Wild $7.9 Million Florida Ranch Comes Complete With Array of Exotic Animals—From Zebras to Bison

Animal lovers eager to experience a real-life safari need not venture to Africa for the privilege. Instead, they could simply head to the Sunshine State, where a $7.9 million ranch has recently come on the market, complete with a menagerie of exotic animals.

In addition to the ranch, which is located in Crescent City, FL, the home’s new owner will acquire a zebra, multiple bison, a herd of gazelles, and more than 500 deer, among other creatures that dwell on the property.

A “meticulously curated and fully licensed wildlife preserve,” the property is available not only as a family home but also as a business opportunity as a sportsman’s retreat, according to the Realtor.com® listing.

The estate offers an exceptional experience for hunters, boasting elevated box stands for shooting, shed feeders, an archery practice facility, a 10-station pheasant tower shooting area, and several shooting ranges.

With all those amenities comes great responsibility, specifically care of the resident wildlife.

The owners “really take care of the animals. They’re beautiful. They feed them regularly with a high-quality and high-caliber food, high protein,” says Robert Buckmaster, who is co-listing the 469-acre ranch along with Adam Lanteigne and Eric Maimo. All are with Coldwell Banker Commercial Premier Properties.

Anchoring the massive property is a 5,200-square-foot lodge with five bedrooms, a commercial-style kitchen, and plenty of living space. It was completed in 2010 and overlooks a 5-acre stocked lake.

“It’s well-maintained, and when you’re there, you feel nice and peaceful and quiet, just being able to look around in any given direction and see animals that aren’t afraid of the environment they’re in,” Buckmaster says.

The sellers have had the ranch for 25 years and have added the animals over time. The property is fenced, allowing the animals to roam freely.

“When he sees something that looks like it’d be an interesting fit for his property, he has gone out and purchased them,” Buckmaster explains. “Obviously, a zebra, you’re not going to find them wandering down the street. So, he found one and said that’d be a good fit and brought it in.”

“The zebra has been fairly close to the lodge when we’ve been out there. The bison seem to be all over, wandering. The deer and the gazelles have these big fields, and they like to hang out there,” he says. “The bucks usually like to stay hidden in the trees, so you have to ride around and take a close look, and they’ll just be looking at you.”

The property has been a passion project for the owners, but it’s time for them to pass the baton to a new owner, Buckmaster says. He’s marketing the 469-acre parcel to the corporate world to use as a venue for retreats.

“We are trying to push it as being a sportsman’s retreat. We would like to see corporate America bring their management team down there for a corporate retreat,” he says.

All of the animals and the license to have them are included in the sale.

Taking care of the animals shouldn’t be a huge hurdle, Buckmaster says. “If somebody came out there and they just taught [the buyer] how to feed them, the right person could handle that. They don’t have to be a veterinarian or something like that.”