Thanks, looked through stuff and I think I figured where I got that from, something referred to "walking by the florida panther habitat". I assumed that meant an actual animal exhibit, not an info-based exhibit.
Where to see captive animals in the USA
- Thread starter TinoPup
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Thanks, looked through stuff and I think I figured where I got that from, something referred to "walking by the florida panther habitat". I assumed that meant an actual animal exhibit, not an info-based exhibit.
Elmira's has an updated facebook, but their website is now a pharmacy store.
For now I'm going to keep HAPPI under domestics, since all of those are very common domestic pets.
I'm not seeing anything about Kowiachobee doing tours?
Mandalay Farms, WOW at those prices. That's the most expensive I've ever seen!
Tampa Bay Raptor Rescue is the same as Moccasin Lake Raptor Sanctuary.
I thought they were connected, just only staff could walk between the two parts?
SusScrofa
Well-Known Member
That's so weird, I'm now starting to get sent to that pharmacy site as well!
From Facebook I do actually wind up on the sanctuary site. I think their website might be hijacked though as I did just get a warning from my antivirus.
Kowiachobee has a facebook message for their tours. Log into Facebook
I called them a couple of weeks ago because I wanted to go down there for a tour and they confirmed they still give them in the mornings and even individuals can come. Now with the hurricane I'm guessing they might be closed for the next couple of weeks.
There is a single pathway that visitors can walk down. Not many know about it, apparently.
I found a petting zoo that has heritage breeds.
River Ranch Petting Zoo at Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo, River Ranch, FL. Breeds include brown chinese geese, Key West chickens, Florida cracker cattle, as well as emus, llamas, horses, donkeys, peafowl, rabbits, sheep, goats, pigs, etc. Does it count?
Sure. Looks like you have to be staying there to visit, though. I'm not really trying to add places with just domestic animals, the ones I've included are mostly ones I've come across while searching that seem decent/have heritage breeds, and/or help to add more places to states without many options.
Is that place even really open? I can't find anything online and most of what I can find (an address) looks like it is really just one cattle ranch?
This place is truly terrible.
They also have primates (several lemur species and other small monkeys), deer, capybara, and exotics.
It is more of a zoo and safari park than alligator farm.
They replace the wagon with a safari truck (open air Ford safari trucks).
They are currently in the process of developing a second site that will have more animals and a petting zoo.
There is a sidewalk walking path between the two - I have walked it myself. It is in front of the properties, so you can't see any animals on it. It isn't terribly long, definitely worth doing if you are there and want to go between the properties without moving your car or waiting for the bus.
Private in the "Operating hours if not regular" means it isn't open to the public. I've included a few notable/major ones that tend to come up a lot when searching for species.
A lot of these places are terrible. The purpose of this isn't to only include good places.
In other words, "etc"
They're a quickly growing place that are frequently adding species.Which is why it's under the zoos category and not herps.
Noted.
Noted.
They opened their new/off site location this past Sunday: Sunny Green Acres in Clearwater Fl. It is still very much under construction, but it is technically open. Right now it is all domestic pigs, chickens, turkey, dog, etc. It is aimed to primarily be a farm, but will likely add the alligators when they grow larger and some other animals.
Sunny Green Acres
6000 150th Ave. N
Clearwater, FL. 33760
GEORGIA
Zoos, Aquariums, Safaris, large Nature Centers, etc:
Smaller Nature Centers and places with a limited amount of species:
State Fish Hatcheries: hatcheries | Department Of Natural Resources Division
Zoos, Aquariums, Safaris, large Nature Centers, etc:
- Bear Hollow Wildlife Trail / Zoo, Athens – Zoo – Rescued, unreleasable native species, including bear.
- Chehaw Park & Zoo, Albany – Zoo – AZAptm – Former AZA zoo working to rejoin.
- Chestatee Wildlife Preserve & Zoo, Dahlonega – Zoo – You can go *into* the tiger exhibit and feed them.
- Flint RiverQuarium, Albany – Aquarium – AZAptm – Alligators, aviary. KultureCity.
- Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta – Aquarium – AZA, WAZA, AMMPA, IMATA – Whale shark, multiple marine mammals. Smithsonian Affiliate. KultureCity.
- Georgia Safari Conservation Park, Madison – Safari – Opening autumn 2023.
- Haven Zoo, Lavonia – Rescue – Tours – Domestics, primates, serval.
- Highland Hills Farm Adventure, Rutledge - ?? – Very little info on. Domestics, scimitar, tapir.
- Iron P Homestead Zoo, Hogansville – Zoo.
- Lake Hartwell Wildlife Safari, Hartwell – Safari – Opened 2021.
- Museum of Arts & Sciences, Macon – Museum – Lemurs, bats, herps, birds, fish. 70+ species.
- Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary, Locust Grove – Rescue.
- North Georgia Wildlife & Safari Park, Cleveland – Safari – Lots of meet and greet add ons, swim with otters and gators, etc. Formerly North Georgia Zoo & Farm, formerly Wildlife Wonders.
- Oatland Island Wildlife Center, Savannah – NC – Cougar, wolves, deer, herps, BOP, etc. Native species.
- Okefenokee Swamp Park, Waycross – NC? – Bears, herps, etc. Train, swamp tours.
- Pettit Creek Farms, Cartersville – Farm Park – Giraffe, zebras, mara, domestics. Tours.
- Sam’s Path Petting Zoo, Hartwell – Traveling? – Monkeys, nilgai, zebra.
- SeaQuest Stonecrest, Stonecrest – Aquarium, Petting Zoo – Stonecrest Mall. Sloth, porcupine, wallaby, otter, armadillo, etc.
- Tidelands Nature Center, Jekyll Island – NC – Herps including alligators, aquarium.
- Tiger Stripes, Quitman – Rescue – Tours – “Rescue”. Large carnivores, primates.
- Tybee Island Marine Science Center, Tybee Island – Aquarium – Nearly done building much larger facility.
- UGA Marine Education Center & Aquarium, Savannah – Aquarium – 16 exhibits of native species, including alligator.
- Wild Adventures, Valdosta – Theme Park, Zoo – Roller coasters, water park with zoo. Bears, lion and tiger, antelope, caracal, rhino, etc.
- Wild Animal Safari, Pine Mountain – Safari – Drive yourself, ride on a bus, or rent a van. Absurd park policies. Sister park to Wild Animal Safari MO, Wild Animal Safari TX.
- Wild Georgia Safari Park, Metter – Safari – Safari is on converted school bus.
- Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary, Lilburn – Zoo – Mostly native species.
- Zoo Atlanta, Atlanta – Zoo – AZA, WAZA – Small train ride in kids zoo. KultureCity.
Smaller Nature Centers and places with a limited amount of species:
- AWARE Wildlife Center, Stonecrest – Rescue – Tours – Rescue and rehab with ambassadors.
- Center for Wildlife Education, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro – NC - BOP, herps, small mammals, etc. Also have The Lamar Q Ball, Jr. Raptor Center.
- Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery, Suches – Hatchery – USFWS – Brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, bog turtle. Appalachian trail.
- Chattahoochee Nature Center, Roswell – NC – AAM – Live animals.
- Dauset Trails Nature Center, Jackson – NC – Herps, domestics, groundhog.
- Elachee Nature Science Center, Gainesville – NC – 25 native herp species, an owl.
- Feathered Friends Forever, Harlem – Birds – Also Birds on the Brink Science Center.
- Fernbank Museum, Atlanta – NH Museum – AAM – Live animals, including alligators.
- Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Jekyll Island – Rehab – Open daily.
- Go Fish Education Center, Perry – Aquarium, Hatchery – Education center about fishing, watersheds and rivers, live fish exhibits, etc. 200,000 gallon outdoor aquarium with 50+ native fish and herp species.
- Grand Bay Wetland Education Center, Valdosta – NC – Native species.
- Hand Me Down Zoo, Winder – Zoo – Had a bad fire early 2022, currently closed but rebuilding.
- Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center, Columbus – NC – Lots of native and exotic herps, some fish. Columbus State University.
- Project Chimps, Morganton – Primate – Tours – GFAS – Various tours, including through airbnb. Have hiking trails where you can hear, but not see, the chimps, as well.
- Rome-Floyd County ECO River Education Center, Rome – NC – Herps.
- St. Catherine’s Island Foundation, Midway – Primate – Private.
- Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery, Warm Springs – Hatchery – USFWS – Smallmouth bass, sicklefin redhorse, lake sturgeon, alligator gar, gulf coast striped bass, gopher tortoise, gopher frog, multiple freshwater mussel species.
- Autrey Mill Nature Preserve & Heritage Center, Johns Creek – NC - Native and exotic herps, goats, domestic rabbits and ducks. Farm museum, heritage village.
- Goats on the Roof, Tiger – Petting Zoo – Store with food trucks, lots of goats, a few kid rides.
- Rock Ranch, The Rock – Farm Park – Lots of rides. Domestics.
- Stone Mountain Park, Stone Mountain – Petting Zoo – Domestics.
- Georgia Museum of Natural History, Athens – NH Museum – University of Georgia.
- Phinizy Center for Water Sciences, Augusta – NC – Not sure if they have live animals?
State Fish Hatcheries: hatcheries | Department Of Natural Resources Division
You're welcome! Are there any states you're visiting that I haven't covered yet?
A few.
I will be driving from Florida to Alaska. In addition to Florida, Colorado, and Georgia…I will be traveling through South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana. I’ll also be passing though Alberta, British Columbia, and the Yukon Territory, before crossing back into Alaska. Indiana, Wisconsin, Virginia, Wyoming, Ohio, and British Columbia will be the states and provinces were I don’t have a zoo or museum on the agenda. Your Florida post had me switch out Paynes Prairie State Park and Crystal River NWR with Homossassa State Wildlife Park and your Georgia post led me to Oatland Island Wildlife (which gives me a facility in Georgia). Previously I was planning on running straight through from the Jacksonville Zoo to Charles Towne Landing. Now it’ll be a shorter drive, a night in Savannah and picking up another “zoo”.
If you are driving through the Crystal River area and have any interest in history, the Crystal River archaeological state park is worth a stop. The mounds there are incredible.
You can't just say that and not elaborate.
Not even ICF or MToxins? Come on!
Are you doing any non-zoo/museum things? Any wildlife stops, for example? Whooping Cranes are easy to find for most of the year if you know the right places.
SusScrofa
Well-Known Member
What zoos are you visiting in Florida?
You can't just say that and not elaborate.
They don't have much on their websites, but they do have a rules page: Animal Park Rules | Wild Animal Safari
Some of the bits that stand out to me for various reasons:
Wild Animal Safari Park Policies & Safety Rules said:
I do. I’ll be stopping a few historic sites. Fort Fisher in NC, Little Bighorn Battlefield in MT, and the Strategic Air Command Museum in NE. Much of my route is planned around Natural History Museums (not quite the same thing). I hope to at least glimpse St Augustine and Fort Sumter. I’ll be keeping my eyes open along the way for Native American and Pioneer sites as well.
Gulf Breeze Zoo, Tallahassee Museum, Homossassa Springs Wildlife Center, Miami Zoo, Brevard Zoo, St Augustine Alligator Farm, and Jacksonville Zoo. Other facilities along the way if I can fit them into my travel schedule.
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