and monkeys as our next step.”

Back in 2018, Commissioners passed an ordinance prohibiting a menagerie of dangerous wild animals. The move came in response to plans from a Bastrop County resident who wanted to open a snake attraction on Hwy. 71 in Plum. That ordinance banned many dangerous reptiles and snakes along with a long list of other animals, including many of the cat and monkey species Schomberg wants to showcase.

Schomberg presented the following list of animals for which he requested an exemption: cougars, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, lynx, servals, caracals, baboons, chimpanzees and hybrids of those. He also presented plans for double-walled, tornado-proof enclosures that would house the animals.

Schomberg said he is not interested in keeping larger cats such as lions and tigers, or other dangerous animals such as hyenas, bears, coyotes, jackals, orangutans, gorillas, elephants, rhinoceroses, hippos or Nile

Commissioners raised concerns about what would happen if any of the animals escaped. Pct. 1 Commissioner Jason Mc-Broom said the Sheriff’s Office should be involved in the discussion. When McBroom raised the possibility of deputies responding to an animal escape from the property, Schomberg said “shoot it.”

Pct. 3 Commissioner Harvey Berckenhoff said he was particularly opposed to the park keeping monkeys. Schomberg agreed to strike monkeys from the list along with some of the larger feline species.

Commissioners took no action on Schomberg’s request, but they agreed to consider it further and possibly take action at a future meeting.