Been going to Philip’s Animal Garden for over a decade now. Even wrote a review a few years back. After reading some current reviews, felt obligated to write another. This is not a zoo, it’s an animal rescue specializing in exotic pets. So a bit different than the San Diego Zoo. It’s a non profit simply trying to do their best for the animals. Yes, the pens are not as fancy and some of the animals look tired. That’s what to expect from a charity taking in neglected former pets. They are doing the best they can, which is certainly a lot better than would happen to these animals otherwise. This is a great place to visit. Cost is low ($10 per person). You get to hand feed animals (the goats are show stealers). And you are supporting a great cause.

If you are an animal lover, you will absolutely enjoy making a stop at Philips. When you arrive you give a $10 entrance fee and they give you 2 bags of food to share with the animals. We spent time feeding donkeys, goats, deer, monkeys, tortoises, parrots, and a few other furry friends. To our eyes, the animals seemed well taken care of, and the staff was very friendly. We actually returned to the front to make an additional donation to purchase extra food so we could spend more time with the monkeys. I wonder if we had brought fruit if we could have fed them items we had with us. We found out that the monkeys love grapes! We spent about two hours there. I imagine most people would spend an hour, but we really were having fun interacting with the animals. Wear sunscreen. Bring water. Enjoy!

This animal sanctuary truly exceeded our expectations. It was far larger than we expected, and amazingly clean. When you pay admission they give you a bag of treats and you can feed the animals as you walk around. They all appeared to be healthy and well cared for, with plenty of space in their enclosures. It is definitely not a zoo, although it is large enough that it almost could be. Definitely put this on your list if you're an animal lover!

It’s important to keep in mind this is a non-profit and it isn’t going to look as fancy as a zoo you are used to going to. That being said our trip was better than I expected, I had a great time feeding the animals and seeing all the different species they had there. They take in neglected exotic pets and animals that may have otherwise been euthanized. The monkeys were all jumping around and having a great time. There is one that is alone but I’d have to think there is a good reason for it since they have others together. The bird enclosures were all clean and they were all singing and chattering away. The only thing I’d like to see in signs by the animals with a bit of information about what they are and maybe how they came to be at the sanctuary. We were on a little of a time constraint so spent about 1.5 hours there but I could have easily stayed longer and would definitely return!

I was a bit concerned (reading some reviews here) that I would see neglected animals without water and food. When we got there (around 10am) the staff was making the rounds providing food and water so depending on where we were, yes I saw some animals without food and water but I also saw staff doing what looked like the daily chores of feeding and providing water and we were just steps ahead of them. We had a great time. We weren't able to do a tour so we meandered around. $10 per person. We also brought an additional 2 pounds of carrots (thanks for the tip from another reviewer). I'm an animal lover and enjoyed every moment of my visit. Some of the goats were roaming around free and I saw a donkey goose someone (that was a good laugh for us and the person goosed). I am a parrot owner of 4 rescues and I can say it was discouraging that there were no toys or anything for the birds to forage but all of the enclosures were very large and not over crowded at all plus they get to be outside in the beautiful weather (in the shade) so overall, I think it's a great place. My husband got too close to the monkey cage and got poked in the nose and that was really funny. Highly recommended. Staff was very friendly.

Went to Philips as part of a UTV tour and loved it so much we went back!! The animals are rescues - and are all well cared for! Everything is clean and well fed. Each visitor gets a cup of carrots to share with you and your four-legged animals …… horses, deer, goats, kangaroos, turtles and bunnies! My favorite was the camel! Baby peacocks as well! A little hard to find as the signs are missing but well worth the trek!