Most people who pass through Ohio farmland expect to see cattle, pigs, horses - maybe a few goats or even a few alpacas. But tucked in the middle of cornfields and many local furniture stores, Rolling Ridge Ranch offers visitors a chance to see much more than typical rural livestock.

Orin Mast's Rolling Ridge Ranch now houses nearly 600 animals, exotic and domestic alike that visitors are allowed to view up close as well as feed many of them.

Mast said he adds a new kind of animal to the 80-acre ranch every year. Recently, the ranch added African addax to its already diverse assortment of animals: camels, ostrich, bison, zebras, macaws, spider monkeys, ducks, and elk just mention a few.

"I think adding a flock of flamingoes would be intriguing," Mast said. "...that's nearly impossible, but you never know."

Although some of the exotic animals are outside their natural habitat, Mast said that most of them are allowed to generally roam free. Also, animals on the property are largely left to reproduce on their own, with the staff interfering to switch the males in order to avoid inbreeding.

"Right now, as far as babies go, there are lots of them out there," Mast said.

With the spring babies maturing, Mast noted how visitors have the unique opportunity to witness the different cycles of growth spanning the early spring when the animals are first shedding their winter coats, through the early summer when the babies are born, and into the fall when some of the animals are either getting ready to hibernate or mate.

"You cannot do that at a zoo," he said. "We don't have any tigers, lions, or bears, but we have a lot of things that you're not going to see anywhere else."

One of these rare animals includes the four-horned sheep, also known as Jacob sheep, whose primitive species originates near Egypt.

Mast said he may have a favorite animal from time to time (like the Brahma bull or the mammoth donkey), but his favorite part about running the ranch comes from seeing his customers satisfied and knowing their smiles prove they are enjoying themselves.

Mast recalled playing at home with exotic animals, which he said was the beginning of the ranch that opened in 1996 when his father was working with 200 animals. Now Mast and his brother Ruben run the business with 15 to 20 part-time employees.

"You don't have to walk around all day long here like you do at a zoo either," he said.

Before visitors hop onto the covered wagon ride or into their own cars for a tour around the area, they can pick up ducklings and bunnies or visit the severe macaw that literally demands to be released from his cage.

"The birds aren't always in the mood to talk, but if you go around the back of the pavilion you might be able go get them going," he said.

The facility also houses a gift shop and picnic pavilion. For more information about Rolling Ridge Ranch, visit www.visitrollingridge.com.