About the Ranch
Nestled beautifully in the Black Hills located on South Dakota's Highway 14A in Boulder Canyon about 1.5 miles east of Deadwood or 9 miles west of I-90 exit 30 at Sturgis, is the Roo Ranch, a live exhibit* of kangaroos, wallaroos and wallabies and other exotic animals on a 13 acre ranch. Open May through September, the ranch offers guests the opportunities to learn about and interact with these amazing creatures.
While the ranch was not officially established until 2006, its concept began after the Bell family took a trip to Australia ten years earlier and was fascinated by the individual personalities of these animals. The Bells took their fascination a step further when they welcomed Hoops, a Bennetts Wallaby, into their family in the fall of 2001. Hoops was later joined by Angel, another wallaby, in the spring of 2002 and JR, a wallaroo, in the summer of 2003. The Bells lovingly shared their exotic pets—which they considered to be a part of their own family—with their friends. By 2006, they had acquired nearly 30 kangaroos, wallaroos and wallabies and decided to open the ranch to the public. The Roo Ranch was officially established.
Today the Roo Ranch employs 15 people to care for its 60 kangaroos and other exotic animals during its tourism season. The ranch is home to six different species, including the Common Wallaroo, the Eastern and Western Grey Kangaroos, the Red Kangaroo, the Swamp Wallaby and the Bennetts Wallaby, including four rare Albino Bennett Wallabies. During the day, visitors can interact with the animals in the interaction pens, view the joeys in the nursery and even hold a joey for a picture in one of the two photography studios. In the off-season, the ranch is open for private group tours.
Apart from the pens and nursery, the Ranch also has large barns that are air conditioned and heated for the animals. The Roo Ranch continues to expand, and plans are underway to add another 2,500 square feet of indoor exhibits which will include an area for birds, dingoes, possums and educational exhibits, allowing the Roo Ranch to bring even more of the Land Down Under’s wildlife treasures to the rough and beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota.
The Bell Family
The Roo Ranch is owned by Kevin and Roxy Bell, along with their two children Zac and Samantha. The Bells made their home in Hanna, Wyoming until moving to their ranch east of Deadwood, SD. Both Zac and Samantha have attended Black Hills State University and reside in the area to continue assisting with the every day tasks of running the ranch with their parents.
*The Roo Ranch has permission to exhibit their animals under its USDA Class “C” License.