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You know you're in Texas when parking your vehicle requires navigating two Texas Longhorns and a pair of Belgian draft horses, the petlike behavior of which more closely resembles a litter of puppies than typical ranch fare.
Upon exiting the car, the smell of clean, country air and wide-open spaces provides further indication of the precise location. The surroundings must mean only one thing - you're at the landfill.
Surprised? The neighborhood-friendly, 341-acre landfill, situated on a 927-acre site just southeast of Austin, is full of surprises.
From its inauspicious beginnings as a one-man trash collection operation 25 years ago to one of the country's largest independent solid waste collection and disposal companies, Texas Disposal Systems Inc. might be the only landfill to receive about 7,000 tourists a year.
Not all of the tourists head to the Creedmoor site specifically to see the landfill. Other attractions include an on-site conference center and more than 1,600 native and exotic animals, representing 30 different species, the newest member of the family being a baby zebra born in late March.
Most of the animals aren't indigenous to Texas or even North America, and include several varieties of deer, bison, wildebeest and the highly endangered addax.
Bob Gregory, principal owner and CEO of Texas Disposal Systems, offers use of the company's Exotic Game Ranch and Pavilion to selected groups on an invitation-only basis. Often, groups are outdoor-oriented organizations, law enforcement or young nonprofits in the early phases of fundraising.
"It's a fun deal ... and a way to give back to the community," says Gregory, who received his bachelor's degree in business from the University of Texas in 1974.
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