There is a lot to see at the AEC - exotic animals at local 'zoo' now open to public

  • Published
  • By Kate Blais
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Diane Frieling and her husband took a big chance. Giving up their careers in the garment and banking industries, they began taking in dogs and cats, which eventually expanded to llamas and pigs.

They never looked back.

Their change of careers has grown into more than 150 animals and 40 acres.

At the end of a dirt road surrounded by windmills in the hills approaching Tehachapi lives an international family of animals ready to meet the Antelope Valley. The Animal Education Center at Windswept Ranch on Tehachapi Willow Springs Road, about 45 minutes from Edwards' west gate, is home to 158 diverse animals, ranging from zebras and camels, to a buffalo and an emu.

"I think I must be famously stupid," said Ms. Frieling, president of the AEC and head animal keeper. "People call me from all over to take in their animals, but I have the best job in the world."

Open for seven years in the same location, the AEC has picked this year as a "test year" to open its pens to the public, said Ms. Frieling.

Windswept Ranch sits on 40 acres of land with a never-ending panoramic view of the Antelope Valley and Tehachapi Mountains all the way out to Wrightwood.

Although some animals have been purchased from breeders, most animals at the ranch are rescues.

Animals like Valentine the buffalo, Murray the camel, Emma the emu and Zack the zebra offer a first-hand opportunity for an educational experience.

"If you look at animals and where they come from and how they're engineered, it's just remarkable," said Ms. Frieling.

For example, Ms. Frieling explained the antler cycle of her reindeer, as demonstrated each year by the herd of 11 at the ranch, and why camels don thicker patches of skin where their bodies meet the ground when they sit.

Her ultimate goal for the center is to establish regular educational tours and acquire docents to stand by each set of animals to provide information, tell stories and answer questions.

Ms. Frieling said that the AEC has written a program that "meets the third grade life science requirement for the state," and has just started hosting school groups.

In addition to educational and public tours at Windswept Ranch, Ms. Frieling and her husband travel with an animal petting zoo - comprised mostly of farm animals - to fairs and festivals.

"I think there's something for everybody here," said Ms. Frieling. "For the kids I think it's a confidence builder going into the petting zoo. I think exposure to new things is always good. You can see the kids change from the time they start to the time they finish. It's such an accomplishment for them and it's fun to watch."

The Animal Education Center at Windswept Ranch is open to the public every Saturday March through October from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For admission fee questions or more information on the AEC please call 661-809-6029.