DADE CITY, Fla. — Know a giraffe lover? Heads up!

The safaris at the Giraffe Ranch in Dade City could make you a hero.

What You Need To Know

  • Giraffe Ranch gives guests the opportunity to get close to meerkats, zebras, ostriches, deer and antelope as well as giraffes

  • The working ranch and preserve is in Dade City

  • The "safari" stops give guests a chance to learn about the animals, and in some cases, feed them

  • More Florida on a Tankful adventures

The working ranch and preserve boasts animals from around the world.

The menagerie “meet and greet” begins the moment you arrive with otters who vocalize and poke their hands out of their enclosure.

Guests fall in love.

“They want to feed them. They sign up for a feeding,” said guide Chris Landry.

Each stop on the safari is a learning opportunity.

And guide Landry has all the intel.

“We have zebras, ostriches, deer, antelope,” he said.

Landry started at the ranch as an intern.

Eight years later, he’s the manager.

“I always want to go into the animal field. I didn’t think I was going to get this close,” he said.

“This close” is a giraffe lowering its neck and ducking into the safari truck to nuzzle while scanning the truck for leaves.

Landry introduces us to his animal pal — the giraffes Kai and his roommate Everdale.

And around the corner is Phil the giraffe and his family.

“So Phil has one daughter so far. She’s about a year-and-a-half,” said Landry. “Georgetta is his mate- she’s due to give birth any day. Now the baby is going to be about 6 feet tall and weigh about 150 pounds.”

Georgetta will be pregnant for more than a year.

That’s different from the nearby meerkats — it’s 11 weeks for them.

Plus, only the dominant female gets to have babies.

The group, called a mob, is matriarchal.

Feeding the animals inside their enclosure is one of the animal experiences offered at the ranch.

The food was red grapes.

Landry explains how to make sure the animals stay comfortable. (You let them come to you. You don’t reach out and grab or try to pick anyone up. You try to remain low key and gentle. You don’t jump around.)

They are gentle and come to you. They know you have the grapes. They are very orderly.

Seeing all this, one could understand why Landry has remained at the ranch for so long.

“Well, it’s different every day. You have animals giving birth. Animals growing,” said Landry.

It’s life unfolding — but better because it’s with animals.