Exotic in East Texas
Veterinarinary clinic more than medical facility; it's home to over 100 exotic animals

By KRISTY HEMMINGSEN | East Texas Edition

Don Osborne, with help from his veterinarian wife and a few employees, is the primary caregiver of the animals at the clinic's farm. -Staff photo by Hemmingsen

January 31, 2002 -- "Exotic" is a significant word in the lives of Dr. Cathy Cranmore and her husband Don Osborne.

While Cranmore spends a lot of her time as a veterinarian licensed to treat small and exotic animals, Osborne manages their approximately 30-acre farm overrun with exotic-type species. The animals at the farm are rarely seen, except for in the wild or at a zoo.

The couple's farm and Cranmore's Tri-Lakes Veterinary Clinic is located deep in the Piney Woods, and on the border of Franklin and Titus counties, near Mount Vernon and Lake Cypress Springs.

Cranmore has treated a variety of exotic and unusual pets for many years. Patients have included local parrots, hamsters, lizards, ferrets, "bunny" rabbits, crows, ducks from area lakes, snakes, almost any other rare pet, and cats and dogs are no exception.

The lady vet also offers her facility as a boarding house for area pet owners. Boarders have included the "ordinary" dogs and cats, but also animals such as bears and monkeys.

Cranmore summarized her veterinary career by saying: "I don't go to work, I go to play."

She said she wanted to be a veterinarian for as long as she can remember. "I think my first word was 'vet,'" she amusingly replied.

She said she knew early on that to ever become a veterinarian, she must always maintain good grades in school, which she did. After high school, she earned her degree and certification from Oklahoma State University.

One of Cranmore's latest and more exciting patients was an apparently injured or sick American Bald Eagle. The eagle had been rescued near Lake O' the Pines by Texas Parks and Wildlife game wardens. The great bird was later brought to Cranmore because of her rare knowledge in treating exotic animals and/or wildlife.

Dr. Cathy Cranmore cradles one of the clinic's residents, a young kangaroo. -Staff photo by Hemmingsen

"I had never touched one of these (bald eagle) before," she explained.

After being treated by Cranmore for a lung infection, the eagle was transported to a rehabilitation center in San Antonio.

Treatment of animal patients is only half of what goes on around Tri-Lakes Veterinarian Clinic.

When Cranmore first met Osborne (at an exotic animal auction), she had already been practicing veterinarian medicine for several years at a clinic in El Reno, Okla. And Osborne had been interested and involved with exotic animals for some time. The two married and have now been wed for 10 years.

Just visiting the couple's "farm" is a treat in itself. Within view, a passer-by can observe everything from camels to zebras to kangaroos.

Other than just simply having a love for and interest in the animals, Osborne said his purpose is to stock, breed, sell, as well as conserve, wildlife. "Unless the animal is endangered, you do not have to have a license to raise exotic animals.

"It takes a lot of money to get something like this (the farm) started," he continued. "But if managed properly, the return is more than enough."

Osborne said there have been numerous times that exotic animals raised on the East Texas farm have been legally transported all over the nation. Destinations have included the San Diego and Tyler zoos, as well as petting zoos and private individuals. Depending on the animal and situation, Osborne either donates or sells the animals.

Osborne said, "We've shipped a lot of Coatimundis (a member of the raccoon family native to South America, Central America, and the Southwestern United States.) There are three different species of these on the farm, and Osborne and Cranmore are considered the largest breeder of Coatimundis within the United States.

These animals are often described as a cross between a fox and a raccoon in appearance. Males can get to 16 pounds, and females grow to about nine pounds on average, about the size of a large housecat. And in Texas, they are considered an endangered species.

Osborne said they could be excellent pets, but people should not expect them to be like cats and dogs.

"They are very active, and must be supervised," he explained. "If not, they need to be caged, or they could trash your home due to their curiosity and mischievousness."

The number of animals housed on the farm vary from time to time. Presently there are 18 zebra mares and four stud zebras; a breeder pair of camels, and two baby camels (one male, one female); five elk bulls; and three bison.

Some of the other animals include: kangaroos, three different types of antelopes, fallow deer, llamas, emus, miniature horses and donkeys, Fennec foxes ("The Desert Fox," which is the smallest species of fox and native to the Sahara desert in Africa), and one male and three female endangered Lowland Tapirs (one of only four species of tapir that inhabit the planet today, all are endangered.) The Lowland comes from South America and is often called the Brazilian Tapir. An adult may weigh 400 to 500 pounds. They are the largest species of rodent.

The farm is also home to several endangered Ring-Tailed Lemurs. These primates are native to Madagascar and they weigh about six to eight pounds and have a two-foot long tail.

Osborne said between maintaining the facility with it's numerous lots, cages, and pens, and making sure all animals are treated as they must be, the upkeep of the farm is quite demanding. Osborne also makes sure the animals are specially fed according to their diet demands. Besides help from Cranmore, there are also a few very needed and helpful employees at the facility.

But, despite all the cost, time, and hard work involved, Osborne and Cranmore are very proud of their businesses and say they wouldn't consider doing anything else.