Zoological Wildlife Foundation
Zoological Wildlife Foundation
4.5
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
ZWF Miami is the only zoo in South Florida with as many animal encounters. We carry more than 40 exotic species at our facility with many available for interactive activities involving our guests. The five acre zoo houses everything from domestic animals and primates to large predatory birds and mammals. Some of our popular selection of exotic zoo animals are Chimpanzees, Gibbon Apes, Sloths, Lemurs, Owls, Snakes, Anteater, Lions Cub,, Tiger Cubs, Ligers, Black Jaguar, and mischievous Capuchin monkeys - like those used in many movies. The Zoological Wildlife Foundation offers intimate tours and private encounters by appointment. Contact us to schedule a special tour with our exotic animals! It's an experience you will never forget!
Suggested duration
2-3 hours
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Restaurants
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Attractions
25 within 6 miles
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,985 reviews
Excellent
1,689
Very good
144
Average
77
Poor
33
Terrible
42
A Zachery
3 contributions
Apr 2021 • Family
We paid for a one hour tour and spent almost a full two hours learning about and engaging with the animals. Our guide was great. She had worked there about 3 years and was knowledgeable about all of the animals and their unique stories and personalities. At the end of the tour, you get to hold baby alligators, blue younger skinks, boas and pythons and pet an owl. We also paid for additional time with a monkey and a baby kangaroo. They were worth every penny. It’s a once in a lifetime engagement. The pictures we got especially with the monkey were priceless. I would highly recommend this private zoo experience. I would also recommend going in the evening when the animals are more active.
Written April 25, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Emily H
Marysville, WA31 contributions
Sep 2022
My family had a wonderful experience at ZWF. I have to give props to our tour guide; she was extremely friendly and knowledgeable about the animals. I would truly like to thank her again for her positive vibes and for how patient she was with us and the other guests that were also present during the tour part of our day. I cannot imagine there is a better guide. There was about 10 people present for the tour and she asked at each stop if everyone got a chance to interact with the animals. She kept things moving but was able to observe us and slowed down when it was clear the group needed an extra moment to snap pictures with a critter or pass a few more snacks to the animals. I could tell she really loved the animals. The animals appeared to be well cared for, even the animals that were not so exotic like the field with the chickens and cows seemed well maintained. We also did the feline encounter after the tour. We were happy to have the same guide who did our tour sit with us during the encounters. It was worth the money for my family which included my 11 year old stepson. He got multiple chances to interact with each animal during the tour. He loved seeing the animals up close and since the guide was so nice he was very comfortable getting out of his comfort zone while feeding the monkeys and even petting a boa at one point. We got to spend time playing with a serval kitten and a lion cub. We had plenty of time to take pictures and play with the babies. It seemed like we got about 10-15 minutes with each one. To me this was reasonable, and both animals seemed happy, healthy, and had a lot of personality. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the serval kitten and lion cub, she seemed to have a lot of experience taking good care of them. I would come back next time we are in Florida.
Written September 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
T_H
Boston, MA5 contributions
Jan 2020
An incredible experience for anyone who loves animals. I came to Miami from Boston specifically to visit the zoological wildlife foundation, and it was worth it. I purchased the special wildlife experience for myself (old man) and two young adults (18 and 24). All of us agreed the highlights were getting to touch and interact with wild cats (a baby Jaguar named Jasper sat in my lap and played with a toy), lemurs, and gibbons - although all of the animals (too numerous to list) were great as well. Even in cases where you can’t actually touch the animals (adult lions and tigers) you are still getting a much closer look than you do at a traditional zoo.
The staff are helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly. Our guide was great, her passion for animals was obvious, and she was very knowledgeable. One really cool aspect, that you definitely don’t get at a traditional zoo, is the intimacy of the experience. The park only offers guided experiences, so it is not crowded, you feel like you are getting a very special private tour (you are!). I couldn’t tell you how many other visitors were there, but it couldn’t have been more than a handful. The staff coordinate to make you feel like you have the place to yourself. Our tour lasted about three hours, it was the perfect amount, and we never felt rushed from one interaction to the next. Although the description says you only get ~5 minutes with the animals, there was no clock watching by the guide, the interactions with animals never felt hurried.
A few thoughts on how to make your visit the best possible.
1. You are interacting with wild animals, not house cats, if you act like a spaz and spook them that is your fault - if you startle the big cat cubs and they get scared there really isn’t much your guide can do in the time that you have to calm the animal back down. I doubt that most young children have maturity to not spook the animals and I personally wouldn’t recommend this park for large families or young (under 12) kids. This an incredibly intimate encounter with wild animals, and requires the guests to be calm and deliberate for maximum enjoyment.
2. We went early in the day, and the weather was nice (mid 70s). I imagine that in the middle of the summer the animals might not be quite as active.
3. This facility is not a traditional zoo, don’t expect costumed mascots or ‘artificial’ scenery. The facility is clean and in good condition, but you are visiting these animals in their homes, functionality takes priority over aesthetics.
The staff are helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly. Our guide was great, her passion for animals was obvious, and she was very knowledgeable. One really cool aspect, that you definitely don’t get at a traditional zoo, is the intimacy of the experience. The park only offers guided experiences, so it is not crowded, you feel like you are getting a very special private tour (you are!). I couldn’t tell you how many other visitors were there, but it couldn’t have been more than a handful. The staff coordinate to make you feel like you have the place to yourself. Our tour lasted about three hours, it was the perfect amount, and we never felt rushed from one interaction to the next. Although the description says you only get ~5 minutes with the animals, there was no clock watching by the guide, the interactions with animals never felt hurried.
A few thoughts on how to make your visit the best possible.
1. You are interacting with wild animals, not house cats, if you act like a spaz and spook them that is your fault - if you startle the big cat cubs and they get scared there really isn’t much your guide can do in the time that you have to calm the animal back down. I doubt that most young children have maturity to not spook the animals and I personally wouldn’t recommend this park for large families or young (under 12) kids. This an incredibly intimate encounter with wild animals, and requires the guests to be calm and deliberate for maximum enjoyment.
2. We went early in the day, and the weather was nice (mid 70s). I imagine that in the middle of the summer the animals might not be quite as active.
3. This facility is not a traditional zoo, don’t expect costumed mascots or ‘artificial’ scenery. The facility is clean and in good condition, but you are visiting these animals in their homes, functionality takes priority over aesthetics.
Written January 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Susan F
7 contributions
May 2021 • Family
The young people working there were not very helpful or friendly with the exception of our tour guide. My mother is disabled and when we asked if there was a handicap parking space they directed us to park anywhere outside the facility and walk in. Upon walking up the the check in building we noticed a handicap parking space right next to it. When we got to the building no one greeted us outside so we walked up to the glass door of the office to check in and were told to please wait outside and someone would be with us. Came off kind of rude especially since there were three girls in there just chatting it up and clearly having a ball in there. Once someone came out and checked us in we were told to stay there and wait for the guide to start. We were not allowed to view the animals or walk up the cages on our own or we would be removed from the property. I overheard another visitor who had paid for an experience online for two adults and two children. One child was not old enough so she could not participate. They gave her a $125 “credit” as they have a strict “no refund” policy. Clearly these people had been able to buy a childrens ticket online AND they were out of town. Seems like an accommodation could have been made there. Once the tour started, the guide was very nice and knowledgeable but the experience was basically a guided tour at the zoo. The animals were beautiful but nothing special here. As they walked us around the tour guide gave us a little info about each group of animals. At one point we walked up to a completely empty enclosure and she talked about whatever animal is “usually” in there. At the end - our animal encounters were a bearded dragon, a boa and a baby alligator. Once they started bringing out the birds (basically parrots) we left. Kind of felt like I could have these same “encounters” at my local pet store. Not impressive for the money.
Written June 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Melissa B
1 contribution
Feb 2023
This was our second time taking the private tour. I feel our guide did not have much experience with young children. My daughter is 6, she has experienced this private tour last year. She loves animal's and was the first to volunteer to pet or hold animals.
She had the freedom to take pictures and to be included, last year, as she was not included this year. Our guide spent more time playing with animals herself, was not aware we didn't want her in our pictures. There was long periods of time we waited for new animals to be brought to us. We heard staff talking on the walkie talkies giving directions, yet we waited. It felt unorganized, as compared to previous year. We were the only guests walking around that day. We were disappointed the tour was not as we expected. We were so excited to see some of the same animals, we did see a few new ones.
She had the freedom to take pictures and to be included, last year, as she was not included this year. Our guide spent more time playing with animals herself, was not aware we didn't want her in our pictures. There was long periods of time we waited for new animals to be brought to us. We heard staff talking on the walkie talkies giving directions, yet we waited. It felt unorganized, as compared to previous year. We were the only guests walking around that day. We were disappointed the tour was not as we expected. We were so excited to see some of the same animals, we did see a few new ones.
Written February 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
karen P
1 contribution
Feb 2021 • Family
We reserved a two hour tour for my daughter's 15th birthday. It was suppose to be a very special day,however, we were two hours away from the facility and even though we left early in order to make it on time, there were two accidents on our way that delayed us significantly. I called and spoke to a rep at the office and explained the situation ( which was completely out of our control) and she was very firm in stating that the rules say that if we are late than unfortunately we would miss part of tour because they would start without us. I thought ok, that's fine but can we at least revist what we missed by ourselves with no tour? They said no. Upon arriving they also went ahead an charged us an extra $15 for being late, even though we missed part of the tour and they weren't taking extra time to show us the part that we missed, nor were we taking their time to see it ourselves. There's no room for anything to happen and they are not accommodating or flexible at all. Also, the animals that we saw were mostly reptiles which I could have seen at our local zoo. We only got to pet one monkey. It was honestly extremely disappointing considering the amount of money you pay for these tours. You can't even stay an extra five minutes after your tour. They come and show you the way out so you can't be on the grounds a second longer than your tour time. I would definitely not go again. You can tell they're all about the money. I would much rather go to our local zoo where you pay 10 times less and you can stay around and walk the grounds for as long as we want. Just be ware that after you pay there's no room for life to happen or you will be out your money.
Written February 22, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Thank you so much for not only taking the time to visit us here at ZWF, but to write this review as well. I would like to begin by apologizing for your negative experience. Our tours do have to remain on schedule as we usually have other tours that follow so we must be mindful of our start and end times so that each guest may get the full experience that they purchased. We do offer the ability to reschedule a reservation up to 4 times without incurring any fees or to receive a non-expiring certificate to be used at your convenience with only a 24-48 hour notice. We also escort guest to our gate after their experience is complete due to supervision being a requirement while on our property. Supervision is required due to the close proximity of our enclosures so that we can ensure our guests safety as well as our animals safety. We do hope you visit us and give us the opportunity to give you the amazing experience ZWF aims to provide.
Written July 27, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
CECILIA E
2 contributions
Feb 2021
The actual experience was GREAT and highly recommended.
However their no-refund policy was quite disappointing. The lady whom I purchased the tickets from (over the phone) spoke VERY fast and was hard to understand. I had opened the call stating that I need 4 tickets = 2 adults + 2 children. She then gave me some generic purchasing info and at some point apparently said "so 4 adults?" and I consented. She then proceeded to process the order and when I caught the discrepancy DURING the call and asked her to correct the amount because it was an honest mistake, she said that since I already agreed (and it was recorded on tape), they could not reimburse me the additional amount (which was not cheap: $181). That did not feel right and became very upsetting.
I was forced to go twice at that point, but luckily our tour guide, Amanda, was SO wonderful, that our perspective shifted and we will now be returning happily.
However their no-refund policy was quite disappointing. The lady whom I purchased the tickets from (over the phone) spoke VERY fast and was hard to understand. I had opened the call stating that I need 4 tickets = 2 adults + 2 children. She then gave me some generic purchasing info and at some point apparently said "so 4 adults?" and I consented. She then proceeded to process the order and when I caught the discrepancy DURING the call and asked her to correct the amount because it was an honest mistake, she said that since I already agreed (and it was recorded on tape), they could not reimburse me the additional amount (which was not cheap: $181). That did not feel right and became very upsetting.
I was forced to go twice at that point, but luckily our tour guide, Amanda, was SO wonderful, that our perspective shifted and we will now be returning happily.
Written February 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Marina
1 contribution
Jan 2023 • Friends
It’s a horrible place. Lion cubs deserve better than to be treated as props for human entertainment. These cubs are usually taken away from their mothers just so they get used to people and human hands. People that go to this type of “zoos” support this horrible business.
Written January 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Adam F
1 contribution
Feb 2021
The guide rushed us through the first half of the tour, the actual zoo, and I didn't feel like we had the time we wanted to look at the animals that interested us. Then the second half was not a zoo, but an animal show where we got to touch a few animals. There was a lot of waiting around for them to bring the next animal, and when the animals were wild, the guides weren't proactive enough in pulling them off of our children.
Written February 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Thank you so much for not only taking the time to visit us here at ZWF, but to write this review as well. I want to apologize for you feeling rushed through your experience. Our tour guides are mindful of their start times and end times to ensure that each tour gets the full experience. We often have tours running constantly at our foundation and in order to give each guest an amazing tour we do have a timeframe that we must adhere to. All of the animals here at our foundation are wild, but also very well socialized. We work very closely with our animals on a daily basis so that they become accustomed to being handled and touched. Unfortunately, when working with a wild animals their behavior can be unpredictable. We do hope that you will visit us again and allow us the opportunity to provide you with the amazing adventure ZWF aims to provide.
Written July 27, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
MMSCruz
Boca Raton, FL35 contributions
Feb 2023 • Family
Jabari and Michaela were nothing short of incredible to us. They made sure we enjoyed every second of our tour and experiences.
What a great thing to receive the care and customer service those 2 provided. Jabari took the time to educate us with a variety of things we had no idea about. He doesn’t only care about the animals (all animals love him back) he cares about us being comfortable, enjoying and also knowing what is behind the life/habits of each animal and their uniqueness.
Absolute best decision to visit this location, and blessed for the 2 great team members that made it that worthwhile.
What a great thing to receive the care and customer service those 2 provided. Jabari took the time to educate us with a variety of things we had no idea about. He doesn’t only care about the animals (all animals love him back) he cares about us being comfortable, enjoying and also knowing what is behind the life/habits of each animal and their uniqueness.
Absolute best decision to visit this location, and blessed for the 2 great team members that made it that worthwhile.
Written February 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Jenn H
South Lyon, Michigan23 contributions
Hello, How many hands on experience do we get? Is it guaranteed?
Jenn H
South Lyon, Michigan23 contributions
Is it worth the 4 times the amount of the zoo for the hands on experience?
TYsadventures
Brooklyn, NY285 contributions
Is the location wheelchair accessible?
Yuliya D
9 contributions
I would call to double check, but I believe so
Bonjour je voudrais savoir le tarif pour deux adultes et un enfant de quatre ans. Je voudrais pouvoir prendre les animaux dans les bras et prendre des photos. Je voudrais connaître les tarifs pour ça. Merci
What is the best time to go?
422lilianap
Homestead, Florida18 contributions
Our 2 Hour Tour Package met only Friday and Saturday at noon, we choice to attend on Friday when most people are working and kids are in school. Our group was small. We had ample time to interact with the animals and plenty of time for photo opportunities. Have fun!
I'm hardly seeing the lion, is it that the lion are not available because I'm mostly interested in the lion and I'm planning to go in Sept..
422lilianap
Homestead, Florida18 contributions
Call ahead to see availability. We went Friday and saw Nala their baby cub Lion up close.
Am I allowed to take picture beside the big lions? Or Do you allow us to only take picture with the young...
Shonda W
9 contributions
You only see the lions from way outside fences. No one is allowed contact.
Where do the lion and tigers cubs go after they are to old to play with?
nancylb8302
Boca Raton, FL42 contributions
I would guess in the enclosed areas with the other lions and tigers but I don’t know for sure.
Oliviamc3
Colchester, UK156 contributions
What is included in the general wildlife experience? My brother really wants to meet a monkey... is that possible with this experience?
Michael M
San Francisco, CA16 contributions
For my general experience....I was able to go around to look at all the animals available. But at the every end, I remember we all gathered inside an enclosed area. They will bring out different kind of animals we can pet. Many snakes, there are some monkeys I remember. Some of them they let them run free but may not want you to let them.
So double check with the facility. They are very nice people.
naj
Bradenton, FL
What is this place price range? is it expensive?
grants5503
Chicago, IL17 contributions
Just to get in is a little pricey, but it is the intimate experiences that are what I would call expensive, but still worth it if you can afford it. Where or when are you going to have a chance to feed and play with baby monkeys, a baby tiger, or a 3 toed sloth? All the fees are posted on their website, so you can decide yourself on the expense aspect. You can bring your own camera, so you do not have to get the photo package.
Zoological Wildlife Foundation (Miami) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about Zoological Wildlife Foundation
- Zoological Wildlife Foundation is open:
- Sun - Sat 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Hotels near Zoological Wildlife Foundation:
- (0.10 mi) Miami Enchanted Mansion
- (3.60 mi) Best Western Plus Miami Executive Airport Hotel & Suites
- (6.97 mi) Best Western Plus Kendall Hotel & Suites
- (9.63 mi) Courtyard by Marriott Miami Homestead
- (2.94 mi) Encore Miami Everglades
- Restaurants near Zoological Wildlife Foundation:
- (0.72 mi) By Brothers
- (4.45 mi) Aromas del Peru
- (5.90 mi) Aromas del Peru
- (7.71 mi) Shiver's BBQ
- (6.05 mi) Mr. & Mrs. Bun