Cango Wildlife Ranch

{{Short description|Wildlife ranch in Oudtshoorn, South Africa}}

{{Infobox ancient site

| name = Cango Wildlife Ranch

| native_name =

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| image =Crocodile-cage-diving2 1822.jpg

| alt = Crocodile cage diving at Cango

| caption = Crocodile cage diving at Cango

| image_size = 240

| map_type =South Africa

| map_alt = Cango Wildlife Ranch

| map_caption = location in South Africa

| map_size = 240

| relief = yes

| coordinates = {{coord|33|33|58.3|S|22|12|51.0|E|display=inline,title}}

| location = Baron van Reede Street outside Oudtshoorn (on road to Cango Caves)

| region = Western Cape

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| website = https://www.cango.co.za/

| notes =

}}

The Cango Wildlife Ranch is a wildlife ranch, situated {{convert|3|km}} north of the town of Oudtshoorn in South Africa.

It was established as a crocodile ranch in 1976 by Andrew and Glenn Eriksen, who opened it as a crocodile show farm to the public the following year, the first to be established in South Africa.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NkZ1EAAAQBAJ&dq=Cango+Wildlife+Ranch&pg=PT400|title=Zoo and Aquarium History: Ancient Animal Collections to Conservation Centers|isbn=9781000585384|year=2002|publisher=CRC Press|author=Vernon N. Kisling|page=400}} Over 400 crocodiles and alligators are bred at the ranch,{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YQ9bDwAAQBAJ&dq=Cango+Wildlife+Ranch&pg=PT309|title=Seven Days in Cape Town|publisher=Penguin Random House South Africa|date=2015|author=Sean Fraser|isbn=9781920545604|page=309}} and while crocodiles are still bred there,{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ua2cAQAAQBAJ&dq=Cango+Wildlife+Ranch&pg=PA377|title=Zoo Animals - Behaviour, Management, and Welfare|author=Geoff Hosey, Vicky Melfi, Sheila Pankhurst|year= 2013|page=377|publisher=OUP Oxford |isbn=978-0-19-969352-8 }} and has also become a general zoo and breeding centre for other animals, which Pat Hopkins has referred to as "arguably the most exotic petting zoo in Africa".{{cite book|author=Hopkins, Pat|title=South Africa By Road: A Regional Guide|isbn=9781920545628|year= 2012|publisher=Penguin Random House South Africa}}

Cango Wildlife Ranch is now reportedly a world-class breeding centre for cheetah, and is home to the Cheetah Preservation Foundation, which was established in 1988.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AogMBAAAQBAJ&dq=Cango+Wildlife+Ranch&pg=PA26|title=How Can We Save the Cheetah? |author= Phillip W. Simpson|date=17 July 2014 |isbn=9781406283525|publisher=Raintree|page=26}} The ranch has also bred aardwolf, African wild dog and pygmy hippo.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nJ-cDwAAQBAJ&dq=Cango+Wildlife+Ranch&pg=PT427|title=Insight Guides| isbn=9781786714961|year=2018|publisher=Apa Publications|page=427}}