The 820-acre property sits about 20 minutes from Athens, south of U.S. 175.
ATHENS, Texas — It’s where the buffalo roam.
And zebras, too.
A $16.4 million Texas ranch that features a range of exotic animals has been sold about an hour and a half southeast of Dallas.
Icon Global, the Dallas-based brokerage that deals in the sales of high-priced ranch real estate, announced the sale of the Karns Ranch on Tuesday.
The final price was not disclosed, but Icon CEO Bernard Uechtritz said the property sold for “well above appraised value.”
The 820-acre property sits about 20 minutes from Athens, south of U.S. 175. The ranch, which includes a home and space for two more potential homesites, was billed by Icon as a “diverse fishing and recreational property” in a “peaceful East Texas highway.”
The ranch, which dates back to the 1800s, features several fishing lakes, including a 40-acre lake with 28 feet of depth and a 28-acre lake with 22 feet of depth. There’s also trails for horse riding and ATVs, and a log cabin that dates back to the early 1900s. The previous owner, Mike Karns, had the cabin restored.
And then there’s the unique aspect of the exotic animals and wildlife, including zebras, buffaloes, and axis deer, all of which are contained within high fencing.
“I love being able to get in the car after a stressful week and just drive out to the ranch and be able to decompress, to be able to see all the wonderful animals out there,” Karns told Icon in a video on the listing. “The zebra and the buffalo and the axis deer … it’s just a wonderful getaway.”
