Buying a zoo

B

brightstar123

New Member
Hi everyone, just looking for a few ideas and suggestions. My partner and I are looking to buy a small private zoo. We have a decent amount of money to spend and are both vets. We are keen to buy something that's established, but with some potential to expand/make our own. The USA and U.K. seem like they could be the most realistic options, which is fine for us. Our interest is in small wild cat species but of course that will be something we have to work towards.
Does anyone have any suggestions about where to look for sales listings or if there is anything on the market at the moment? I have just googled but I thought there might be a better way to find out if anything is/will be available for purchase. Any advice very appreciated! Thank you.
 
I am a small cat fanatic so I would love to have you come here to USA. If you do want to come over here, your first step is to join the Feline Conservation Federation: Feline Conservation Federation
This is a support group for wild cat breeders and owners and they can give you all the regulations for every state in the USA as well as sources for wild cats (big and small).
 
Look into Halls Gap Zoo in Australia. The owners have been looking to sell for a couple of years.
 
Probably the best approach is to look for Zoos that meet your requirements, then let it be known you may be interested in buying if the owner is thinking of selling.
 
Thanks for the suggestions :) I did enquire about the zoo in Wales but it wasn't really suitable for our purposes for a (large) number of reasons. The RSCC was much more enticing but was slightly beyond my budget unfortunately.
It's a great idea to approach people directly, I will definitely do that. Does anyone have any suggestions for small private zoos to approach? I've been looking and have a list but any ideas very welcome!
 
I'm just curious what you ended up doing, if you ever found a place to buy? I would love to find an animal sanctuary for sale or a small zoo that I could convert more into a sanctuary. Thanks for passing on any experiences or info. I'm not sure how to send a direct email, this is my first post on this forum.
 
Mrscruffles said:
I'm just curious what you ended up doing, if you ever found a place to buy? I would love to find an animal sanctuary for sale or a small zoo that I could convert more into a sanctuary. Thanks for passing on any experiences or info. I'm not sure how to send a direct email, this is my first post on this forum.
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It's amazing you want to build a sanctuary and rescue animals, I wish you could accomplish your mission and make a big successful sanctuary!
 
Mrscruffles said:
I'm just curious what you ended up doing, if you ever found a place to buy? I would love to find an animal sanctuary for sale or a small zoo that I could convert more into a sanctuary. Thanks for passing on any experiences or info. I'm not sure how to send a direct email, this is my first post on this forum.
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Unless you've got loads of money that you're willing to spend on an existing facility, I wouldn't count on taking that route. You'd, most likely, have an easier time purchasing your own land and building it from the ground up. Then you can acquire animals at your own rate and have a solid grasp on your own finances. The most important thinking is being financially stable and having the proper permits/licenses. The animals are going to come, you just have to get all the other things checked off first.
 
EsserWarrior said:
Unless you've got loads of money that you're willing to spend on an existing facility, I wouldn't count on taking that route. You'd, most likely, have an easier time purchasing your own land and building it from the ground up. Then you can acquire animals at your own rate and have a solid grasp on your own finances. The most important thinking is being financially stable and having the proper permits/licenses. The animals are going to come, you just have to get all the other things checked off first.
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Thanks Esser Warrior. I'd love to hear more about your ideas. We have some money, but were hoping to buy a pre-existing business because I do need to support my family with an income. At the same time, I want to own and run a place where the animals are all animals that need a place to go, preferably no breeding/selling, and enclosures and enrichment is as good as possible. We have looked at a couple for sale, but I worry about how to make them into places I feel proud of in terms of animal welfare. I don't know if we started from scratch how we could create any income, even a wage out of a non-profit. I wish we didn't need an income, because I would love to run a sanctuary where I could subsidize everything. Thanks for replying, so kind.
 
Just putting this out there - in a few years Animal Haven Zoo in Weyauwega, WI is planning to sell.
 
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Jungle Man said:
The Perthshire's auchingarrich wildlife park in Scotland is for sale.
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Thanks Jungle Man, I have looked into it, but got a bit stuck on immigration and if it is possible to take out a partial loan for a foreigner...but haven't given up. It looks beautiful. Thank you.
 
Jungle Man said:
See what I found @Mrscruffles ! If you wanted to build a sanctuary, this sanctuary is already built,without animals and for sale ( this is the old wildlife waystation sanctuary in California):
This unique house for sale comes with a zoo
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You are SO kind to write to me about this. I have been in touch with the realtor, and I can't afford it outright and he said we wouldn't be able to get a bank loan because it is already closed. Doesn't it look totally awesome though?
 
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