Nature & Wildlife

Nature and wildlife enthusiasts get ready, Pharr has just the sites for you, come experience some of the finest bird watching known to the human eye and experience nature preserved at the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge.

Nature Preserved at Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge
With over 95 percent of the original habitat in the lower Rio Grande delta cleared or altered, Santa Ana is a reminder of the semitropical thorn forest that once dominated the area.

Along the banks of the Rio Grande is the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, is just minutes away from Pharr. The refuge is a 2,088 acre refuge established in 1943 for the protection of migratory birds.

Considered the “jewel” of the refuge system, this essential ‘island’ of thorn forest habitat is host or home to nearly 400 different types of birds and a myriad of other species, including the indigo snake, malachite butterfly and the endangered ocelot and jaguarondi. Enjoy a tram tour excursion- Phone: (956)784-7500