A couple of years ago, I attended a lecture by a world-renowned photographer. During the lecture, I jotted down a note about a possible future photography location--the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center outside of Fort Worth, Texas. The photographer recommended this location. He said it was the next best thing to an African safari. I envisioned capturing images from my car of animals running free in this massive wildlife center.

I decided to make the most of my visit to the Wildlife Center. I rented a Safari Camp Tent. By staying inside the park at the Foothill's Safari Camp I would have access to the site before it opened to the general public and during the best morning light. I also allocated time for the "Scenic Drive" and purchased a special camera support bean bag for the car window.

Since Fossil Rim was a late addition to my Texas trip, I left Miami, Oklahoma at 5am in order to arrive at the Center in time for some afternoon shooting. The sun sets very early in January.

The first thing I did was drive the Scenic Drive. The narrow road runs through open Texas land for about nine miles. It was a promising start as my car was the only one on the road initially. I saw a herd of antelope in what looked a lot like an African landscape. But, I wasn't able to frame any photographs of the antelopes as the road didn't provide a good perspective and visitors are not allowed to leave their vehicle.

To my dismay, about a half mile into the drive I noticed a long line of cars stopped on the road. Most of the visitors purchased "feed bags" and were feeding the animals. Of course, these "wild" animals have become accustomed to being fed from the cars. So, they are constantly approaching the cars. I didn't purchase food, yet I had several animals approach my car and lick the windows. I guess it's great fun for the kids, but not so much for photographers hoping to capture natural images of the wildlife. I found the whole thing sickening as these animals seemed reduced to begging for food purely for the entertainment of the visitors. But, I knew the facility had some animals that must be truly wild--lions, tigers and rhinoceroses. So, I was still looking forward to what was ahead.

It would end up being a very long wait before I saw a tiger! The people with the feed bags think nothing of parking on the road and feeding the animals for up to 20 minutes while a line of 30-50 cars just sit there in frustration behind them. I was particularly frustrated because I had already driven over 400 miles to get to the park before starting the Scenic Drive. Most of the Scenic Drive involved sitting in my parked car waiting for people to finish feeding the animals. It took over three hours for me to drive the nine miles!

About six or seven miles into the drive, I entered the section where the lions and tigers are housed. At this point I wasn't surprised to find them housed in cages behind cyclone fencing. Despite the fact that these animals are secured in cages, I was restricted to remain inside the car for "my own safety". I had no chance of getting any pictures of these animals through the fencing. The Brookfield Zoo offers a far better experience for a photographer as well as better exhibit space for the big cats!

Needless to say, my experience at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center was disappointing. Basically, it's an expensive traffic jam!