Unique Animal Encounter Experiences

M

MarkinTex

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
I've always been a sucker for the drive-through safari parks, and our warm climate and abundance of cheap land here in Texas have resulted in several old ranches being turned into these. Fossil Rim Wildlife Center up in North Texas is the best.

Disney has a penchant for offering unique animal encounter experiences. At Animal Kingdom they have a three-hour guided walking tour of a large outdoor habitat called "Wild Africa Trek." It costs US$219 per person.

One of Disney's water parks, Typhoon Lagoon, used to have an attraction called "Shark Reef." Guests could take a 5-15 minute (depending on how much you wanted to pay) snorkel across a 362,000 gallon outdoor habitat containing rays, small sharks, and tropical fish. The attraction was closed in 2016 due to high operating costs.

Does anyone have any other examples of unique captive animal encounter experiences?
 
If you know where to look, there are plenty of “unique” animal experiences across the globe. In between all of the substandard “touch and feed” encounters provided by both reputable and not-so-reputable facilities. There are also a few higher-quality experiences that are likely to be worthwhile.

For example, Aquatica Orlando (which is first and foremost, a water park) offers the following experience that allows a number of visitors to get behind-the-scenes and interact with their Commerson’s Dolphins. With their current pair being the only ones of their kind in the entire Western Hemisphere. I participated in this experience last November and is a worthwhile while way to get up close and personal with a species that is incredibly rare in human care. I’ve provided a direct link for anyone who may be interested: Commerson's Dolphin Close-Up Tour | Aquatica Orlando

In addition, there is also, for example, the Deluxe Cart Safari provided by the San Diego Zoo Safari Park; which may be more in line with what you’re more familiar with in Texas @MarkinTex. As far as I’m aware, there is now a 50/50 chance of a cart safari taking you besides either their African Savanna and/or Asian Plains habitats; meaning that every safari will never be the same. Here’s another link if you so wish to learn more: Cart Safaris

While these two examples aren’t the only available options, there are certainly more experiences of this caliber that are worth checking out.
 
Im not sure if other collections do this but in South Africa Cango Wildlife Ranch does a croc cage dive experience in their summer months only.
 
Austin the Sengi said:
For example, Aquatica Orlando (which is first and foremost, a water park) offers the following experience that allows a number of visitors to get behind-the-scenes and interact with their Commerson’s Dolphins. With their current pair being the only ones of their kind in the entire Western Hemisphere. I participated in this experience last November and is a worthwhile while way to get up close and personal with a species that is incredibly rare in human care. I’ve provided a direct link for anyone who may be interested: Commerson's Dolphin Close-Up Tour | Aquatica Orlando
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Your mention of the Commerson's dolphin encounter at Aquatica reminds me of the common "swim with the dolphins" experiences offered in a lot of tropical beach destinations around the world. I've never been a fan of these kinds of experiences, I don't think they're good for the dolphins, and I think they also send the wrong message that it's okay to approach and try to touch wild dolphins, which is bad for the dolphins and hazardous for people. Plus, Aquatica is part of Sea World, which has a controversial reputation when it comes to captive cetaceans. In general I am opposed to keeping cetaceans captive unless they could not survive in the wild or there is a conservation purpose. I see Aquatica doesn't actually let guest swim with the Commerson's dolphins at least, but I know the species is Least Concern, so there is no conservation value to keeping them captive. Are these animals ones that were injured and can't survive in the wild?
 
Have you heard of the Natural Bridge Wildlife Park near San Antonio. It is a very large drive through park.

Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Kansas has some cool wildlife encounters too.

Georgia Aquarium has some awesome wildlife encounters. Su h as diving and feeding sharks. Also up close encounters with Sea Lions, Dolphins, Penguins, Beluga Whales and a few others.

Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo has several encounters and experiences. They are in New Braunsfels, Texas.

North Georgia Wildlife Park & Safari in Cleveland, GA has several cool encounters.

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo had some nice experiences.

Houston Interactive Aquarium & Animal Perserve had some good experiences such as feeding and petting several species of Lemurs.
 
Mr. Bobcat said:
Have you heard of the Natural Bridge Wildlife Park near San Antonio. It is a very large drive through park.

Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Kansas has some cool wildlife encounters too.

Georgia Aquarium has some awesome wildlife encounters. Su h as diving and feeding sharks. Also up close encounters with Sea Lions, Dolphins, Penguins, Beluga Whales and a few others.

Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo has several encounters and experiences. They are in New Braunsfels, Texas.

North Georgia Wildlife Park & Safari in Cleveland, GA has several cool encounters.

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo had some nice experiences.

Houston Interactive Aquarium & Animal Perserve had some good experiences such as feeding and petting several species of Lemurs.
Click to expand...

I have been to Natural Bridge Wildlife Park, it's a good one. Their underground caverns are also worth a visit.

I wondered about Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Kansas...back in 1987 when I was 11 my mother drove my brothers and I from Houston up to Kearney, Nebraska to visit her sister. To break up the trip, we hit up a few roadside attractions, and one was a drive through safari, I'm pretty sure it was in Kansas. But I see Tanganyika didn't open to the public until 2008, so couldn't have been the same one.

Unfortunately Houston Interactive Aquarium & Animal Preserve is owned by Ammon Covino of SeaQuest infamy, so I won't be going there, even though its only a 30 minute drive for me.
 
Didn't know that about Houston Interactive Zoo.
I live in South Carolina and was visiting relatives in Houston when I went.
 
Would SeaWorld San Diego/Orlando Ultimate On-Ice Penguin Experience count? I’ve done it at the San Diego park and I want to say it is only zoological facilities that allow guests to enter a sub/Antarctic penguin exhibit without barriers. It allowed the perhaps only opportunity to get close to Emperors (prior to their move to Orlando) and Adelies outside their native range.
 
Zoos in East Asia, especially in China, are the places for it. Some are tacky and bad for animal welfare, others are to a good standard, or could be easily adapted into good attractions in Western zoos.

Outside Asia, you have a swim with stingrays encounter in Mexico
 
I don't know if this counts, but a lot of zoos offer accommodation as close as possible to their animals (jaguar, lion, giraffe, wolves, bear, etc, etc). It's an experience that I find rather nice and unusual.
Some of them are really wonderful (I'm thinking in particular of ParrotWorld, where you can watch jaguars sticking right up to the bay window)
However, as most zoos offer this, it can't be described as very original. But I do like:D

Adax
 
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