Reviews of Tregembo Animal Park (Zoo)

Erynn Marshall

Really enjoyed the trip to the park! The animals are wonderful! Great for a quick educational or enjoyment outting. I gave it 4 stars because you walk through the gift shop BEFORE seeing the animals. If you have a child with you, all they may want to do is get back to shop! But, upon returning home have some amazing pictures of the animals ready so they can remember the experience better. I'd definitely recommend it and go again.

Kristie Davis

This is a smaller zoo that was wonderful to go visit. The staff are very friendly and informative on all the animals. Free roaming peacocks with other birds. You can feed almost all of the animals here. I am disabled and was able to go through the whole park. A lot of fun for the whole family.

T. Marlene

Driving by you cannot tell how huge this place is. Loved the variety of animals and the opportunity to feed many of them. I don't recall ever going to a zoo and being so close to the animals. I would like a more clear outline of the paths, we walked practically in circles. Definitely a worthwile visit with kids.

SleepyDays 243

Really sad. Not much space for these animals. The workers seem like they care. But appropriate resources may not be available to improve living conditions.

Mike Hutchinson

Nice variety of exhibits. Very nice park & easy to self navigate

Kaitlyn Hardee

The animals are not in suitable habitats, and the cages are too small. It’s time for this place to shut down.

jennifer silvia

I love this zoo. I go every year at least once. The grounds are clean and the animals are well cared for and all the employees are so nice. I just went last week with my nieces and we had a great time. I definitely recommend visiting this zoo.

Ashley Vaughan

This place should be shut down. These animals are not living in their proper habitats. Small cages for the lions, tigers, ect. Tiger was in the back pacing it was so agitated. The white colored tiger in the front looks to be declawed which i find absolutely ridiculous! I wouldnt be surprised if these animals were abused they look miserable. Half these animals do not have food or water only a few of the monkeys had water. Animals living in boxes. Turtles atleast 200 of them living in a small confined water pit i wouldn't even call it a small pond. They were so over crowded they were fighting. Half these animals had dog toys in their cages for entertainment. These people should be shut down. Only thing they care about is money and it most definitely shows. I will be contacting peta or some type of animal rights Association to report this place. I have pictures of it all. Absolutely ridiculous i will not be returning to this place. Dont give these people your money they have these animals in small confined cages for entertainment and a quick buck.

Laurel HL

I would give this place zero stars if I could. The enclosures are inappropriate and many animals are left languishing with no stimulation nor any companionship from other animals. Stay home and view animals online, in the wild.

Brittney Mitro

This place is so sad. I don’t understand how it’s still open and how you can enjoy it here. Animals deserve better.

Sharon Burgess

Love this place so much bring grandkids

Mark H

Fantastic animal park staffed with people who love and care for the animals

VB 910

Got there late so the animals werent that active but my 2 year old had a blast!!!

George Lawrence

We took a large group of people with us the only reason iys not 5 stars is the guy behind the register we had 19 people and was charged for 25 people when i confronted him he became extreamley rude and blamefull at me after a 15 min argument a nice lady simply re charged us and refunded the diffrence after we entered the zoo he followed us the entire time like we were criminals and he was on a stake out crazy thing is we are local and not truest

Peggy Flores

My family had a blast...great environment and friendly staff

Anna Downey

Animals were all depressed and malnourished.

Anita Loftis

Great place, nice folk... They interact with the animals and it's so sweet

Rose Dickerson

Run down facility.....animals look miserable...but friendly staff...

Clayburne Steverson

It was awesome lots of shade, kid friendly and restrooms were very clean

JaxService Two

Because I love animals

Erynn Marshall

Really enjoyed the trip to the park! The animals are wonderful! Great for a quick educational or enjoyment outting. I gave it 4 stars because you walk through the gift shop BEFORE seeing the animals. If you have a child with you, all they may want to do is get back to shop! But, upon returning home have some amazing pictures of the animals ready so they can remember the experience better. I'd definitely recommend it and go again.

Ashley Vernon

An Excellent Place to visit ....Well Chosen

Bethany Oxendine

Family owned ...nice facility..lots animals

Rick Morgan

Its a nice little zoo. Kids and adults can have an enjoyable time there. Good way to kill a hour or so.

Melissa Monroe

Even in a heat wave, we still had a great time walking thru the park. Huge variety of animals and you get to see them really up close. Gift shop was awesome!!

Kathy Mularcik

Our family had fun. Nice comfortable walking to see tigers, monkeys, animals from various continents and the us. We fed corn and peanuts to animals that were marked for feeding. Concessions and gift shop both very reasonable prices, family friendly and affordable. Great day for seniors, adults and children.

Lamour Thompson

We loved it! This was a second generation trip for us. I took my granddaughters yesterday, and they had a wonderful time. The littlest one liked the zebra because her name begins with "z." The older one enjoyed the experience of being up close and personal with the giraffe. I've taken them to other, larger zoos, but this one is just the right size to not be overwhelming. Thank you for keeping it in the family and personal!

The More You Know

I LOVE this little place.. The owners are kind, experienced, and knowledgable in zoology and animal conservation. The animals are well cared for, the walking trails are mostly shaded (great for little ones) and the gift shop is really cute. It is a staple of our vacation.

A F

My nieces enjoyed it. It’s small, but has lots of animals! I only wish they offered tours

Marci Dishman

Had a great time. Some animals you can feed. Great place for a family outing. Friendly staff. Very educational and most of their animals are used to people and attention so it can get quite entertaining at times too. Just a wonderful little zoo all around.

Kristopher Gerner

I don't have a problem with this place. Great for small children.

Kristie Davis

This is a smaller zoo that was wonderful to go visit. The staff are very friendly and informative on all the animals. Free roaming peacocks with other birds. You can feed almost all of the animals here. I am disabled and was able to go through the whole park. A lot of fun for the whole family.

Nicholas Brewster

This place is depressing, the animals look sad and the big cats pace back and forth with no goal. The monkeys are kept in tiny cages some of them smaller than a refrigerator. The cages looked dirty, and there was only one lion, one zebra and one giraffe. All of which are social animals and need company. I'm addition there was a lot of stolen heritage called "found artifacts" in the history tunnel. All in all it was a terrible experience in a horrific animal prison. 0 stars if I could.

melissa jones

Cages were a bit small for a couple animals but it was nice!

Fred Malcom

The place was clean and well taken care of. However the amount of animals was lacking and the animals they did have were hiding because they have no room to move. I don’t mind spending money for a good zoo. But the price isn’t good for what you actually get to see. My kids were disappointed as they didn’t get to see their favorite animal which was the begal tiger. I’m not even sure if they actually have one because it was no where to be found in the cage. The animals you could see were in bad shape. You could tell they weren’t taken care of. I won’t be going back again. I’m surprised they haven’t gotten in trouble yet for the way the animals are taken care of. Won’t surprise me if it gets shut down here soon.

Robert G

The animals do not have “habitats”, they are kept in small cages and it is terribly depressing. Zoos like this should not be able to exist. If you really want to go to a zoo, take the trip to the state zoo in Asheboro, where the animals are well taken care of and have ample space to live.

Neville Boone

Very great place to go the staff are nice, they need to place water fountains or coolers throughout park on hot days for patrons to drink. It's literally like 3 or 4 circle lapse around the park. Great for Small kids.

Brittany Carlyle

We had a good time. Price seemed a little high, especially for the fact we had to pay $8 for our little one. But the different animals were neat and there were a lot more than we expected .

Crystal Evans

I absolutely loved this zoo. From looking at it from the road, you wouldn’t expect quite the amount of land and animals it actually has. It’s a beautiful zoo to walk around. It was extremely well priced. The animals all looked content and well taken care of. We went in the morning right when they opened- and most of the animals were all fairly active. There were several peacocks roaminga round and we got to see them in full display. The birds were chirping and most of the monkeys were jumping/swinging around. I loved being able to feed the monkeys peanuts! Was so interesting! Would love to come back and will recommend to everyone I know visiting the area.

jamie godwin

It has improved a lot. Animals have more room with bigger spaces.

#momlife #trophywife

Horrible place .. they kept staring me down because I had a giant stroller with my baby in it and then said to me I couldn’t go in with. Water thermal container which it isn’t listed on their website and we drove all the way from winterville for this... they didn’t even greet us just a nasty attitude so upsetting. I see why they have awful reviews

Robert Townsend

This place should be shut down. Horrifying conditions for these animals. Owners charging $12 to see animals sitting alone in cages that are so small it should be illegal. Here's a thought. Take a trip to the St. Louis Zoo. It's twenty times larger and FREE.

Tavare Hill

Good place for small kids. Smaller walks to each section which is a plus.

Jordan Phillips

This is the saddest place, clearly run with no consideration of the animals moreso the greed for money. I’m surprised this place is still open in 2019

Coily LeCross

It's not bad for a small zoo. The animals could use some more space. I like the fact that you can feed some of the animals

Amanda Evans

In 2017, two bears—named Ben and Bogey—were rescued from their cramped cells at Tregembo Animal Park in Wilmington, North Carolina. Now, they're able to swim, splash, play, and forage in their new sanctuary home. But big cats, primates, a giraffe, and other animals are still suffering at this roadside zoo—which has been repeatedly cited for failing to provide animals with necessary veterinary care and safe and secure enclosures

Sandpaper

Me and my boyfriend went to this zoo and we really loved it! The animals seem really well taken care of and staff seems really nice! We even got to watch one of the staff members give the tiger some fresh water and the tiger seemed really comfortable with him. He was playing around with him and playing with the water. The animals seemed happy and well fed. The Only reason I’m giving 4 stars is because the park has plenty of space but the cages don’t really extend that far. But none the less the animals still seem to be enjoying their life and it looks like they are cared for very well

Deena Kay

What a magical place! This family has spent generations giving these animals sanctuary. And it is definitely a labor of love. There are beautiful animals well fed and cared for and upkeep of 10 acres of property. They do a wonderful job considering the cost is so minimal for entry. I really was so happily and pleasantly surprised. Don't let anything deter a visit. It's well worth it and makes your heart swell at the kindness of this family to give these animals a forever home. Truly magical.

Raiford Simpson

Great for family and groups lots of amazing animals we had a great time good clean fun.. staff was very nice an helpful...

Donna Guglielmo

I’ve been going to the animal park for many years. We used to live in Sentry Oaks subdivision our my property backed up to the zoo. All through the day we would hear the lion roaring from our house! My sister, daughter and I used to visit when it was named Totem Inn Zoo. The owner at that time had a mother and her baby bear cubs. My sister and I would go there about once a week and make subtle comments and show a lot of interest in the cubs, they were behind the counter in a playpen. One day when we went through the building the owner came outside and asked us if we wanted to play with them! Are you kidding! Baby cubs? We played with them and fed them bottles for about an hour. I can honestly say that was one of the best experiences in my life! Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! I posted four of my pictures on here. We were so impressed with all there is to see. Expect to spend at least an hour there, probably more like two if you plan on taking pictures and videos. I love the animals and plan to go back again very soon!

Susan Scott

We were pleasantly surprised at what a nice zoo this was. So many animals, good information, fun displays. So nice to walk the trails and paths around the whole park. The animals were healthy and most very interactive. Outdoor snack shack and tables. Plenty of restrooms. Fun gift shop at affordable prices.

Eddie Maiale

Half of the animals looked sick and depressed. Could have been the hot weather, but they didn't look well at all. Maybe they were adopted, but after a while they should be getting better. The water tanks looked dirty, there was almost no ambiance, I can't find anything good to say about the place. I will say though, the energetic monkey towards the end of my tour made me add a star

Schuyler Marshall

Great little zoo had fun

Emily Harman

We had a wonderful time!! Our 8 and 11 year old enjoyed it! I wish we had allotted more time. Nice and clean! Well worth the money.

Casey Harless

I can honestly say this was awful. The animals are not well taken care of. The lion was skinny, they are kept in small spaces. The sloth den had a portable air conditioner and holes in the enclosure. It was not well kept up. I have been to the zoo several times and this was pure disgusting. The way they housed the animals is deplorable. The tigers did not have proper water. To play in or drink. The water for all the animals was kept in tiny little boxes. Its was awful. The most disturbing thing was the women inspecting the enclosures said everything looked great.

Frederic Carroll

An older zoo that over the years has suffered much controversy because of how small the cages are for the animals. I will say the animals appeared healthy. The snack bar was a nice find with very economical prices.

Abirami Perumal

So many animals to see. Very spacious. Highly recommend to visit. Very much reasonable price

Wabbit Habitat

Love how they have updated the zoo . I miss the elephant . Cleaner and much better for the animals than what I saw before years ago. Very pricey gift store.

Mary-Lauren Burton

This “animal park” is literally horrifying. We went recently, before the storm. The animals are bone thin and in the tiniest cages/fences I’ve ever seen at an “animal park”/zoo. I shudder to think where these animals were kept during the hurricane. I’m imagining the tiniest cement cage with some breathing holes, a water bowl, and zoo “caretakers” (I use that term so incredibly loosely here) throwing in meat byproduct and vitamin mush to keep them alive, based on what they show to the public. If you’re cheap and you enjoy showing your children animal abuse, you’ll probably have a great time, like the five star ratings in the comments. There’s a reason that REAL zoos charge as much as they do. If you’re a humane person who gives any sort of appreciation to wildlife or nature, please stay far away. The owners of this park should be ashamed. The employees should feel embarrassed to work there.

Frankie Wood

Always a wonderful place to visit! Staff is always super friendly and very open to questions. Highly recommended!

Brandy Austin Gallagher

Great fun time with family but the animals are sad. In small cages and very sad looking. It was fun just feel like the animals should be takin care of better and have waaaaaaaaaaaaay more room then they do.

amanda robison

Definitely a must go! Better buy several bags of corn for getting the goats! And peanuts for the monkeys!

Candy Jarman

Kids love it we enjoyed it lots of animals

Renee Mosier

Animal enclosures are small with concrete pads. No natural habitat. Some areas were dirty and smelled terribly. There was a peacock that looked ill/dying. Heartbreaking. Do not support this place.

John Moody

Animal park is organized and surprisingly clean. The staff were nice and helpful. There are a variety of animals here and they appear to be well taken care of. My negative would have to be giving the animals more space in their habitats. The $12 entrance ticket is well worth it and we spent almost 2 hours here.

Courtney Davis

Cannot believe this place is still in business, I remember going YEARS ago with family, as a child, and I told them never take me back. The cages were tiny and filthy. The animals were miserable. Imagine my surprise to see it still open as I passed by last weekend on the way to the beach. Absolutely disgraceful.

Bonny Jones

Loved this zoo. Kids and I had a wonderful time. Cages were clean and animals appeared to be taken care of. A wide assortment of animal's

James Mckissick

Awesome a must see

Dana Zelnio

For it's small size it had so much to offer. I loved feeding the cute little monkeys. The fenix foxes were just too cute playing and making little noises. Best of all was the giraffe getting so close could almost touch him.

Jocelyn Melvin

Perfect little zoo, especially for little ones.

Brandon Epperson

Fun for the kids, but I've been spoiled by better zoos

Randall Stewart

Our family liked it didnt realize how big it was will be going back thanks

Kenneth Engel

Staff refused admittance to shop in their gift shop without zoo admission fee. I guess they don't need any sales!

Aaron W

Animals just didnt look happy but they have a giraff that was cool

Jacob

They take tremendous care of their animals. It's a great zoo and it's always a fun trip.

Ashley Fowler

Had a good time and my kids had lots of fun

Heather Potter

Enjoyed seeing the animals with my husband and 2 children (6 and 13) but it wasnt very well kept and I felt sorry for the animals. Don't think we will be visiting again.

Brianna Long

Animals are treated so poorly. This place is pathetic and depressing! Should’ve been shut down YEARS ago. I feel so bad for those poor babies.

Anthony Hardie

Great little place to take the kids. Takes about an hour to two to see everything.

Amanda Martin

Went with my daycare kids for a field trip. Like the misters that they have to help cool you off on a very hot day. Even got to see them feeding the animals some fresh fruit and veggies. Kids like this zoo.

Lacey D

The kids loved it and it was very clean

Georganna Mclinn

Was a small zoo but my grandchildren loved it

Eva Caulder

Looks small on the outside. Once we got inside it was huge! The animals have so much space to roam. Big cats will hopefully get a bigger enclosure, but their enclosures are clean and well maintained. Super child friendly. They have a wonderful variety of monkeys and birds. I highly recommend buying the little bags of food at the front desk to feed the animals along the way! The monkeys will catch the peanuts you toss. Such a nice group of people work here and was good to see some posters of my home country Belize! Well traveled zookeepers and extremely aware of the needs of their animals. The Fennic foxes are gorgeous and so energetic.

Skye Sanara

There were plenty of animals to view and discover, but all in all they werent treated very well, nor did the animals have very much room to move around. The animals at the front were overfed with peanuts and corn, and those at the back were starving. Our favorite attraction were the goats who got all of the attention of kids and parents alike while others were stressed due to the small cages. If you wish ti avoid crowding, this is definitely the zoo for you and your little one, but for adults looking for a good time, I recommend avoiding it.

Wayne W

Loved this zoo lots of beautiful animals. Loved the way you walk around in the shade we were there in the middle of July and it wasn't hot at all. Kids will love it here because they can see Animals here that they may not ever get to see.

Sapphire LaCoss

I got to see lemurs up close. And this is one of the few zoos my kids actually had fun at. I also loves the signs along the way. The 1st picture is one of the signs they have at the zoo.

Molly Clouse

This family owned zoo was the best zoo I have ever been to in my life! I have been to, at least, 5 different zoo's throughout my lifetime. What makes this place stand out the most is how different the animals respond to their environment and to the staff around them. The Tabby tiger, named Tabby, was not very interested in much, but as soon as one of the groundskeeper's walked up... She was so excited! They played peekaboo, tiger vs man behind cage/cement style, and she was loving it! She was playing with the water that he was cooling her off with, and she would even purr for him. That's something you don't see at the larger zoo's... A human connection with the understanding that the animal is a wild animal, but needs love too! You have to go here!!! Lovely place!

snowwhite Bullock

We really enjoyed watching all the different animals. There are giraffes ,alligators, lions, monkeys, zebras and so much more to see. The goats are wonderful, very sweet and nosey. The monkeys are show offs and my granddaughter simply adored them. We loved that the animals are well cared for. It is not a giant zoo, but you can easily kill half the day there. It is truly a wonderful little zoo. I highly recommend it, especially for the little ones.

Kelly Sharp

This place is awesome for kids and families to get up close to amazing animals.

Heather Marshall-Clancy

Looking in to reporting this zoo for animal crulity. Every cage made me sick to my stomache . The Lion is starving to death .

Wayne W

Loved this zoo lots of beautiful animals. Loved the way you walk around in the shade we were there in the middle of July and it wasn't hot at all. Kids will love it here because they can see Animals here that they may not ever get to see.

Troy Bryan

Nice park where its never overpacked and i can let my little girl run around without her being in any danger.

Jōjia _Momo

No matter how accurately zoos attempt to recreate habitats, they will never be natural. While some zoos attempt to grant their animals as much space as possible, they can never recreate the natural expanse of territory found in the wild. Zoo animals spend day after day, year after year in the same enclosure. Birds can only flay so far, giraffes can only walk so many paces, elephants can only travel from one wall to another, and monkeys can only climb so high. Many species are used to traveling miles every day in nature. Zoo animals can develop any number of neurotic behaviors from the stress of captivity. These are scientifically referred to as “Abnormal Repetitive Behavior,” or ARB. In 1992 by Bill Travers, co-founder of the Born Free Foundation coined the term “Zoochosis” to describe this obsessive, repetitive behaviors, and described zoo animals behaving abnormally as ‘zoochotic’. A great way for kids to get to connect to animals in real life is by visiting animal sanctuaries, where rescued and rehabilitated animals are allowed to live in peaceful settings. I’ve included a links to lists of international sanctuaries below along with further resources. Other zoo alternative activities include visiting local parks, hiking trails, and basically, just going outside. We tend to undervalue the beauty and life in our own backyards. Kids can volunteer at local animal shelters, or even babysit neighbor’s pets to learn the importance of caring for and protecting animals. All of the lessons zoos are meant to teach our children are far more effectively taught elsewhere, and without the cost to the animals themselves. Teach your children compassion towards all beings. Animals are here with us, not for us.

Becky Cook

Our kindergarten classes recently traveled to Tregembo Animal Park in Wilmington,NC. We had a great time! Very informative, just wish we had more time to spend there. Definitely will go back. I would love to take my grandson and make a day of it!

Brittany Snyder

Sure...there is a great selection of animals...and it is much bigger than it seems. The animals look well fed and property cared for mostly. But the actual habits created for these animals are horrible. Many of them with out actual grass. The lion for instance literally is almost as big as his kennel. It's sad. Most of the animals look miserable as well. I felt guilty for even paying to see that when we where leaving.

Kelsey Samuel

The billy goats and foxes were the coolest part- definitely worth buying the $1.00 feed. Worth the money for sure, good bang for your buck

Irma Welch

My 4 year old grandson and I went for a morning at the zoo. We really enjoyed all the animals. Of course we had to buy a bag of corn and a bag of peanuts so he could feed the animals. He loved feeding the ducks, monkeys and especially the goats. All of the animals look well taken care of. The zoo is very clean and kept up inside. The variety of animals was great for this being a smaller zoo. We will definitely return!

Christy Hampshire

Loved it not busy so you can really enjoy it

Jamie Foster

First time i been since i was a little girl. Me and my family love it.

Jack Harvey

Tremendous! Another Carolina secret...

Aleshia Anderson

These animals had very small enclosures and some had only a small water container to drink from. Some almost looked dead they were so thin.

Sapphire LaCoss

I got to see lemurs up close. And this is one of the few zoos my kids actually had fun at. I also loves the signs along the way. The 1st picture is one of the signs they have at the zoo.

Whitley Stavish

Horrible, horrible place! The animals are in abhorrent living conditions. PLEASE do not support this place.

Denise Louhichi

Awesome little place that isn't little! It was amazing and relaxing. I really enjoyed the odd collection of so many unique "things". Nice gift shop too!

Janet Casteen

Pleasantly surprised!! Very clean peaceful animal park. Really enjoyed our visit. The animals seem well cared for.

Amanda Mercer

Interactive, you can feed many of the animals. Some of the animals seemed particularly stressed but it was also very busy and a hot day.

Brittany Morgan

Highly recommend, this was an awesome place to visit! Great staff, beautiful animals, and it was nice and shady on a hot day! We will be back!

Lera Howard

This place should be shut down. It is inhumane. The animals are kept alone in cages that are so small, they can barely move around. Everything is overpriced and the entire zoo has the stench of feces and urine. If I could give this 0 stars I would. Do not visit this tortureful place.

Paige Carpenter

Wonderful up-close experience with animals but animals seem sad and don't have enough room in cages

Quadreica Grady

All of the animals interacted with the people..my two boys loved it.

Rachael Moore

I really enjoyed this place. I thought it was a little pricey, but if I'm honest I'm an inexpensive person. This place has tons of bad reviews everywhere, but I was shocked it had so many animals and information. I may be naive as I was walking with my fiancee I told him I didn't think the animals were couped up (that is why they have so many bad reviews) & he said they kind of are as the tiger paced back & forth. (I just included this information for anyone who may not want to go for that reason.)

Robyn Gingras

Zoo is welcoming and clean. Animals are in great shape healthy and well fed. Have been there repeatedly and will return again.

Jason Smith

Great small zoo exhibit for children and the staff is very friendly.

Samantha DeBose

It is a nice place to go just needs more animals

Blaze The Good Boy

Absolutely horrifying. And this isnt coming from a vegan. Today they had a DOG in a tiny cage. This should be illegal. The poor little Puppy looked like it was dying of malnutrition. Very frail, weak, skin partly exposed. I think it was a golden retriever. The FBI really needs to shut down this horrific excuse for a zoo. And the STAFF! Don't even get me started

LESLIE Burrell

Went to this zoo summer 2018. Read all the negative reviews. Had to find out for myself. Not sure why it had bad reviews. This place is a clean, friendly zoo. All the animals are well taken care of. You can feed most of the animals. That was really cool. It was really laid back. Peacocks walking around. We spent 5 hours there. Taking pictures and letting my son take in all the cool animals. Can't wait to visit this spring. You have my support Tregembo Zoo !

Sandy Powell

I was very impressed nice clean little Zoo animals all seem very happy the walkways are clean the place was not stinky and they had a nice little gift shop

Stephen Howell

Not sure why people are given this place such a horrible review I want with my two little girls and a family member and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I don't know what people are expecting when they go to a zoo or if they've gone to only high-end zoos before but this is a pretty darn good zoo. Staff was friendly all the animals were out and we had a really good time.

Molly Clouse

This family owned zoo was the best zoo I have ever been to in my life! I have been to, at least, 5 different zoo's throughout my lifetime. What makes this place stand out the most is how different the animals respond to their environment and to the staff around them. The Tabby tiger, named Tabby, was not very interested in much, but as soon as one of the groundskeeper's walked up... She was so excited! They played peekaboo, tiger vs man behind cage/cement style, and she was loving it! She was playing with the water that he was cooling her off with, and she would even purr for him. That's something you don't see at the larger zoo's... A human connection with the understanding that the animal is a wild animal, but needs love too! You have to go here!!! Lovely place!

now youknow

This place was so much fun even in the rain

Kevin Zeigler

Not sure which zoo these people were bad mouthing but this zoo is very nice. price is reasonable and very wide variety of adorable animals. All animals looked well cared for and content. Only complaint i have is the prices in the gift shop were expensive and the snack shop was closed. Otherwise it was a pleasant experience and would recommend it.

David Baker

Felt sorry for the animals they looked so overheated ...but the artifacts the had were very interesting

Jade Oakes

This place has been blacklisted by PETA. The animals are kept in tiny enclosures away from their natural habitats. The giraffe enclosure had a metal shed in it, nothing else, nothing to provide adequate shade for him. You have to wonder how these animals are able to survive here without their natural food and climate.

Pat Evans

A great place to take the kids. Everything was so clean. You can tell they care for their animals.

Rain Cloud

Absolutely appalling animal park! You are able to purchase peanuts and corn to feed some of the animals however it has to be thrown to reach the animals in the enclosures. Perhaps feed chutes could be considered. Absolutely pitiful enclosures for the large cats and Jambo the giraffe. Staff was very unfriendly on our arrival. I will never go back!

Sabrina Clevinger

Our granddaughter loved this zoo. She wanted to bring the pig home.

snowwhite Bullock

We really enjoyed watching all the different animals. There are giraffes ,alligators, lions, monkeys, zebras and so much more to see. The goats are wonderful, very sweet and nosey. The monkeys are show offs and my granddaughter simply adored them. We loved that the animals are well cared for. It is not a giant zoo, but you can easily kill half the day there. It is truly a wonderful little zoo. I highly recommend it, especially for the little ones.

Thel Kelejian

Disturbingly small cages for such beautiful animals. The monkeys were distressed, trying to rattle the cages and seemingly break free. Having been to many zoos which are education and conservation oriented, I can say with confidence the owners of this "animal park" do not care about their animals. Having lived in Wilmington for 20 years, I have seen little to no change or improvement in the way their animals are kept in that time. Shut it down!

Jack Sledge

The animals are clearly well fed and cared for. The cages are clean.They have a nice snack bar and a neat gift shop. There are plenty of restrooms and the staff is super friendly. It's also neat how you can feed a lot of cool animals with corn and peanuts. They have a white tiger, sloths, an otter, a giraffe, and even a talking bird. Really fun environment for families. I gave 4 stars because I can't help but think that some of the larger animals could use a little more breathing room. I'm sure they are regulation cages, but that's just my observation. I'm not a zookeeper, but it looked cramped to me. But overall, definatly a good experience with this zoo.

Sandra Hardie

For a small zoo, it was well maintained and clean. The animals are in small areas but what you expect for a small zoo. They do seem taken care of and dont seem sickly. My parents used to take me and my brothers there when I was a kid, there has been a lot of changes, all good. My daughter loved it especially the tigers and lion, cause it was her grandpa's favorite animals. The keepers were very pleasant and seemed to care about the animals and what they do. I advise if you go, to go when it's not hot, so you can enjoy watching the animals interact more.

Crystal Lessard

I've gone here like 4 times and I will go back Everytime I visit nc. I absolutely love this zoo and there's tons of peacocks and other birds that roam freely.

Rachel leigh

I hope this place gets shut down. The living conditions for these animals are inhumane. It's sickening.

Amy Fisher

Although there are conflicting reviews on this animal park, I am giving a little more positive review. Yes, the park is small but very well manicured. Most of the animals seemed to be fine and I didn’t note any that seemed to be in distress. The giraffe was a little heartbreaking because it is alone and I didn’t see anything to keep it entertained. All in all, we enjoyed being able to see the animals close up. The employees were very nice on our visit and it was nice to see them crack jokes with us in a slow day it appeared to us. Hopefully the money spent for admissions goes back to these cute animals and the animals do seem to enjoy getting the corn and peanuts!

Pep Kill

The amimals looked depressed. Alot of the animals I've noticed had blood on them from keeping them in small cages and rubbing against the cages. Never coming here again. Someone should report them.

susie johnson

Great place, you get to feed and interact with the animals. Very clean and well cared for

Jupiter

I went here with my family and were truly shocked by the cruelty we saw. My wife was in tears when we left. The animals are kept in tiny cages on their own, displaying behaviours of suffering, pacing up and down and are housed on concrete floors. Please don’t visit this prison of abuse. This place needs shutting down and the animals should go to a sanctuary. HORRIBLE PLACE HORRIBLE PEOPLE DON’T CONTRIBUTE TO THE ABUSE BY FUNDING IT.

Smeary Gore

I love going to zoos and this one is the only one around. It is decent. The two women who run the ticket booth who I believe are the owners always never seem like they want to be there and can be quite rude. The turned my uncle away when he wanted to buy something from the gift shop and they told them he had to buy a 12 dollar ticket to buy something from the gift shop. So he left. It just puts a sour taste in your mouth to start off your zoo experience like that. The actual keepers are pleasant though. They casually start up a conversation and tell you about the animal you are viewing. I do wish some of the animals had larger exhibits and other animals of the same kind to play with. It would be simple enough to say add the zebra with the girraffe to give each other some sort of company instead of both having a huge empty exhibit. They do stuff like that in bigger zoos but they don't here. Due to these reasons I give it a 3 star rating. It's a okay place to go if your looking to view animals.

Lily Anderson

This zoo made my sister and I so so sad! They completely mistreat their animals and were feeding their monkeys bagels and fruitloops! The animals seemed distressed as they paced back and forth in their small cages.

Katie Huard

If I could give this place 10 stars I would. Wow!! What a great zoo!! We were here on vacation from MA and drove by it a bunch of times. We finally stopped in and we are so glad we did. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful but not over bearing. The zoo itself was so clean!! The variety of animals was awesome for the price. They had everything from a sloth to a black panther and even rare two headed turtles! (And all of the animals are well taken care of.) The mini museum inside the zoo was pretty neat too. We will be back next year for sure.

Dylan Nicol

They bully their animals and I witnessed it. I hate this and am never coming back.

Jodi Ferguson

Most animals were hard to see and some just weren't visible at all with only one or two animals. They had taken out the bear. There wasn't any there.

Canyon

most all animals are on concrete, they develop depression and anxiety habits, it's not a life to stay in a cage for years.

Jack Sledge

The animals are clearly well fed and cared for. The cages are clean.They have a nice snack bar and a neat gift shop. There are plenty of restrooms and the staff is super friendly. It's also neat how you can feed a lot of cool animals with corn and peanuts. They have a white tiger, sloths, an otter, a giraffe, and even a talking bird. Really fun environment for families. I gave 4 stars because I can't help but think that some of the larger animals could use a little more breathing room. I'm sure they are regulation cages, but that's just my observation. I'm not a zookeeper, but it looked cramped to me. But overall, definatly a good experience with this zoo.

Snowman OG

Five stars because my son had a great time and was so excited for the animals. Staff could be a little friendlier. Overall great experience as a family outing.

Nancy Forman

Today, my 3 1/2 yr old grandson and I went to this zoo. It was a lot of fun, we saw a lot of animals that we could get fairly close to and the park is just the right size. The staff was very friendly and the park was very clean. The animals looked great! If I had to say anything negative~ maybe the parrots could use more toys. I would definitely go back(my grandson LOVED it and I don’t know who had more fun~ he or I..) Definitely go and support a local zoo.

Starr Pridgen

Driving by this place I never thought too much of it, but inside is amazing! I never knew a zoo to be this close to home. They house all types of monkeys, tigers, a lion, a giraffe, camels, a zebra, special cats, special birds, farm animals, and more! They have bags of peanuts and corn and you can feed different animals. My favorite was one of the capuchin monkeys, he caught my peanuts! This zoo offers SO MUCH for $12 for adults and $8 for kids. The value is unparalleled. It is a self-lead tour of all the animals, most of which you can feed. They have snacks and drinks available at the concession stand and the bathrooms, while not air-conditioned, were good. They also have a gift shop with all types of souvenirs and knick-knacks.

Toni Scollins

Tourist trap. I asked premission to bring in a prescribed sugarfree complex carb drink for a health issue & because the heat index is 102. Was told, "we have drinks to purchase here." Really dumb response by them. Sure, I'll throw my prescription away, a Pepsi should do the trick?!? *insert eye roll* They were not courteous nor friendly. I am not a snowflake & dont usually write reviews like this. Save your money. I was prepared to buy extra food, feed the animals & spend money in the pitiful gift shop. Too bad.

John Fuda

I've been coming here for almost 40 years - since I was a kid (and when it was called Tote-em-in Zoo or something like that). Took the family, including my two sons, for the first time. Everyone had a great time. The Zoo's collection of artifacts is rather interesting as well.

Nicole Wright

This is not an AZA credited zoo which means their regulations do not have to meet the standards of normal zoos. This is a road side zoo where the animals are not taken care of as well as regulated zoos and live in much smaller quarters.

Adam Harvell

This place exceeded my expectations. I've passed by this place countless time while visiting the beach, but I finally stopped by with the family to check it out. It's about 10 acres of animals that you can get pretty close to. The kids loved it and it was all around a good time. Well worth the time and money.

Sandra Hardie

For a small zoo, it was well maintained and clean. The animals are in small areas but what you expect for a small zoo. They do seem taken care of and dont seem sickly. My parents used to take me and my brothers there when I was a kid, there has been a lot of changes, all good. My daughter loved it especially the tigers and lion, cause it was her grandpa's favorite animals. The keepers were very pleasant and seemed to care about the animals and what they do. I advise if you go, to go when it's not hot, so you can enjoy watching the animals interact more.

Nikki Tolson

This place is amazing. The amount of animals they had was shocking and really made it worth our while. Staff was friendly and helpful and we really enjoyed our time here

Jessy Hidalgo

THESE ANIMALS HAVE TO BE RELEASED!!! How would you like to be isolated? Huh??? No, you wouldn't...these animals don't either...spend your money on something better rather than making people rich for abusing animals that cannot defend themselves! you are all better than this!

Micheal Lofton

Real fun place to take the kids

Natalie Natalie

Very clean zoo and animals very good takin care of. We definitely will be back.Very informative place not only for kids but for adults as well.Very well organized!!!

Heather Lange

We had a great time! We will be coming back on our next trip to the coast!

Bree Brantley

They have so many different animals to see. It's worth the money. Prices are great

Nicole Jaworski

Staff is super focused on following the rules and not being kind about it. There are many animals and you can feed them. The benches along the path are great for little breaks. Fun adventure for kids 4 and older.

Thomas Gillis

Staff was friendly and knowledgeable! the grounds were well groomed and manicured. The variety of animals was amazing! My family and I really enjoyed our visit!

Jerry Tolbert

Good amount of animals for the price

Eddie G

Animals actually seemed to be in a cooled environment in outdoor humid and hot weather. They have made huge improvements and I am glad to see that a Vet is involved with the animals care.

D Reynolds

The animals are much closer & easier to see at the zoo & you don't have to walk as far/as much as you do at the NC zoo to see a lot of animals.

Danielle Howard

We enjoyed it but felt like maybe more control would have been better. I had to stop my children from feeding animals thay weren't meant to be fed by us. The peacocks are out and one was showing off and people were messing with and bothering him! The bigger cats made me nervous as I believe their cages are just too small.

Madison Fender

Such a nice staff and great animals

Keith Burgeson

Depressing, abysmal attempt at providing adequate mental stimulation for all animals. Serval with a dreadful limp. Would never support this place again. I strongly encourage you to stay away.

Brandon Eason

This place is very cool. Lots of great animals

Eunice Doolittle

Had a wonderful time with my family. Was impressed with everything. The animals and cages were clean. The whole zoo was set up nicely and easy to get around.

Cole Gaitten

I can honestly say this place was a terrible experience. It’s just someone’s backyard with fences and small cages for these big animals. It’s not well kept at all and the staff was very rude.