Reviews of Dade City's Wild Things (Zoo)

Randy Talaski

It would be great if you have low expectations! Definitely not worth $77 for a family of four! You will ride on an old tram with blistering tires, and inhale exhaust fumes from the Jeep pulling you on a tour that will pass a dozen pens or cages in hope to view to few animals they have. Because you are on the tram and they have vegetation growing in the front of the cages and pens, it was difficult to view the animals. For additional money you can pay to feed their animals and get your picture taken. Please understand they do not allow you to take any pictures from your personal camera once you start the tour, which is where you see all the animals.

Alexa Charriez

the animals are very well taken care of but the green areas need a bit of maintenance. Some plants block the view of animals. there are also unusable cars in some areas or objects around that have no relation with the zoo. All employees are very helpful and friendly. It has lot of potential. Loved the little waiting area. It has games to play with the family.

Chazz S

One of the only places in the United States where you can swim with otters! Such a great time! John the photographer/tour guide and Megan the animal handler were both great! I definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to see a large variety of animals or wanting an encounter with some amazing animals!

T Mitchell

Enjoyed everything! What a great way for my kids to get up close to so many animals. Everyone enjoyed the day and we will be back.

Angela Calder

The best part of the trip was the short time with Noah (the baby tiger).

Ashley Shepherd

I always look for different things my daughter and I can do during the weekend. This place is about 45 minutes from our home in Tampa. So I decided to drive up after browsing their website. I arrived in between tours so the gate was closed and I call the number listed. The lady answered the phone and gave us the next tour times she was pleasant. It’s a really small town so during my wait down the street. I googled Wild Things and saw all the reviews I became extremely hesitant because some of the reviews were so negative. We still went and I’m happy that we did this place isn’t anything what the reviews have listed at least not for my experience. Not sure what the politics maybe behind the scenes. But the staff was professional the animals seemed healthy and were very interactive. The tour guide took his time and explained certain things when I had questions for my daughter. We stayed after the tour we purchased an encounter the young ladies took their time asssiting my daughter on how to properly hold the animal and answered all our questions. The only minus for me was the no picture policy but we respected that policy and they have an option to buy into a picture package. During your experience there they take live action shots. I wish we had the option to preview the pictures and possibly pick a couple to print on site. But within the package if u purchase they upload the pictures onto a website link I believe and the lady at the desk explained the timeframe and she was upfront and said it could take a couple of extra days. Overall we enjoyed ourselves sad people have to be so negative within these comments.

Danielle Jones

Came for my birthday, did all of the encounters and had the best time!! Everyone is so knowledgeable and friendly. Thank you for such a great experience!

Anthony Fresolone

Outstanding collection, had a great time playing with everyone. The animals are well cared for, there was no dirty enclosures all had water no distress. Outstanding job. Highly recommended. Owners are very kind and exceptional people. We will be revisiting this place again

Barry Ziegler Jr

Beautiful facility and wonderful people. Dont be fooled by fake comments from animal rights fanatics whos only agenda is to see animals released to the fairy tale wild. Reality is there is little wild remaining. Support the people caring for these animals not the ones that are clearly keyboard animal experts.

Mike Kramer

Owned by heartless and careless animal abusers who's only motive is to make a cheap buck in the expense of animals. If you care about animals or want to show your kids the proper way to keep any animal in a clean, open space sanctuary; avoid this place! No child deserves to see an abused lion or tiger.

Marnie Luckett

This was one of the best experiences I have had. Seeing these amazing animals up so close and being able to hold a tiger is a once in a lifetime opportunity!

Eric and Lyn Moore

Over Spring Break, I wanted to do something out of the ordinary for my children. We love animals and a sloth encounter has been on our bucket list for quite a while. I was really worried about the reviews I read, prior to purchasing the tickets. So some of this review will be based on our experience plus what I thought of others’ reviews since visiting myself. This was not a cheap adventure for a mom and her 3 kids; however, it was totally worth it. The staff was friendly - every single person we encountered was great. José was especially friendly and knowledgeable during the animal encounters. He was great with my children, too! We started with a tour of the zoo, which included viewing all of the animals from the tram and stopping to feed a few. The grounds were nice, and they were working on clearing some trees out at the time as well. There were some run down farming machines and such, placed in random areas, but it actually made the area to me. It’s a family-run business, and it has a small-town, intimate feel to it, which i enjoyed. The bushes in front of multiple animal enclosures could’ve been trimmed back enough to really see the animals better, but it was still enough to see the ones not hiding. At the end, we did our animal encounters and started with Louie the Sloth. He was SO amazing! Great experience! My kids also had an experience with the fennec fox (Dixie), the lemur, and a 4 ft gator. My only complaints would be the bushes, and also when it comes to the animal encounters at the end being a bit long of a wait. Because most people were in groups of 2, they saw the animals and left. Because we had 4, we had to wait in between each animal so it could get put back and another brought out. We waited 10mins for one and 20 for another. They do warn you that there could be a wait if the animal isn’t up for company at that time, but again, it’s my only complaint really and it wasn’t a huge deal. Another complaint I read prior to buying my tickets was the concern for the animals being in cages and/or enclosures that were too small. I didn’t see anything inappropriate. The one thing that could’ve struck people the wrong way could’ve been the senior cats. I believe they were tigers and basically on hospice. There were 2 of them in a smaller enclosure but it was connected to another via a small door on the bottom. You’d have to really look for it from the tram. Plus the tour guide said they were under medical care and sleep 20 hours a day. The enclosure was perfectly acceptable, as were the others. All-in-all it was a good time and my kids enjoyed themselves. Would I go again? Definitely!

Ric Denn

The tram ride wasn't great only because the jeep's exhaust was sickening. Several other people were getting nauseous as well. That being said this is a very small zoo on a private home site by the owners. The up close interaction with the baby lion and tiger was beyond amazing. I recommend this experience for anyone who loves animals and wants to hug them.

Charles Phillips

It was nice but the tour was suppose to start at 3 and they first let people that paid extra hold and interact with them. They charge 50 to hold some of the animals most of those when they brought them out they did not hold they interact with them but the 20 animals like the babby monkey i paid for i got to hold her had a good time and the sloth you get to hold to me prices for certain things are a bit overpriced but tge money does go towaerd the animals overall they were nice and i paid for the monkey and tour and i was

Madhur Patel

I booked a tiger swim with them on June 27th to do the swim on August 4th. On August 3rd, I got a phone call from the zoo saying the tiger outgrew the weight and we can either do a otter and bear swim, reschedule until they get another baby tiger, or refund out money. I was highly disappointed of the fact that they didn't call me until the day before. Once I asked them for the refund, they said the manager won't be in until next week and they would get in contact with me. I call on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and still didn't hear anything back. I spoke to a 'Charles' at the location on Wednesday and when I called again on Thursday, I was told there is no 'Charles' that works there. I asked when the manager would be in again and was told tomorrow and once I asked if I can speak with Kathy, who is the manager, I was told she wouldn't be in for the time being as she is in the hospital and no one else can process a refund. I find it highly unprofessional that I cannot get a straightforward answer and each time I call I get a different story or the story is changed and twisted while on the phone. I am now going through a dispute through my credit card company in order to get back my $750 charge. I highly encourage no one to go there and get their money stolen.

Karen Wilber

I visit all the time. I love it here... the animals are well cared for and the staff is excellent.

Ashley Chrisman

I have never been but I really, really want to go! It provides a unique experience to swim and play with baby tigers!!!! Doesn't get much more awesome than that. My birthday and my son's birthday are coming up and it would be so awesome to be able to afford to do this together as a birthday gift! I WILL go! The pictures they are always posting always look like so much fun!

kristen depinto

We had the most amazing time. They were able to accommodate us and our 3 kids. We all felt as if we were the only ones there. The staff was funny, smart and very informative and generous to us with their time, answering many questions. We noticed they are in the process of expanding and none of this is cheap. They are a not for profit zoo and I think everyone (especially complainers) should start donating money to help and be grateful for a unique experience that we will never forget! And for 25.00 who cares of your pictures are crooked?!

Katie Garner

This place is disgusting and needs to be shut down. Don’t listen to the good reviews-they are clearly fake. Please do not spend $1 at this place—they abuse their animals!!!

Travis Ladd

Wow some harsh critics on here!!!! This is not Disney or Epcot they have some issues and maybe it’s not the smoothest experience setting up and appointment and getting there. However, once i got passed all of that and made it there with my girlfriend we both had an awesome time. I felt they take good care of the animals and actually bond with them. I say this because the animals displayed that when the specific people were near them. As a guest you get the opportunity to get closer to some of these animals than any state zoo. The encounters options they offer is amazing as well. I highly recommend this place. I have not been paid for my review this is my own personal review.

Samantha Jara

If you care about animals at all do not go here. These animals needs people that actually care. Stop this place. They also steal your money

Phil’s Auto Repair

Beautiful family owned zoo, knowledgeable staff and great interactions with the animals. Well kept and abundant facilities for the animals with farther expansions coming soon. Truely a caring group of people who want to share the experience with every visitor. From swimming with the otters to feeding a tiger or bear, there are plenty of activities for the whole family.

Kourtney Williams

I have had the dream to hold a baby tiger for forever and it finally happened! Nothing can compare to this wonderful experience. All the negative reviews make me sad because the caretakers really do care about the animals and treat them well. The animals positively respond to their caretaker. I enjoyed every minute of my experience here! I wish I lived closer because I would come all the time! Love. Love. Love. This place!

Chloe Duncan

They received are money very unprofessional we requested a refund was not allowed refund or to go on tour. I had to call police in order to handle situation which I was was then Barned and told o was trespassing. In order to handle this I have to go to civil court. All the worse since I'm visiting from Illinois

Isis Perdomo

I honestly don't feel bad for those of you who are complaining about getting ripped off. That's what happens when you give your money to awful places like this. Wanna look at an animal up close? Turn on the tv or computer... there's plenty of pictures to look at. Or go on one of those tours in Africa where they put YOU in a cage while you visit the animals. This is just pure animal abuse. A sanctuary is supposed to be a peaceful place for these animals, not a petting zoo for ignorant humans.

Shreida Ann marie

They treated the animals nice, and all the enclosures were clean. I loved meeting the lion cubs and 4 other of their cute animals. Although, they really should get rid of all the broken down lawn ornaments and broken down trucks. It made it look like a garbage pit. Other than that everyone was very knowledgeable and you can tell that they love the animals

Natalie Mierek

Cruelty to the animals behind the scenes and in public. Check out the PETA video. Video does not lie so stop making excuses, Dade city's wild things.

Michelle Trombly

The information we read lead us to believe this was a safari type park/ride. Animals in their natural habitat setting. They were almost all in cages, and still we were not allowed to get off the tram and get a closer look. No pictures were allowed to be taken. You could pay an additional minimum of $20 per animal and have them, take photos, that they would email you, to print yourself within 48 hours. On an up note. Our guide for our ride was very friendly and helpful. He made what there was of the experience pleasant.

Tanya Fiset

I'm kinda torn in the middle.... I loved the place and the animals BUT no cameras are allowed inside . You need to pay extra for their photographer to take pics. And let me say their photographer sucks. I cant even use most of my pictures because my hair is in my face the whole time because of the angle. I would have appreciated if she would have told me. I paid the photographer for basically 3 useable pictures. PlUS the private encounters and not private. You are with a small group and the time divided is not fair at all. ****THEY REPLIED!!!**** my reply to their reply..... If that's the case then dont charge us a arm and a leg for the photographer that's clearly NOT a photographer. Dont try to feed me bull**** and tell me its filet mignon. During the tour we are in far from the animals at all times it wouldn't change anything if we took pics. Your reply just made me give you a lower rating. I'm never going back there again and I do not recommend anyone to go

Richard Huggins

These people are doing something no one else is. They are doing the best with what they have and we had a great time. Animals seemed happy and well fed. Staff were great

Brianna Garcia

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY. Female owner is rude, angry, and vulgar. They are profiting off lion cubs only days old and unapologetic about their unethical and cruel ways. If you want exotic animals, don't buy from someone who couldn't care less about the well being of animals and sees them all as product as opposed to living beings. Absolutely vile woman. Disgusting shop.

Jan Greene

Friendly,welcoming n so many amazing things to see n all the staff r so knoledgeable about everything n u can tell the staff love all the animals our guide was the best of the best,when he called the animals name they came running out n he talked to them all like they were his kids,will go back n take family n friends,my great grandson was with me n he is still excited about our visit nothing like I have ever seen before,lovely place well keep n taken great care of the staff is proud of there place n it shows,just go n find out for urself u will be glad u took the trip to Wild things zoo

Aimee Carlson

We went to Dade City’s Wild Things as part of an annual girls’ trip. We had an amazing time. Our group can be silly and Megan and Sierra laughed right along with us. The otters were adorable and playful and Sierra took A TON of fantastic pictures to document our experience for us. I’ve had the opportunity to participate in many animal experiences and this was, by far, my favorite. Megan was so knowledgeable and gave us lots of information about the animals while we were in the water and patiently answered all of our questions. They even let us take a picture in front of Harley, their cute little tiger, even though we were there for the otters. They clearly care deeply about their animals and the otters adored them which tells me they are treated well. When the otters were tired, they took them out and back to their enclosure and I love that the animals’ needs come first. Money very well spent and we are already planning our next visit.

Angie Hayden

Loved our visit! We did the animal experience with the tiger cub, otter, fox and anteater and every animal was happy and healthy. The handlers clearly care for the animals, and the animals seemed bonded to them as well. We will come back, even though it's seven hours from home!

Alyssia Johnson

I've never been to this place though I pass it monthly on my way to my doctor's. I have seriously been considering stopping in for a visit with my granddaughter as we are paying out every single month. My granddaughter is homeschooled by myself and I think this would be an amazing and educational experience for her. The ONLY reason I'm placing a comment here is I'm outraged at so much I've read so far in comments left by people that have NEVER even been there! I don't think anyone, myself included, should be allowed to comment without having actually been there! There are so many other platforms that PETA and other like organizations can use more effectively than bashing a family run animal rescue. I couldn't believe the inaccuracy of some of the comments, i.e. cats don't belong in water. Cats in the wild are phenomenal swimmers and enjoy the water. I could go on and on at my displeasure of reading hateful comments left by haters that have never even visited the grounds. I will be visiting soon after which I will leave an accurate, informed review. Until then, take my five stars cuz anyone that is at least trying to educate and protect any animal deserves at least that much. Aly and I will see you soon.

Lisa kelly

One of Florida's hidden treasures. Up close encounters with happy friendly animals. Love this place.

Twylia Busch

I love going there. It's a beautiful place and not nearly as congested as other zoo's. You can get closer to the animals too. It a beautiful place to visit, it truly is.

Corry Powers

My wife has wanted to swim with the otters and I researched and found Wild Things in Dade City. Today the day came and it was an amazing experience. Jose and Megan are a great combo with the animals and you can tell they love their job. All the staff was great, professional and personable. We had a blast and can’t wait to bring our daughters next time! The animals are very well cared for and each person took personal care in knowing about each one of them. Along with the swim with the otters (Willy and May) we took the safari ride around the property, fed Shenaya, black bear and did the encounter with Lucy the three month old Capuchin monkey. No need to take photographs as they take AMAZING pictures of you and your experience with the animals. Fantastic experience!!!!

Derek Evans

Great place to visit! Healthy animals that are well taken care of.

Elizabeth K

Healthy, happy animals in a well manicured establishment. You can tell the owners take great pride in the upkeep and care of both the place and the animals. Would recommend the experiences offered here to anyone.

debbie strickler

Wonderful places to visit. You can tell the animals are well cared for. Definitely worth the money. Encounters are a must..

Nicole Quickle

Amazing .... Amazing....AMAZING!!!!!!!! They staff, the tour, the animal encounters..... You can't ask for it to get any better. Dade City Wild Things has topped AMAZING!!!!!!!

Mercedes Emilia

Absolutely beautiful place with friendly and knowledgeable staff members!! You can tell how much time and love they put into the animals! Will most definitely be visiting again!

McKenzie Winter

Such a great experience! Wish I would’ve came when they had a cub available to hold, but still had a blast! Thank you!!

Brittany carter

This was by far the most amazing life experience. All the animals looked so healthy and happy! The handler during the animal encounters was very knowledgeable about all the animals. Highly recommend this experience to animal lovers!

Roberta Philbrook Tooley

Enjoyed our visit very much. Animals were a delight. Staff very pleasant. Gift shop some very nice mementos. The pictures they took of us interacting with animals came out great. They were emailed to us.

Dee kern

Great experience for all ages we thoroughlyly enjoyed our day with the animals. Thank God there are people willing to put animals to good use in educating the public!

Debbie Edgerton

I would not even want to be a part of something that tears baby tigers away from there mothers at birth. Leaving these babies extremely susceptible to diseases. And not even to mention the torment to the baby and the mother tiger. In the wild they stay with there mothers for at least 2 years. Shame on the love for money more than life and causes pain and suffering. Please take into consideration for life and stop going to places like this that have wild animals that belong in the wild.

Andy Johnson

Great place to take the wee ones, my grandson is 4 and LOVED it.

A lienoutcast

All the employees are pleasant and the tour is very enjoyable. It is the hands on encounters that really make this an amazing experience. Other than not being allowed to take your own photos, this is a fantastic activity for friends or family.

Danielle Mattingly

No one should be handling baby animals for profit, it's cruel and inhumane.

Kyle Cassie

So let's start off by saying the staff was very friendly, the welcoming gentleman was very nice I believe his name was John... don't remember. Arriving to the destination it was a tad sketchy look like a house at first and the parking situation was... tennis court term parking only one way in and one way out and no walk way... after parking we proceeded to the gift shop but before then we took a family picture with John , again very gentleman. We checked in and paid for multiple encounters one being a monkey, a tiger, lemur, and zebra but the buffalo was included. We did the zebra feed before the actual tour and it was kinda a waste. Fed him 3 pieces of a carrot and we went back... not worth $20. We then proceeded back to the tour driving at a "super fast speed of 2 mph" john a funny guy. During the tour you can barely see some of the animals like the tigers because the bushes were so overgrown. John would point to look at an animal and it you couldn't see anything until he completely drove past it and had to break your neck and turn around just to catch a glimpse of it. Another waste... the buffalo feeding was cool you got to semi pet the buffalo but feed it a piece of bread and a piece of a carrot. Take a photo and back to the tram. By the way they look malnourished they were just so skinny. HABIT SIZES WERE EXTREMELY SMALL. YOU HAVE 1 ZEBRA IN A HUGE OPEN GRASS AREA AND A TIGERS AND LIONS IN A SMALL CAGE.. all the cats were in small cages which made no sense. Why was the coyote by itself? I think these animals need to be fed better but I'm not in that field so what do I know. After the tour we then broke off into our encounters which I honestly can say saved this place. Lucy the monkey is a cute monkey we had ample time to hold, pet, and take pictures and the gentleman who was the instructor and also the other I start to remember with the glasses (sorry forgot your names) with very informative and personable. I enjoyed these 2 the most out of everyone. Then the lemur encounter was the same very well worth for the encounters. I purchased the picture package because they say no personal pictures. Honestly I just think it's a way for them to make money. They say taking pictures of your own will cause a distraction to the animals. But aren't you guys taking pictures of us with the animals so that would mean your a causing the same distraction??? Just a thought. This place has so much potential to be a GREAT place for people to come and enjoy themselves but honestly you guys need a makeover. Sometimes it's not all about the money but how people can come and enjoy themselves and have repeat customers. I would have given 2 stars but like I said the encounter was what saved it. And lastly to the family that was there with us with the beautiful little girl with the mental disablilty... you absolutely disgust me. You had the child sit on the tram by herself while 3 of you guys squished into a row uncomfortable so you didn't have to sit with her. You should e ashamed of yourself seriously. And to the one guy in that family who told her "I hate you" inside the gift shop you're a piece of trash. Absolute trash.

Megan Shebosky

How has this horrible place not been shut down yet?!?! The owners are being sued by PETA for their treatment of their tigers. The owners transported tigers across the country to avoid inspection and it resulted in the death of THREE tiger cubs. They are also accused of using donations to pay for personal expenses like their sons wedding. Do not go to Dade City Wild Things if you care about animals or integrity at all. I would challenge any 5 start review as fake and written by the lying owners or one of their friends.

Amy Reynolds

My son loves animals and dreams one day becoming an exotic veterinarian. While looking for something interesting to do over the weekend, we came across Wild Things Zoo. Along with the zoo’s website, we also read the unfortunate news of what they’re going through. I am so happy it did not stop us making a trip. We had a great time. You can really see the deep loving relationships between the animals and keepers. We loved the hands on interactions and friendly staff. Can’t brag enough on this place. We truly loved the experience.

Moony

Don't support animal abuse, people. The animals are in deplorable conditions and live in pathetically small cages. Baby animals are taken away from their mothers right after they're born and are forced to interact with people. They also charge people $300 or more. Don't go here. Go to a real zoo or an animal sanctuary. Stop exploiting these gorgeous creatures for profit. Actually go out and help put an end to this. I don't work for PETA. I'm just an animal lover who can't stand to see animals in pain.

Nathan Myer

This place is awesome! We were there last weekend and we're amazed at the negative reviews we read. We swam with Bubba and played with an otter, anteater and a gibbon. The staff was great and very informative. The animals were happy and well cared for. We will definitely come back here and recommend this place to all animal lovers!

L M

A lot of fun. We visited during a storm and they moved our adventures into a large tent. Went with a group of family to spend gift certificates my niece got for Xmas, but I also paid for one adventure. I was disappointed that when it came to photos, they only took one with her holding the animal, and not one with me. You're supposed to get a photo with your payment, but I didn't receive my own. Instead, we received only a photo with her holding it and her parents and myself included. I also didn't get to hold the animal when they went around the table with it. However, my brother did fetch the husband owner who personally came to our table and I held it for a very long time, so no complaints there.

LionTamer 300

Great place to visit for close up encounters with exotic animals. Animals are happy and loved, grounds are beautiful, trees with moss, lots of shade for an outdoor adventure. Nostalgic atmosphere of the property combined with a friendly and professional staff, welcomes you to what feels like...home. Thank you all at Dade City Wild Things for a priceless memorable trip.

Stefanie Muxo

This was an amazing and intimate experience with the cutest otter Willie. The staff is super nice and knowledgeable. Best birthday ever. Can’t wait to go back to swim with the otters!!!

Sandra White

They gave our pekin ducks loving home

anjolee blount

I had been reading reviews and deciding on my decision for weeks. Finally I decided I was going to book with them. After booking everything I wanted I was never given a price. In my head I had a guesstimate on how much it would be so I proceeded with my reservation. After giving my credit card information I was booked. The lady then called me back after hanging up because she got my card information wrong. So then I was definitely watching my account for the purchase. Finally I see that $430 was taken out of my account. This was nothing like the prices I saw online and nothing I had planned on being charged for! After almost overdrafting my account I called to see what had happened. They then told me the legitimate prices, not like the ones on their website. I immediately told them I wanted to cancel and that I wanted my refund. The lady told me I would be getting my refund. I have since left messages and had to call to confirm my refund was being processed and still don't have an answer. I would not recommend this place to anyone!!!!

Nikki Boza

I would rate this a 0 if I could. I have be quiet about what happened to me, but it's time to speak up. This Lady who runs the places is a THIEF! Last year I came in to volunteer. You have to pay for a tour to volunteer which is unheard of anyways I paid tour and animal encounter. I asked when is orientation, they kept saying next week next week every week i came in. IT WAS A SCAM! SHE DIDN'T HAVE A VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION & SHE REFUSED TO GIVE ME A REFUND. SHE WAS SO RUDE TO ME! MIND YOU I WAS A STUDENT I PAID $26.00 THAT IS ALOT LOST. DON'T EXPECT ANYTHING MORE THAN A RUDE RACIST LADY WHO SCAMS PEOPLE WHO REALLY DO WANT TO HELP ANIMALS. I LOVE ANIMALS. I WANT TO BECOME A ZOOLOGIST SO I TOOK THIS SERIOUSLY. YEA DON'T VOLUNTEER AT THIS PLACE AND DON'T COME. SHE WAS SO NASTY TO ME WHEN ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS HELP. IF THAT DOESN'T SHOW HOW MEAN AND RUDE SHE IS I DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL.

Jake Bell

Called them and it did not seem like how any person should answer a phone. She started with a sigh and no greeting about dade city wild things which was super unprofessional. And when I asked if this was in fact it. She sarcastically replied yes. And was already eager sounding to get off the phone. When I asked her my question about the tiger swim, she said 200. Goodbye.

Doug Dantonino

OK.... First off, my fiancé will never forget the experience of touching a tiger cub. She, like myself adores tigers. Now...as far as the experience?... EXTREMELY FAR FROM WORTH 300.00! You can barely touch the adorable baby, you can't take pictures of your own, which in no way would affect a six week old tiger cub. The "photo package" has many doubles and triples...and were no where near what we expected. This was not in any way worth the time (2 hour drive for us)or the money we spent...The staff were very pleasant and informative, but we didn't go there for information... We went to snuggle a baby tiger...and you could barely touch it....don't waste your money.... Zoos are cheaper and better.

Jason Burkett

It was alright...

Renee Miracle

Animal abuse at its finest. Take the tour cart ride if you want to see what I mean. Many too small enclosures. Animals pacing. They need to be shut down.

Melissa Allen

I loved being able to have a hands on encounter with a Tiger cub. I loved how the staff seemed like a family and as though they really cared about all the animals and treated them like they were any other house pet. I enjoyed being able to speak with the owner about his experience with his animals.

Brian Erickson

Great experience friendly staff

Michael Miller

I took my wife yesterday for her birthday and the experience was positive. It was well organized and the animals seemed like they were well taken care of. For the people posting negative reviews... you should actually GO to to the place before you pass judgement.. it was fine

Amanda Shelton

We love Dade City's Wild Things! My daughter was able to swim with the Tigers for her 10th Birthday a couple years ago. I have been back a few time and took my best friend for her birthday. We were able to play with the tiger cub and baby monkey. SO FUN! I can't wait to go back and have an encounter with the sloth!

Bob Anderson

We had a blast at Dade City's Wild Things. This was our second visit and this time we did a couple of the feed the big cats encounters. This was very cool and I would do it again in a heartbeat. The only thing I would like to see changed is the angle the pictures were taken from while feeding the big cats. It would be nice if they were taken from behind you so the pictures would be of what you were seeing when feeding them. We did love it and will do it again.

Dori Brenes

Every single time we come we have an AMAZING time! It is so obvious how much these animals are loved. We love it here!!

janelle drury

Overwhelming positive and life changing experience thanks to the knowledgable Megan and Sierra. They went above and beyond to give my husband an experience of a lifetime. Animals are very well taken care of. Best hands on experience I highly recommend .

Amanda Gentry

I used to volunteer at the zoo and I can't put into words how amazing this place is! Mrs Kathy really loves every single animal at the zoo! She carefully picks her volunteers and staff! It's such a wonderful experience and so neat to be able to see the animals so up close.

Sean Barber

Came here on a groupon as a gift and this place is just... weird. The zoo is on a private property, like someone’s home, and it seems that most of the animals were part of a private collection/donated by locals who couldn’t care for wild animals. The caretakers seemed to enjoy being with the animals and taking care of them, but from the monotonously slow tram ride (whose gas made us sick), one could only see anxious animals pacing and hiding from onlookers, in cages that hardly seemed large enough. I can’t speak for the “private encounters” (because quite frankly the money didn’t seem worth it), but the whole experience left us uneasy and uncomfortable. Perhaps not for us and others may enjoy it better, but we’ll not be coming back.

Caroline Lloyd

Having been to Dade city wild Things 3 times I can only say what a great place and brilliant staff and Family. The animals are so well loved and looked after. You can tell they all love the animals by the way the animals react with their trainers. The family home always has little babies in it, doing 2 hourly feeds night and day, that's not a job it's a lifestyle. We did things at the zoo I could only dream of doing. Seeing my dad's face when he got to play, Swim and feed a tiger cub was the best, awesome experience. A dream come true for him. I would recommend Dade city Wild things to everyone.

julie neighbors

I can't say anything bad about the Zoo in Dade City because My Son and I cannot afford to go but, I know that he would absolutely love it. He is Autistic and loves Animals of all kinds. It would be the best Christmas Present I could give him, he would be thrilled. Someday, we will come to visit you. Thank you for giving us a chance to enter contest.

pat gray

Need speakers in trams. Very difficult to hear guide.

Mimi Wallman

These folks really care. It was very informative as well.

Zaeem Siddiqui

Excellent experience doing the walking tour as well as wild like feedings and 2 encounters. Was truly remarkable to see young tiger cubs up close and also feed a full grown tiger and jaguar! Memories I'll never forget. The animals are well taken care of and absolutely stunning, highly recommend!

Kelly Morris

This place needs to be shut down. Go to a zoo instead. The beautiful animals here are living in deplorable conditions but unfortunately only those who work and have worked behind the scenes know about it. It is the definition of animal cruelty and incredibly heartbreaking.

Brandon P

I think I was more surprised at the fact that this is run out of a family's house with a lot of land versus more of a zoo type of feeling. But despite that I have to say I was surprised at the selection of animals that were available as well as the ability to feed zebra, and bison. The ability to be able to choose and holds various animals also was very appealing to this as my daughter has been clamouring to pull the monkey forever and she finally did. As far as the pricing goes you have to purchase the Safari pack to be able to then purchase the ability to hold, or pet in the in various animals. The Safari itself was $19, and then depending on the animal you wish to hold or pet is depending on the price. We pay to hold a monkey which was $19 per person. Overall The Experience wasn't bad. Probably the two worst things that I noticed with this particular Safari is that there is a lot of unnecessary 'artwork' and I say that because there was just various trucks and Furniture just strewn about the entire property, which I would assume is art. That sort of thing made the place like a little trashy. And the other thing that really bothers me is that there was a lot of animals in , what I would consider, small cages. They say these animals are not welcome at the zoo would have been rejects, so if that's the case then I can sort of reason with myself saying that this is the last chance for these animals. But to see a full-size lion in the size of a cage of my garage, twenty-four hours a day 365 days a year is a little bothersome. But regardless the staff were nice the animals look like they were fed well, they always had water that I was able to see, and the staff knew what they were talking about. The other issue is is that you're not allowed to take pictures anywhere on the property and that you have to pay $25 for them to take pictures and then they uploaded to website you download. To me that's a little fishy as why can I not just take my own pictures especially of the animals, because they do have a couple unique animals that you won't see anywhere else.

Stephanie Udy

We had a great time, cannot take any photos of your own. My littes loved it.

Kurt Rosales

Had the best birthday ever here. Swimming with the otters was an amazing experience.

Ted Goodson

Great place to unwind and see wild animals that are very well taken care of.

Lori Hill

Wild animals should never be pimped out! Close this place fast!

J Thomas

This place was great. The animals were happy and well cared for. The pens were not too small and they were clean. Dont believe the reviews saying that the animals are sick or miserable. I'm sure they are from people who have never been there before.

capri. CAPRI

Lots of up close interactive fun with animals .. ! Please dont be 'one of those' tho bashes interacting with wild animals .. they are at a zoo for a reason (usually rescues) and smaller zoo's hav to support themselves just like the bigger ones .. this place, for a comparatively nominal fee, will let you touch, feed, hold and pet (depending on the animal) over 30 different wild animals including fennet fox, otter, wallabee, lemur, monkeys, anteater, sloth, skunk, zebra, owl, bear, reptiles or even pygmy goats, etc .. you can also shop at the gift shop and purchase ($25 for all!) photos (no phones/cameras allowed) to preserve your memories ! 5 stars except for a few hoaky things (like the 'guided tour' lol) but I will easily giv 4 Stars + for this privately owned , well-intentioned location that deserves support !!

tim robertson

Can't wait to go! It's near a friends house right out of Tampa. Suck it PeTA

Judith Hargrove

I have been to this place numerous times over the past 8 or 9 yrs. First of all if you are someone who believe no one should have animals in cages then this isn't a place for you. If you are someone who has said how shabby and messy it was it could have been because of a hurricane or tornado or storm. I live nearby so I know when these things happen. If you are someone who has said the animals are in their own waste and mistreated or malnourished you are down right lying. This is a small family owned business that gives a wonderful experience to those of us who love animals and believe in conservation and saving of animals and sometimes having to take animals from people who can't take care of them anymore or because they were found injured and taken to this zoo for rescue and rehabilitation. PETA did not shut them down I was there when all that drama went down for no reason other than PETA is in business to put all others out of business. The reality is go there for yourself and see what the truth is. It's a piece of Florida history, Florida living, beautiful gardens and beautiful wondrous animals who love their owners and caretakers. I have taken all my friends and family there when they come to Florida . Don't assume anything. Go see for yourself and ask questions. Love love love this place

Michelle Zimmerman

I had some pretty big doubts about visiting after reading these reviews but I am so glad I didn’t listen! There is not a single doubt in my mind that these people LOVE AND CARE for these animals!!! I did the otter swim and had the most amazing once in a lifetime experience! You can tell the otters adore their trainers because they kept taking time out of the swim to go love and snuggle up to their trainers faces. It was too cute! They had a little float for the otters to hang out on and a basket full of toys to keep them entertained with. I had the time of my life and my husband said that I was actually in there for 45 mins which I’m so grateful for! Then as we were walking back to the front office there was a little baby tiger snuggled up to a lady’s leg in the office. They ended up taking him out into the lawn where he followed them around, played, and rubbed up against their legs. It breaks my heart to see all these awful reviews because I know it is causing others to not come here and miss out on such an awesome place! Not to mention these are rescued animals so they can’t just be let back out into the wild. If this place gets shut down more than likely all the animals are going to have to be euthanized. What’s worse an animal having a safe environment, being fed, and loved on or being put down?? Please just give this place a shot! I promise you won’t regret it! I had such an amazing time I’m already planning my next trip down! S.N. Photos posted on my yelp review

Diana Martone

What a great experience! This place provides a rare up-close experience that you do not get with a typical zoo. The caretakers genuinely care for each and every one of the animals like they were a member of the family and it shows in their vast knowledge of each of them. The animal encounters are something truly unique and help to promote understanding and conservation on these many endangered animals through personal interactions. I highly recommend for all ages.

Debora Kelley

Our family decided to go to Wild Things despite the bad reviews on Google. Obviously, the reviews were planned by a group of individuals that set out to hurt businesses that help endangered animals and jobs for the community. Our family had a wonderful and educational tour of the facility. The animals are clean and well cared for and appear to be content. It was a Great experience for our 4 year old twins and 6 year old daughter who generally fear household animals let alone wild. They were not frightened at all! They commented that they had the best time ever! The only negative would be that I wish we could have taken photographs of the animals. However, the staff was very accommodating to take a group photo of us. The staff were very pleasant and appeared to enjoy their jobs which says a lot about the ownership of the facility.

Angel Reynolds

Never go there the cages for the animals are too small and the people I met were nasty and seemed that they really did not want us there

Roman lambert

caged are way too small. animals like the big cats need space to explore. the staff wasn't very friendly. defiantly will not be going back ever

white tiger

Just wanted to thank wild things in dade city for the great time i had there on sunday, had a nice time walking with randy and then mr. stearns, got to see some animals reactions that left me speachless. i got to see first hand what care they give to the animals there keeping them safe and warm during cooler nights. enjoyed the swims and sara. and the staff is the best there, you couldnt ask for better trainers and peolle who love all their animals. so greatfull for all the stearn family does. thank you kathy for making this all happen.

Danielle D

My boyfriend and I visited Dade City's Wild Things for the otter swim on 9/24/17 and had a wonderful experience with both the staff and animals. The otters were so adorable and Our photos came out great. Lots of cute things in their gift shop as well. We would love to go back soon! Don't believe the negative you read, sounds like all fake PETA attacks to me.

Jacqueline Lopez

Nice place wish I could of taken pictures myself and able to see some of the big cats

Randy Stearns

WOW - this place is awesome - where else can you pet a monkey or swim with a tiger and know that part of your funds goes to help tiger conservation. This is like no other ZOO - you get so close to the animals and you get a guide who will tell you all about them - its so personal and educational. We spent 50.00 which is a bargain in Florida, walking tour, tram ride and everyone got to their own encounter. We will be back and buy the annual pass for $55.00 for unlimited visits for both tours. . what a deal

Sandy Martin

Sad...it looks abandoned. Feels desolate. For the lack of animals they have a moonshine still and some other props they talk about. The animals were in clean cages but the enclosures are too small. Needs lots of emprovement but Noone was working on it. It could actually be a beautiful place with some TLC.

panapa enoka

I just watched an undercover video of your staff hitting, kicking and mistreating tigers. You must have something mentally wrong with you to think that this type of behaviour is OK. If you had any passion for these beautiful animals you would hold these staff members accountable!!! I hope you get sent to jail so you can feel a small percentage of what these poor defenseless animals have to go through every day

kat white

the staff are very nice an i enjoyed the animals but i do feel they need LARGER enclosures especially for the 2 adult lions they dont really have any room to do anything they need a large open area id like to go back again but only if the animals have larger enclosures it broke my heart

Debbie Schiffmacher

Dade City Wild Things Zoo is one of the most awesome and amazing places around! It’s a family run and family atmosphere where you can get up close and personal with the animals safely with different packages. If you want the most memorable experience for you and your family you will take multiple trips to a most incredibly unique zoo! It’s where not only memories are made but knowledge is gained. You will be so educated about the different animals and learn how much care goes into providing a proper home for them. So many animals are becoming extinct but by learning about the different animals and where they come from may influence your future in wanting to take on a career of protecting them here or in their native countries. The Stearns are the most caring and dedicated people I’ve known in a long time. They give everything of themselves to provide you with enjoyment, memories and knowledge. Anyone rating this negatively is under the influence of bad propaganda and it just shows how many sad people out there are nothing but puppets. When someone can get you to write lies about a place where the majority of those comments are based on a place those people have never been, it shows the mindless individuals that are among the human race! That’s a FACT!!

Martin Švec

Negative comments lie. This private zoo is very good for animals. It can be seen that they love animals. I don't regret visiting this Zoo.

Jamie Pell

We went to Dade City's Wild Things on Valentines Day 2016 and had a great time. We took a tram ride around the zoo viewing the animals along the way, held a baby kangaroo, fed a lion, and had a private encounter with a 4 month old tiger (I think the private encounter costs a bit extra but it was worth it to have some time away from the rest of the tour group). All of the staff members that we interacted with were friendly, intelligent, and seemed to really care about the animals. They asked us questions about the various interactions that we had and shared information about the specific animals that we saw (personalities, age, funny stories etc..). Overall I highly recommend checking this out if you are able to. My comments about the comments below: Tigers do love to be in water and spend a great deal of their time in rivers and lakes in the wild. It seems as though a few of the reviewers were applying their knowledge of the domestic house cat to tigers which must be where the misunderstanding stemmed from. While we were there new exhibits were being built, so it does seem like the owners are investing money back in to the business. Additionally I can't imagine what the food bill must be like for all of the animals and I can definitely say they all looked well fed. I thought the experience was well worth the price and would have paid much more had the prices been higher. During the animal interactions that we had the animals did not in anyway perform for us. It was an opportunity for us to be up close to an animal that we would otherwise never be able to safely do. That was it, no dancing, no rolling over for treats, no monkeys riding dogs, etc..

Jill Sullivan

Filthy and the animals are miserable.

Ryan k

Great place. Had lots of fun. Friendly staff.

andrea obermayer

The staff were very courteous. I did not expect to be shuttled from where we paid to the zoo itself, but I don't remember if it was advertised that way or not. The tram driver once we got in was new so she read from her note book. I found the enclosures were small for they type of animal it housed, but the said the animals are walked daily with two leash handlers and they are leash trained. There was absolutely no evidence of abuse. The animals look well fed.

Josie Solorio

Nice place to visit with family

Victoria Vega

Love this place, very natural. Relaxing experience...much better then B Cat Rescue!!!! Clean, friendly and informative.

Justin A

"It's in the cut" and a bit of a drive, but well worth it. A friend swam with the otters, I handled the five month old tiger (bigger than most dogs). I was a little hesitant, but if offered go for the scariest "baby". The primates weren't available at the time. Do the tour also. I know they are in the process of building a camp to stay on premises at night (summer 2018). That's in our groups near future.

Olivia Almubaslat

Zoo's should be fun for all ages! Dade City Wild Things provides a friendly family orientated atmosphere. An incredible experience to see animals of all kinds up close, and personal if desired! I applaud the staff, and their dedication to helping to not only spend endless hours caring for such animals. But also the ability to help educate the public on all things animal!

Donya Boudeman

Love the animal encounters!

Basket case

This place doesn’t even deserve one star! My friend went here and said that TWO tigers were housed in a space no larger than her swimming pool. By the way, forcing tiger cubs to swim and teaching them to do so by holding them by the neck and tail isn’t any better! In response to owner: The reason you don’t have any tigers right now is because a judge banned you people from owning them. This review is 100% true. I would never write any lie made up by PETA, they’re the bane of my existence.

Stacey Pennington

If I could give this less than 1 star I definitely would. This place is awful! I paid an obscene amount of money to take my parents to pet a cub... we were only given 20 minutes and most of that was spent starring at the "trainer" feeding the cub or doing other things... you also can't take any pictures, but their "photographer" (basically a 12 year old with a camera and no knowledge how to use it) takes a lot - or so I was told. In the end I received about 100 photos, most completely over or under exposed... out of focus... cutting off parts of people or the cub in the photo... All of this on top of the fact that you aren't allowed to look at anything else... And I'm guessing that's because of the horrible conditions the animals are kept in. The only other animal I saw was a white tiger and it was in the smallest cage ever pacing back and forth... This is just not a good place... no respect for the animals, which is most important... and they are ripping people off every single day. So sad that I ever thought this was a good place to go. Never again.

Jenna Crawford

One of the best places to visit!

Sharon Agami

if you care about animals AT ALL you will not visit this place. making money off of poor animals that they STEAL from their mothers and are kept in tiny cages is disgusting. it’s no wonder they were sued. EDUCATE yourself on this place and DO NOT visit. can’t wait for the owner to respond “fake news” or some other BS like they do on everyone else’s one star ratings.

Derek Molle

This place was amazing! My wife and I had a great experience. Everything was perfect, the staff was super friendly to us and to the animals. They didn’t force the animals to do anything they didn’t want to. I’m definitely looking forward to going back soon.

Kimberly Wysong

Dade City's Wild is a very nice place and the animals are very well cared for and loved. You will have a great experience and leave with wonderful memories. The place is clean and they are regulated by state and federal agencies .They are being targeted by animal activists who pay for negative comments on line. I have visited quite a few times and always have a great time. The swims are awesome and the photos are really nice. Great place for a reasonable price. I returned to Dade City's Wild Things one week ago. It was clean and the animals looked well cared for. I was fortunate to do an encounter with the lemur. It was very cute and friendly. I have to say I was impressed by the girl doing the encounters. She definitely has a bond with the animals and was very professional. I found the staff to be very friendly. I kind of liked the previous gift shop but it's nice to go right in now instead of waiting for the trolley. I will definitely return. I like the changes made to the tour.

Stacey Willard

My post is from the experience itself which was a lot of fun! We took the tram ride during the summer and it was quite hot of course, so as Floridians we knew shorts, hats and tank tops were a must to keep cool! Lots of cute animals to see, but the best part was where we paid to pet specific animals after the tram ride! We got to pet a baby tiger, baby monkey, baby wallaby & a fennec fox. It was very special and the trainers were very sweet and good about answering our questions. You can also add-on a photo package for when you're playing with the animals that was well worth it since you can't use your camera on property.

Savvy

The animals looked depressed as all get out, and they were all in such small little cages. Upsetting and overpriced.

Josh Brown

Screwed my family out of 350.00 bucks for a summer camp! Treats the animals awful! They are being sued by PETA for abuse!!

Anthony Schutz

everyone was very nice , our tour guide was great. the best attraction is their animal encounters. it was pretty awesome to encounter with a tiger cub, and other animals as well. its definitely a once and a life time experience. And I love the fact that all the money that they receive goes towards their facility and towards the animals, takingcare of them , feeding them, and vet visits. i will visit this place again. l had a great experience for myself and my family. we are very pleased with the animal encounters . this is my opinion and the experience that me and my family had. I can't speak for other people.

Kim S

Love Dade City Wild Things! The grounds and gardens are just beautiful and the animals are amazing. The tour guides are knowledgeable and often share the stories behind each animal. They offer the best summer camp my child has ever been to! We have also been to the “so-called competitor “ and would gladly go to Dade City Wild Things any day over going to Tampa. The owners at Dade City Wild Things are friendly and caring. They know each animal by name and more importantly, the animals know them! It is very clear that the animals love the owners and that they are well cared for.

Garry Riggs

Words cant express how great everyone was here. We had a great time and will be doing it again. The otters are a blast to swim with and would do it everyday if we could. The staff was extremely knowledgeable and we learned a lot about the animals we saw and encountered. We also met the tiger cub. This little guy is awesome!! Worth every penny to meet him. Seeing all these animals up close and personal gives a greater understanding why they shouldnt be pets. I highly recomend that anyone and everyone visit Dade City Wild Things and have an animal encounter of some kind. You will not be disappointed!!!! Thanks again Wild Things you were awesome!!!!!!!!!

richard huggins

Don't let the drive in fool you. Once you start the tour and the private encounters it is an amazing place with a great staff. We will definitely be coming back for more.

Vivian Self

Disappoint plus. Not what it appears in add and no ptofessional photos when I left and my friend paid over $20 to have her pic with a monkey that wouldn't leave it's caretaker plus it was time shared by her and another anxious child. No it was sad don't go plus you do not get to keep the pics unless you pay extra $20 . I liked the owner but they do this to pay a couple employees and feed their animals. By the way do not show up early they made us go to town to use the bathroom because we came 20 min before the first group left. Small place truly not worth my time and troubles. Told the buffalo wasn't in a good frame so could not feed it, no bear cub seen and that is why I went. Do not allow any pictures from guest.

Honey Amber

I am so glad I read the reviews before paying to go here. Mistreating animals I do not tolerate and If i would have seen that or anything similar to even slightly mistreating an animal I would have caused a scene and went wild. Sorry but no! This place just lost a lovely customer and her money. I thank everyone who wrote a review and told the truth about this place. Thank you thank you!

Lia Cater Allen

Animal Encounters 5

Kerry Mitchell

What a terrific place. I touched a baby Siberian tiger cub. How exciting. I list homes in and around Tampa Bay for 1%, and work really hard! I took a break to do something as special as this. I'm so excited. It will keep me going for days maybe even weeks what fun. Will run organization. Well worth a 45 minute drive from Tampa.

rachel b

This was horrible to see. The beautiful animals are living in smaller enclosures than dogs. I was appalled. And I'm disgusted with myself that I even supported this financially

Susan Schlossman

Despite reading the countless negative reviews, we decided to go to Wild Things.The staff was very confused and disorganized and we waited around for hours waiting for our animal encounter to begin. The large tigers were kept in very small enclosures and that was depressing. I even felt sorry for the foxes who were kept up on a flat bed of a truck. The owner would be better off creating a fantastic habitat for just a few animals than trying to hoard and cram so many species together on such a small amount of acerage. I do feel like the park has good intentions in their attempt to educate the public; however, their attempts are misguided.

Marissa Lavalley

Went today for a walking tour and 4 animal encounters. My husband and I did the tiger and baby gibbon encounter and it was awesome. We also fed the white Tiger and the Siberia tigers. It was a cooler & cloudier day so all the animals were out and active in their cages. It was overall about a 4 hour tour. The trolley brings you right down to the zoo which was convinent. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly. Loved this place and had a great close up animal experience like no other.

Marc Levine

Lots of animals and the staff is excellent. Make sure to get at least a couple of the encounters where you can hold and pet some of the animals.

mon ami assisi

Google Randall Stearns, the owner of Dade City's Wild Things. You won't want to take your kids around after reading, I would think. Plus, if tigers are to be kept in captivity it should be to rehabilitate them to go back out into the wild, not to be handled as much as possible by humans (who F'ed up their life in the wild, in the first place!) Only selfish and ignorant people will want to see this place remain in business.

Kaitlyn V Simmons

If there was an option to rate this place negative 100 stars I would. DO NOT GO HERE. This is animal abuse. I have went here and thought the place was great, until I saw them exposed and how they REALLY treat the animals. Tigers are an endangered breed in the first place and this place is not helping whatsoever. The owners are scamming everyone and taking the money for themselves. The other animals besides the tigers are not taken care of properly. Please keep exposing this place so they can be shut down for good!!!!! And these animals can actually live in a place where they are treated correctly and live in nice environments. And I do not work for PETA or any other organizations. I am a regular civilian who cares about these animals and can't stand to see them treated this way and to see these owners LYING about everything they supposedly "stand for." I do not understand how they are still legally open after all the proof of them mistreating animals and robbing people of their money.

Jo Dee Craigmile

One of the few places where humans can learn up close and personal, what and who wild animals are. I support them for THeir efforts in education, and preservation.

Lia Cater

While the animal encounter experience is 5 Star...the site is sketchy and the tram ride with animal safari/viewing was even more painful. We did the Swim with Otters and the kids loved it! The private zoo attendants and assistants (Megan, José & John) were great, but the hospitality of the Director was much less than expected. She was quite short and seemingly unkind; and in great contrast there was another man who was a quiet, kind pleasure that seemingly had a great bond with the animals (the cats in particular) and very well could have been her zoo counterpart. Driving into the sanctuary, this place seemed to be a let down from the turn on the pike and onto the main road...from the broken buzzer at the gate to ill-placed, abandoned vehicles, and wood & wire animal cages, its scenery was not a crowd pleaser. I will return, however with lesser expectations of my surroundings, and the general sense that my complete joy will come from the animal encounters. BTW, Louie, the Sloth & Annie, the Anteater were by far, The Best!

Russell Brooks

This is a small zoo with small poorly placed cages difficult to see from the tram ride. We did not opt for the animal encounters where you could spend time with numerous specific animals. At $20 per person each animal, I personally didn't see the value in this. The park itself is rundown and in serious need of upgrades and improvements. There was rusty old equipment strewn around everywhere as yard decorations. Pointless, and nothing to do with exotic animals. We heard a talk on moonshiners and NASCAR, neither of which relate to exotic animals. Because of vegetation overgrowth it was hard to see the animals. Tram ride was $20/person plus tax.

Kimberely Oliver

This was our second time visiting this wonderful place, The first time was 7 years ago and recently in June of 2019 when we brought our grand daughter so she could have experiences that most can only dream of. From the moment you check in, you are greeted by and adorable black and white cat that only has three legs. A cat that Wild Things rescued from an abusive owner. They focus on rescuing and saving animals. There is absolutely no signs of abuse. The Peacocks strut around with their full tail feathers, the roosters beautiful with feathers of red and blue and green. The sun dances off the colors of their feathers. Wild Things educates visitors about animals and their love of their animals is evident. Before anyone is allowed to pet their animals, each person must wash their hands with sanitizer and engage in an education lesson about the animal. My grand daughter had an experience of being up close with a baby monkey and a serval. She will remember this forever. Wild Things is an amazing place with people that care that take the time to educate and teach children and adults the importance of saving our worlds wildlife for future generations. By allowing these type of encounters they capture and open hearts and minds for the future. Pasco County... You need to get behind and support this organization. Not Listen to negative reviews - This Place is One of a Kind

Tony Phillips

I have been to Dade City Wild Things on a number of occasions, and it has been a wonderful experience every time. The people who run Dade City Wild Things are wonderful people that love their animals and treat them with love and care, they are very knowledgeable about all the animals in their care and they are willing to share their knowledge with the people that go there, and I would recommend them to anyone. It is fun for the whole family young and old, and you come away with such wonderful memories to cherish for life..all these one star reviews are just animal activists trying to make a wonderful place look bad with lies. Dade City Wild Things love their animals and treats them with love and care. Don't believe the rubbish they write..

Tiffany Grauer

Wish I could give 0 stars. Please, if you are an animal lover or even a half way decent human being you will boycott this place at all costs!

Dubraska Schmaus

Negative stars!!!Horrible place. Please don't support these people. There's a reason why you can't take photos. Because the cages are too small and the animals are in terrible condition. How come they always have Cubs??? Tour staff tries to brain wash you telling you tigers don't need a big space to roam as long as they have food they are fine in a tiny cage. This poor bird was obviously so stressed and unhappy that he had ripped ALL his feathers off and they said he was just molting ... Seriously?!??! I have birds and that is not what happens this poor guy was literally naked. Don't give your money to them.

Kristen Cribelis

My husband always wanted to let a lion or tiger, I found Dade City Wild Things and we were really excited! It was a quiet and nice little sanctuary. We loved the experience and definitely recommend our friends and family to visit. Will do it again!

Autumn Snow

If I could give this zero stars I would. The one star can be for our tour guide who was actually the best part of the whole experience! We visited here for my sisters sweet 16, after reading all the bad reviews we were hesitant but wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. Our mistake. We paid $25 for pictures that would be taken by a professional, because we were not allowed to take our own “or we would be kicked out” and after seeing the condition these animals live in I’m not surprised they don’t allow personal pictures. After a month later and we still hadn’t received the pictures and lots of unanswered messages we finally got ahold of someone who was nothing short of the rudest lady to deal with. We got hung up on multiple times, and no apology of why it had taken so long to receive what we paid for. Save your money.

Sophie Myhre

These people stole our money! They canceled our tiger cub petting and told us that they would give us a refund because the cubs had gotten too big. We have been calling non stop because we have not gotten our 300+ dollars back yet. Either they don't answer the phone, or they tell us the same story. "Only managers can process refund". Yet they don't know when their managers come in, they don't have their phone numbers, and they don't have an email for them. Basically, they took our money, won't return our phone calls, and won't give us our money. I have disputed the charge with my bank, but it will take up to 2 months for the case to be settled. Which SUCKS, cause it's 300 dollars! If I do not hear from them soon I will report them to the police for fraud.

The Shout of the INK

My hubby and I wanted to do something like this for my birthday, we looked up online and the website looks very nice, so we decided to drive about two hours to get to this place, when we got there the place looked a little sketchy like a old house type, I was a little scared because there was no other visitor there but us, but we still decided to go in. We parked and got into the gift shop, a lady was there and she didnt even greet us.....(not friendly at all) we pay $20 dollars per person not bad at all. Of course the lady offered a package to touch any specific animal we like for another $20 per person, not bad either, but wow each person just to touch and play w the animal for few minutes and NO PICTURES we found it not good so ok we decided not to do it. I don’t mind paying the $20 but at least I want to have a pic so I can have a memory. Then we go out to start the tour and when we jump on the trolley the tour guy, very nice by the way explained the rules, 1st rule no selfies, no pictures while you on the property.... that’s when I was like wow, not even a pic w my hubby to have a memory or to show our family and friends where we went for my birthday hell NOOOO. I got out of the trolley and headed to the gift shop and asked the lady about pics, she didn’t say a word very insensitive and asked for our credit card and refunded the money to us.... didn’t even offer nothing or asked us to help w something. NOTHING VERY INSENSITIVE, negative and not friendly at all. If you want to be ripped of then go here. I will never ever again.

Michelle Angela

I was surprised here by my boyfriend a week ago as a birthday gift to interact with a baby tiger. I was beyond excited.... I walked in to the “gift shop” to sign & confirm paperwork & everything looked like it was falling apart.... the white older lady that runs the place I’ll assume, didn’t greet us or smile... she had a baby monkey on her shoulders, a puppy behind the counter and a clearly disabled cat just dragging himself around. The best part was she was barefoot. And I mean black soles & white crusted feet barefoot. Disgusting. Our tour guide was interactive but the other “animal handlers” were quite aggressive with him. These animals are in clean but ridiculously small cages.... it was horrifying. I mean they had 2 buffalos and a zebra with what it look like an acre of land to run in & the big cats had an enclosure no bigger than my bathroom. I even saw a parrot in a large enclosure & a macaw who’s a clearly a larger bird in a tiny enclosure. Also, I’ve studied animals & been on tours before, these people kept telling us that in the wild the mom would eat the babies & that’s why they prefer to take them once their born. Look I’m no animal guru, but animals give birth and naturally have mother instincts... very few times that a mother would eat her babies or abandoned. It’s part of nature. They use these baby tigers for profit once they grow too large they get rid of them. They have these ridiculous anti peta signs all over which is not welcoming at all. You can’t even take your own pictures, because they charge you a package so they can take it & profit instead. The handlers where just regular people informing us on some true but also false information about the animals. I’ve watched animal planet since I was 5 & I got a better education from it than these people. The baby tiger experience was cool, but they really need to clean up this place. They had old cars, a fire truck, farm machinery all over the place as a decor I’ll asume but it looked so messy & out of place. I’ve been reading all reviews and it’s amussing to see the owner reply to mostly the negative ones & say “fake” or “fake news”... lol just know I have pictures taken a week ago with our experience and I can definitely agree with all of these negative reviews. I hope the lady/ owner can afford some shoes next time to wear from all this money they are scamming people for.