Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park

Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park

Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park
3.5
Zoos
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This location was reported permanently closed
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Come take a walk on the wild side. We have over 140 big cats with 128 species total. You can get closer to these animals here than any other place in the world. Come play with a baby tiger and spend the day with us.
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  • Michelle B
    6 contributions
    Great experience!
    Traveled all the way down from Kansas City to do the Exotic tour! Was a little disappointed cause we didn't get to do half the things listed online for the tour, we only got to pet the wolf and play with a baby tiger which was still an amazing experience! We assumed the tours are being limited because of all the renovations being done and the new facility being built. But their website should still be updated with the temporary changes. And for the price even with what little tour we had it can't be beat! Anywhere else where im from it'd cost triple that amount to interact with a cub! The workers and owners where all very nice! One of the owners was actually our tour guide! It was very nice to see the owner's actually working just as hard as every other employee! Overall great people and I'm excited to see all the changes that will be made!
    Visited May 2020
    Traveled with friends
    Written May 16, 2020
  • J R
    Carlsbad, California227 contributions
    The real deal! Big cats!
    The park was open, although with limited activities. Very odd that you could not buy a ticket on site, but had to purchase online, then just show your phone. Once inside I did not see any employee’s, so no feeding or cleaning. Park looked ok, grass was cut, and cages seemed clean. Lot’s of big cats, and many were active and pacing. Ligers were worth the visit.
    Visited June 2020
    Traveled solo
    Written July 2, 2020
  • Hana A
    Webster, Texas38 contributions
    Good and the Bad.
    Here is the good and the bad all laid out for you. First off we went two days in a row. With 3 kids ages 6, 4, and 3 you never know what's going to happen. Both days we went to the 11:30am wildlife tour. Do not do the general admission, you will be very disappointed and not understand anything going on. Pay the money and take the interactive tour. The tour was different both days. Day 1 we had a small group of 12 of us and 1 guide. She was excellent at explaining the animals and why their cages were set up and where they came from. We held several animals and all 3 kids got plenty of time to play with each animal. Day 2 our tour group was huge. We had about 35 people in it and 3 guides. We held way more animals but each family unit held and petted an animal not each kid. A little hard for the kids. All in all we had a great time. This is not a typical zoo. This place takes in animals primarily tigers that need a home. There are some small cages but they each back into a very large play area for the animals. Keep in mind some of the tigers are 15 or 16th generation born in captivity. They have no idea about the wild. Also if you go in the summer it is HOT! Wear a hat, use sunscreen and bug spray, bring an umbrella. Seriously it's extremely hot standing in the sun for a tour that's 2ish hours or more. We were dropping in sweat. Bug spray is important bc it's Oklahoma and there are ticks and ants and all kind of gross bugs. They chickens roam free and do a great job cleaning up but still. If you have ages 3 or younger bring a carrier not a stroller. Things aren't paved well and spaces are tight. We used the Ergo carrier bc I can carry the 4 year old easily on my back it. Also kids can get in and out easily. The owner is weird and some employees are a bit passionate but we found them ALL to b extremely kid especially to kids. Pay for the one on one playtime with the baby tiger. It's worth the experience. You can't take cameras in the tour and I was very thankful to that. It keeps people paying attention and playing with the animals instead of asking other families to take their picture. Our pictures came out great. Don't read everything you see online. I found this place to be a great place to take kids and educate them on animals.
    Visited July 2017
    Traveled with family
    Written July 7, 2017
  • bikinmarcy
    Mansfield, Texas29 contributions
    SAD
    I volunteer at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center – Glen Rose, Texas. Please drive to Glen Rose to see what a Real zoo & conservation park looks like. Not this!! Very disappointed to see such a run down, dirty park. The animals did not have fresh water to drink. You can tell by the color of the water it had not been changed lately. The cages were small & dirty. The stink was awful. I saw nothing to enhance the animals well being. If you want to see BIG Cats, visit InSync. Wylie Tx. Walking out I saw a partial carcass of a possum in the walkway. Place needs some serious TLC. Wish I had gone to Oklahoma City zoo. I was almost in tears when I left.
    Visited June 2020
    Traveled with friends
    Written June 18, 2020
  • Paul S
    60 contributions
    A complete nightmare
    This place should be closed. I feel sorry for every animal there. If you do not care about animals and only care about yourself or your family's entertainment then you might enjoy your time here. You will get close to big cats. Big cats in cheap cages. We wish we had not seen this place. The good news is they have a Tiki bar the bad news is you'll see big cats on gravel in small wire cages.
    Visited March 2015
    Traveled with family
    Written March 16, 2015
  • Sandfire
    1 contribution
    a viist to hell
    Was So Looking Forward To This Visit...And so utterly disappointed and sickened by how these animals were treated.. THE BIG CATS HAD AN ENCLOSURE the size of my bedroom...with A Wooden box in the center to sleep in...they paced and paced out of desperate Boredom and stress..panting the entire TIME DUE TO THE extreme heat...at least IN THE WILD THEY CAN TRY to find shelter. I think they Would Rather BE dead Then To Live like this...Locked in a 10 by 12 CAGE..THIS PLACE NEEDS TO BE SHUT DOWN...This is Sheer animal cruelty and neglect and ANYONE who PATRONIZES This ESTABLISHMENT is Promoting this cruelty. What was unbelievable is that I was told the new cubs are taken away from their mothers incase she ROLLS OVER ON ONE AND KILLS IT....THESE CATS HAVE BEEN birthing and raising their cubs IN THE WILF FOR CENTURIES... HOW CRUEL AND INHUMANE to take these CUBS from THEIR mothers...No words for this.... this place is DESPICABLE.
    Visited July 2019
    Written September 18, 2019
  • TXLJW
    Haslet, Texas2 contributions
    Accosted
    Just FYI , I have never taken the time to write a review , but I felt this was needed. I visited with my family hoping for a fun fall visit. First of all , had no idea u could not take family photos until after I had already paid $35 /pp for interactive animal experience. After the tour while waiting for baby tiger interaction, I took some photos of the Bears , which was not included in the tour, employee, photo included, accosted me so that he ripped off my bracelet (required for entry) and snatched my phone from me and then told me I had to leave. I was appalled at how I was treated. Can not believe at how we were treated!! The man pictured is the one that accosted me!!! Shame on u!! We did not even get to play with the baby tigers!!!
    Visited October 2015
    Traveled with family
    Written October 24, 2015
  • lethearen
    Plano, Texas28 contributions
    Appalling zoo
    My understanding of this place was that it rescues exotic animals and rehabilitates them in order to release them to other sanctuaries or zoos. That sounds like a noble mission to me -- and coupled with their promise of baby tiger cubs to pet and play with, it was enough to convince my girlfriend and me to visit. I couldn't find their tour hours online, nor reach anyone on the phone, but we drove up there anyway. As we approached the facility, signs warned us that armed guards were present and watching us. Another sign informed us that "arsonists" burned down their alligator habitat, killing all the animals inside -- Donate now! Inside the office, a poster vilified PETA -- Give us your money instead! They sold "People Eating Tasty Animals" barbecue sauce... odd for a conservationist facility, I thought. They also had real alligator heads and feet for souvenirs, which is reprehensible for any place promoting the wellbeing of animals. And everywhere (in the office and around the park) were advertisements or merchandise for some singer called Joe Exotic (aka Joe Schreibvogel). I guess he's the/an owner of the park, but this really just makes me thing that the park is more a publicity stunt than an actual humanitarian effort. We arrived too late for an interactive tour, but went ahead and paid for the self-guided tour. Immediately upon leaving the office, we were greeted with a fœtid stench -- worse than could just be attributed to a bunch of animals being outside in the heat. There was also another sign -- videography is prohibited, and the park holds you liable for any damages they incur from your videos. Pretty ominous... and we soon found why they would be so interested in indemnifying themselves. The whole park reeked of squalor. The grounds looked unkept, aged, and decrepit. I was wary walking on and under various wooden structures, as they were leaning and didn't seem very sturdy. Most of the animals were kept in small concrete cages. The floors of those cages were littered with piles of feces. Raw meat lay in piles, covered in dirt and who-knows-what, and infested with flies. The bear cub cage had a dozen pineapples and other fruit strewn about, most of which looked old and possibly rotten. Absolutely nothing looked even remotely clean. The herpetarium smelled so horrid that we couldn't breathe in there, and it looked like it hadn't seen a broom in ages. The concrete cages tended to be very small for such large animals as tigers and bears. One of these tiny spaces had TWO tigers in it. I guess they were trying to mate them to pop out more cute cuddly tiger kittens for their interactive tour. Instead, they got into a short but nasty fight as we watched them. There were some outside "open" enclosures, as well. A couple of them, I guess, were areas they occasionally take the animals for a little exercise. There were also a couple that were actually enclosures for the animals, such as some ducks and other fowls. These tended to feature nicely sized ponds... except the ponds were stagnant and overgrown with algae. I don't think we saw a single animal that looked remotely happy; most looked quite miserable and sickly. We saw an emaciated kangaroo in the duck enclosure, laying in feces by the miasmic pond. She was motionless, except for an irregular undulation in her gut. We thought she was dead or dying until she laboriously got on her feet. The undulation was a joey in her pouch. Signs were scattered everywhere, begging for donations. One even went so far as to say that new animals are kept in a holding cell until they receive a donor. If that doesn't happen quickly enough, they are forced to kill the animals. I get that an operation like this is going to be very expensive... but the decrepitude and misery here seems excessive. Everything reeks of shadiness (and feces, and uncleanliness...). In the past few years, this zoo and its owner have apparently been investigated several times for the way they treat their animals. I truly wish the best for these animals, but I don't think visiting GW Interactive Zoo is a good idea. I know we certainly won't be returning.
    Visited August 2015
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 18, 2015
  • News_JunkieDallas
    38 contributions
    Love animals? This might not be for you!
    As a journalist of twenty years and married to a wildlife rescue professional, we impulsively stopped at this place during a weekend getaway. The first impression is a bit confusing as it is named for a man that has nothing to do with the place: Garold Wayne. Entering the grubby gift shop to purchase tickets you can't help but notice lots of images of a man in a cowboy hat with no shirt on. This is the owner who calls himself Joe Exotic. His face is on the candy, cds, posters, etc. along with standard zoo memorabilia like stuffed animals. His real name is Joe Schreibvogel. Later on you begin to realize that this business is more about him than anything else. He sells everything from tiger cubs to men's skincare to Tiger King condoms on the internet. He describes himself as a model, singer, philanthropist, etc. His staff said he will be on a television show next summer. There are two options: the two-hour interactive tour for around $35 per person to see baby bears, tigers, etc and hear rescue stories and animal success stories or the $15 fee to walk around the facility on your own. We chose the two-hour tour that started with a magic show. The zoo stresses rescue but we noticed not as much emphasis on rescue as to the breeding of big cats. PETA undercover video shows animal abuse and staff member saying most of the money made here is from the sale of baby tigers. Tigers are supposed to stay with their mothers for two years and yet it seems these cubs are taken very early. I'm not a member of PETA nor do I endorse some of their radical stances but the undercover video is stomach turning: dying horses, a lion beaten with a gun, injured goats fed to lions,etc. We are informed an employee lost her hand here caring for a big cat a few years ago. Online video by Joe Exotic stressed over and over how it was her fault. During the tour we were assured again that it was the employee's fault and that while her hand was reattached successfully she later opted to have it removed as she did not want to endure years of corrective surgery. I have to wonder why they needed to share her medical history with tour groups. All of the animals looked well fed but it was distressing to see so many large lions, tigers and leopards in enclosures as small as an outdoor dog kennel. Waterfowl had nothing to swim in but large mud puddles. Some of the staff seems a bit rough around the edges and I had my purse and cell phone taken away due to "safety" concerns. It seemed to me that it was more a move to ensure no secret taping of the place after PETA had made allegations and to make certain visitors have to purchase professional photos with the animals by their own staff photographer. CD is $25. Staff is armed with guns and encircles tour groups with military stances and then begs for tips claiming it is their "grocery money" and that they are volunteers. Staff lives on site in trailers around the place. Here's a hint: charge enough to pay your staff. It is very strange to have someone herding you with a sidearm for two hours and then plead for a tip. We stopped by a large enclosed area and told about the lygers and other breeding successes meant to prove the evolution of big cats. Then posed with ponies and given treats to feed a camel with. The friendly camel will take the treat from your hand or mouth as their photographer takes pictures. I had to wonder if anyone had heard of MERS, a respiratory virus that just entered the U.S. from the Saudi Arabian peninsula and kills one third of its victims. Camels are thought to be the origin of the virus. More stops with hybrid wolves for photos who seemed well cared for and friendly. A water break. Photo ops with baby tiger and baby bear, a python, etc. Tiger cub looked miserable being handed around like a plaything. The photo ops were the reason the tour took two hours. It was very difficult to hear what staff had to say in the crowd. A microphone or bullhorn might be a good option to invest in. Please check out this facility online before you go as I wish I had! I saw little to no evidence of rescuing except for a claim that a baby gator came from Neverland Ranch. I am distressed that I spent money to fund a breeding facility when many zoos cannot even place animals due to a surplus in population. A zoo in Demark recently dispatched a young, healthy giraffe due to overcrowding. Where do these tiger cubs go?! The magic show, white tigers and flamboyant dress and lifestyle of Joe Exotic, would-be animal celebrity , makes it seem his aspiration is to be the Siegfried and Roy of Oklahoma. If you love animals there are accredited places to educate and entertain the public. Online videos stress his defensiveness to an FDA inspector and anyone who dares to question the welfare of the animals in his care. If you really love animals and lack a veterinary, wildlife or biology degree perhaps you should be open to advice and inquiries from those who do. The one thing that stuck with me the most was the truck decal for sale in the gift shop of the little boy peeing on the PETA logo.
    Visited May 2014
    Traveled with friends
    Written May 4, 2014
  • Family Travel Photos
    Richardson, Texas71 contributions
    Could be awesome but it was a disaster
    We visited the zoo recently, with great expectations of returning with wonderful memories and photos of our day. Sadly, the potential was not realized due to bad policies and silly mistakes. We paid for the tour but were angered to learn that we couldn't take our own photos or videos during this tour. This wasn't stated on the website or posted anywhere - they just surprise you with it when you walk in the door. They said that you could take pictures before or after the tour and their photographers would take "high resolution" photos during the tour for us, for $20 more. I didn't like this arrangement at all - I'm a photographer and want to shoot my own photos - but I talked with one of their photographers who guaranteed that our photos would be high resolution, so I went along with it. Walking around the zoo, I was frustrated by the lack of opportunities to shoot photos of the animals without fence obstruction. Other than the elevated overlook, you have no chance to shoot unobstructed photos unless you use a small lens camera and hold it through a hole in the fencing; this is against the rules for obvious safety reasons. We finally got to tour. This was very entertaining and we got to interact with lots of animals, including a camel, a horse, and wolves. At the end of the tour we sat in a square seating area and they brought out several animals for us to hold. Snakes, a baby bear, lizards and more - that was a very cool experience. All the while, the two official photographers are taking lots and lots of photos. They shoot each person with each animal. I'm starting to think this arrangement could work out adequately, if not well. Out comes the tiger cub and people get down on the ground with him. They do NOT shoot photos of people with the tiger cub and won't allow you to take any of your own. This was the primary photo I went to the zoo to get and we were refused. They also brought out a liger - same thing. No photos. The tour ended and we received our photo CDs. When I got home I opened the CD and - disaster. One photographer lost HALF of the photos he took . . . the last half, where people posed with the animals. The remaining shots of his were somewhere around 3MP - 5MP - NOT high resolution, but adequate for small prints. The other photographer's photos were all there, but they were tiny - around 720 pixels wide. You can't print these any larger than wallet size without distortion. Complete waste. I called the zoo to complain. They said the one photographer had a camera malfunction and acknowledged the situation. (They did not address the other photographer's low resolution issue.) They said they'd make it up to us. A week or two later I got a family pass for general admission in the mail. So . . . to make use of this, I'd have to drive 4-5 hours again, I'd have to pay for the tour again, I'd have to pay for the photo CD again - I wouldn't be able to shoot my own photos and I have no guarantee or even expectation that the photos will be done at high resolution by the staff. No thanks. I'd love to give this place a glowing review. Really. I love big cats and I love what they do to rescue the animals. But if you're going to have tours you MUST allow people to shoot their own photos/videos, or you MUST get the pictures right that your own photographers shoot. You need to be honest and make your photo policies clearly known on your facebook/website pages so people can make their own decisions fairly. And when there is a catastrophic failure as happened on our tour, a family pass that will require me to spend $50 or more to use - and still won't give me the photographic access - is not an adequate response. If the folks at the zoo want to contact me and arrange a time when I can do the tour and shoot my own photos / video, including the tiger cub and liger, I'll be happy to revise this review. I believe in what they're doing with regards to preservation and animal rescue and I'd love to give them positive exposure if I could.
    Visited March 2015
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 20, 2015
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.

3.5
211 reviews
Excellent
95
Very good
44
Average
20
Poor
15
Terrible
37

bikinmarcy
Mansfield, TX29 contributions
Jun 2020 • Friends
I volunteer at
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center – Glen Rose, Texas.
Please drive to Glen Rose to see what a Real zoo & conservation park looks like. Not this!!
Very disappointed to see such a run down, dirty park. The animals did not have fresh water to drink. You can tell by the color of the water it had not been changed lately. The cages were small & dirty. The stink was awful. I saw nothing to enhance the animals well being. If you want to see BIG Cats, visit InSync. Wylie Tx. Walking out I saw a partial carcass of a possum in the walkway. Place needs some serious TLC. Wish I had gone to Oklahoma City zoo.
I was almost in tears when I left.
Written June 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Paul S
Palm Springs60 contributions
Mar 2015 • Family
This place should be closed. I feel sorry for every animal there. If you do not care about animals and only care about yourself or your family's entertainment then you might enjoy your time here. You will get close to big cats. Big cats in cheap cages. We wish we had not seen this place. The good news is they have a Tiki bar the bad news is you'll see big cats on gravel in small wire cages.
Written March 16, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sandfire
1 contribution
Jul 2019
Was So Looking Forward To This Visit...And so utterly disappointed and sickened by how these animals were treated.. THE BIG CATS HAD AN ENCLOSURE the size of my bedroom...with A Wooden box in the center to sleep in...they paced and paced out of desperate Boredom and stress..panting the entire TIME DUE TO THE extreme heat...at least IN THE WILD THEY CAN TRY to find shelter. I think they Would Rather BE dead Then To Live like this...Locked in a 10 by 12 CAGE..THIS PLACE NEEDS TO BE SHUT DOWN...This is Sheer animal cruelty and neglect and ANYONE who PATRONIZES This ESTABLISHMENT is Promoting this cruelty. What was unbelievable is that I was told the new cubs are taken away from their mothers incase she ROLLS OVER ON ONE AND KILLS IT....THESE CATS HAVE BEEN birthing and raising their cubs IN THE WILF FOR CENTURIES... HOW CRUEL AND INHUMANE to take these CUBS from THEIR mothers...No words for this.... this place is DESPICABLE.
Written September 18, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TXLJW
Haslet, TX2 contributions
Oct 2015 • Family
Just FYI , I have never taken the time to write a review , but I felt this was needed. I visited with my family hoping for a fun fall visit. First of all , had no idea u could not take family photos until after I had already paid $35 /pp for interactive animal experience. After the tour while waiting for baby tiger interaction, I took some photos of the Bears , which was not included in the tour, employee, photo included, accosted me so that he ripped off my bracelet (required for entry) and snatched my phone from me and then told me I had to leave. I was appalled at how I was treated. Can not believe at how we were treated!! The man pictured is the one that accosted me!!! Shame on u!! We did not even get to play with the baby tigers!!!
Written October 24, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

lethearen
Plano, TX28 contributions
Aug 2015 • Couples
My understanding of this place was that it rescues exotic animals and rehabilitates them in order to release them to other sanctuaries or zoos. That sounds like a noble mission to me -- and coupled with their promise of baby tiger cubs to pet and play with, it was enough to convince my girlfriend and me to visit. I couldn't find their tour hours online, nor reach anyone on the phone, but we drove up there anyway.

As we approached the facility, signs warned us that armed guards were present and watching us. Another sign informed us that "arsonists" burned down their alligator habitat, killing all the animals inside -- Donate now! Inside the office, a poster vilified PETA -- Give us your money instead! They sold "People Eating Tasty Animals" barbecue sauce... odd for a conservationist facility, I thought. They also had real alligator heads and feet for souvenirs, which is reprehensible for any place promoting the wellbeing of animals. And everywhere (in the office and around the park) were advertisements or merchandise for some singer called Joe Exotic (aka Joe Schreibvogel). I guess he's the/an owner of the park, but this really just makes me thing that the park is more a publicity stunt than an actual humanitarian effort.

We arrived too late for an interactive tour, but went ahead and paid for the self-guided tour. Immediately upon leaving the office, we were greeted with a fœtid stench -- worse than could just be attributed to a bunch of animals being outside in the heat. There was also another sign -- videography is prohibited, and the park holds you liable for any damages they incur from your videos. Pretty ominous... and we soon found why they would be so interested in indemnifying themselves.

The whole park reeked of squalor. The grounds looked unkept, aged, and decrepit. I was wary walking on and under various wooden structures, as they were leaning and didn't seem very sturdy.

Most of the animals were kept in small concrete cages. The floors of those cages were littered with piles of feces. Raw meat lay in piles, covered in dirt and who-knows-what, and infested with flies. The bear cub cage had a dozen pineapples and other fruit strewn about, most of which looked old and possibly rotten. Absolutely nothing looked even remotely clean. The herpetarium smelled so horrid that we couldn't breathe in there, and it looked like it hadn't seen a broom in ages.

The concrete cages tended to be very small for such large animals as tigers and bears. One of these tiny spaces had TWO tigers in it. I guess they were trying to mate them to pop out more cute cuddly tiger kittens for their interactive tour. Instead, they got into a short but nasty fight as we watched them.

There were some outside "open" enclosures, as well. A couple of them, I guess, were areas they occasionally take the animals for a little exercise. There were also a couple that were actually enclosures for the animals, such as some ducks and other fowls. These tended to feature nicely sized ponds... except the ponds were stagnant and overgrown with algae.

I don't think we saw a single animal that looked remotely happy; most looked quite miserable and sickly. We saw an emaciated kangaroo in the duck enclosure, laying in feces by the miasmic pond. She was motionless, except for an irregular undulation in her gut. We thought she was dead or dying until she laboriously got on her feet. The undulation was a joey in her pouch.

Signs were scattered everywhere, begging for donations. One even went so far as to say that new animals are kept in a holding cell until they receive a donor. If that doesn't happen quickly enough, they are forced to kill the animals. I get that an operation like this is going to be very expensive... but the decrepitude and misery here seems excessive. Everything reeks of shadiness (and feces, and uncleanliness...). In the past few years, this zoo and its owner have apparently been investigated several times for the way they treat their animals.

I truly wish the best for these animals, but I don't think visiting GW Interactive Zoo is a good idea. I know we certainly won't be returning.
Written August 18, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

News_JunkieDallas
Dallas, Texas38 contributions
May 2014 • Friends
As a journalist of twenty years and married to a wildlife rescue professional, we impulsively stopped at this place during a weekend getaway. The first impression is a bit confusing as it is named for a man that has nothing to do with the place: Garold Wayne.

Entering the grubby gift shop to purchase tickets you can't help but notice lots of images of a man in a cowboy hat with no shirt on. This is the owner who calls himself Joe Exotic. His face is on the candy, cds, posters, etc. along with standard zoo memorabilia like stuffed animals. His real name is Joe Schreibvogel. Later on you begin to realize that this business is more about him than anything else. He sells everything from tiger cubs to men's skincare to Tiger King condoms on the internet. He describes himself as a model, singer, philanthropist, etc. His staff said he will be on a television show next summer.

There are two options: the two-hour interactive tour for around $35 per person to see baby bears, tigers, etc and hear rescue stories and animal success stories or the $15 fee to walk around the facility on your own. We chose the two-hour tour that started with a magic show.

The zoo stresses rescue but we noticed not as much emphasis on rescue as to the breeding of big cats. PETA undercover video shows animal abuse and staff member saying most of the money made here is from the sale of baby tigers. Tigers are supposed to stay with their mothers for two years and yet it seems these cubs are taken very early. I'm not a member of PETA nor do I endorse some of their radical stances but the undercover video is stomach turning: dying horses, a lion beaten with a gun, injured goats fed to lions,etc.

We are informed an employee lost her hand here caring for a big cat a few years ago. Online video by Joe Exotic stressed over and over how it was her fault. During the tour we were assured again that it was the employee's fault and that while her hand was reattached successfully she later opted to have it removed as she did not want to endure years of corrective surgery. I have to wonder why they needed to share her medical history with tour groups.

All of the animals looked well fed but it was distressing to see so many large lions, tigers and leopards in enclosures as small as an outdoor dog kennel. Waterfowl had nothing to swim in but large mud puddles. Some of the staff seems a bit rough around the edges and I had my purse and cell phone taken away due to "safety" concerns. It seemed to me that it was more a move to ensure no secret taping of the place after PETA had made allegations and to make certain visitors have to purchase professional photos with the animals by their own staff photographer. CD is $25.

Staff is armed with guns and encircles tour groups with military stances and then begs for tips claiming it is their "grocery money" and that they are volunteers. Staff lives on site in trailers around the place. Here's a hint: charge enough to pay your staff. It is very strange to have someone herding you with a sidearm for two hours and then plead for a tip.

We stopped by a large enclosed area and told about the lygers and other breeding successes meant to prove the evolution of big cats. Then posed with ponies and given treats to feed a camel with. The friendly camel will take the treat from your hand or mouth as their photographer takes pictures. I had to wonder if anyone had heard of MERS, a respiratory virus that just entered the U.S. from the Saudi Arabian peninsula and kills one third of its victims. Camels are thought to be the origin of the virus. More stops with hybrid wolves for photos who seemed well cared for and friendly. A water break. Photo ops with baby tiger and baby bear, a python, etc. Tiger cub looked miserable being handed around like a plaything.

The photo ops were the reason the tour took two hours. It was very difficult to hear what staff had to say in the crowd. A microphone or bullhorn might be a good option to invest in.

Please check out this facility online before you go as I wish I had! I saw little to no evidence of rescuing except for a claim that a baby gator came from Neverland Ranch.

I am distressed that I spent money to fund a breeding facility when many zoos cannot even place animals due to a surplus in population. A zoo in Demark recently dispatched a young, healthy giraffe due to overcrowding. Where do these tiger cubs go?!

The magic show, white tigers and flamboyant dress and lifestyle of Joe Exotic, would-be animal celebrity , makes it seem his aspiration is to be the Siegfried and Roy of Oklahoma. If you love animals there are accredited places to educate and entertain the public.

Online videos stress his defensiveness to an FDA inspector and anyone who dares to question the welfare of the animals in his care. If you really love animals and lack a veterinary, wildlife or biology degree perhaps you should be open to advice and inquiries from those who do.

The one thing that stuck with me the most was the truck decal for sale in the gift shop of the little boy peeing on the PETA logo.
Written May 4, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Family Travel Photos
Richardson, TX71 contributions
Mar 2015 • Couples
We visited the zoo recently, with great expectations of returning with wonderful memories and photos of our day. Sadly, the potential was not realized due to bad policies and silly mistakes.

We paid for the tour but were angered to learn that we couldn't take our own photos or videos during this tour. This wasn't stated on the website or posted anywhere - they just surprise you with it when you walk in the door. They said that you could take pictures before or after the tour and their photographers would take "high resolution" photos during the tour for us, for $20 more.

I didn't like this arrangement at all - I'm a photographer and want to shoot my own photos - but I talked with one of their photographers who guaranteed that our photos would be high resolution, so I went along with it.

Walking around the zoo, I was frustrated by the lack of opportunities to shoot photos of the animals without fence obstruction. Other than the elevated overlook, you have no chance to shoot unobstructed photos unless you use a small lens camera and hold it through a hole in the fencing; this is against the rules for obvious safety reasons.

We finally got to tour. This was very entertaining and we got to interact with lots of animals, including a camel, a horse, and wolves. At the end of the tour we sat in a square seating area and they brought out several animals for us to hold. Snakes, a baby bear, lizards and more - that was a very cool experience.

All the while, the two official photographers are taking lots and lots of photos. They shoot each person with each animal. I'm starting to think this arrangement could work out adequately, if not well.

Out comes the tiger cub and people get down on the ground with him. They do NOT shoot photos of people with the tiger cub and won't allow you to take any of your own. This was the primary photo I went to the zoo to get and we were refused. They also brought out a liger - same thing. No photos.

The tour ended and we received our photo CDs. When I got home I opened the CD and - disaster. One photographer lost HALF of the photos he took . . . the last half, where people posed with the animals. The remaining shots of his were somewhere around 3MP - 5MP - NOT high resolution, but adequate for small prints. The other photographer's photos were all there, but they were tiny - around 720 pixels wide. You can't print these any larger than wallet size without distortion. Complete waste.

I called the zoo to complain. They said the one photographer had a camera malfunction and acknowledged the situation. (They did not address the other photographer's low resolution issue.) They said they'd make it up to us. A week or two later I got a family pass for general admission in the mail. So . . . to make use of this, I'd have to drive 4-5 hours again, I'd have to pay for the tour again, I'd have to pay for the photo CD again - I wouldn't be able to shoot my own photos and I have no guarantee or even expectation that the photos will be done at high resolution by the staff.

No thanks.

I'd love to give this place a glowing review. Really. I love big cats and I love what they do to rescue the animals. But if you're going to have tours you MUST allow people to shoot their own photos/videos, or you MUST get the pictures right that your own photographers shoot. You need to be honest and make your photo policies clearly known on your facebook/website pages so people can make their own decisions fairly. And when there is a catastrophic failure as happened on our tour, a family pass that will require me to spend $50 or more to use - and still won't give me the photographic access - is not an adequate response.

If the folks at the zoo want to contact me and arrange a time when I can do the tour and shoot my own photos / video, including the tiger cub and liger, I'll be happy to revise this review. I believe in what they're doing with regards to preservation and animal rescue and I'd love to give them positive exposure if I could.
Written May 20, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TexasMom2015
Dallas, TX10 contributions
Mar 2015 • Family
This place calls itself a conservation rescue organization but is a highly presented as a for profit business. I am okay with for profit business but not one that tries to pass themselves off as a conservation. This place is not family friendly, the tour consist of the "tiger guy" who is full of himself handing out condom and using profanity in front of children! (No kidding!) then he has armed guards escorting you around the tour where you are not allowed to bring any bags, cameras or phones. I will never visit again.
Written March 7, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alice B
Pine Bluff, AR1 contribution
Mar 2014 • Friends
My friend moved to Oklahoma a few weeks back. I went to visit her for the first time last weekend and we were planning on fun stuff to do. Well, the biggest thing we have in common is that we both love animals. She knew this zoo called “The Garold Wayne Interactive Zoological Park”, so yeah, we decided to check it out. This was the point where we should have seen the signs. She had made a few friends in her new school already and asked them about the place. Most of them told us not to go because the animals there aren’t treated very well and apparently the park has a shady history. I’ll get back to that one later.

Needless to say, we went there anyway. The ticket was pretty expensive, but since the park was big and there were lots of things to see, we reckoned it would be worth it. Well, it kinda was, and kinda wasn’t. It was true, there were plenty of animals to see, but God, they were sad to watch!
The enclosures were ridiculously small, some cages didn’t even have any vegetation whatsoever. The animals hardly had any toys or enrichment to enjoy. Most of them just lay still, looking anemic and bored, the ones that moved paced back and forth in distress. Some were even aggressive. There was one enclosure with two tigers and I was honestly terrified the other would rip the smaller one’s eyes out!

Like that wasn’t bad enough, the zoo staff had guns. Guns! Like, why?! It’s just a zoo, not a bank, for crying out loud! My granny was shot to death by some maniac few years back and just seeing the guy carrying a weapon with him made me uneasy. Almost had a panic attack because of that.

At that point we had seen enough. We spent there like 40 minutes or so before getting out of there. I can assure you neither of us is ever going back there. EVER. That money could have been used on something fun and important, instead of supporting such a disgusting place that simply doesn’t CARE about animals.

If nothing else, this experience taught me to ALWAYS check backgrounds whenever choosing an attraction to visit. I just wish I had done it earlier. We couldn’t help checking the place later that day and we were shocked to find out what kind of history this roadside zoo had. Apparently they had changed the place’s name from the original “GW Exotic Animal Park”. What a shame it didn’t change anything for the animals.

I feel so filthy for supporting such an awful place. I can’t believe I gave them MY money so they can keep crossbreeding animals and exploiting their cubs for money. Shame on them. Shame, shame, SHAME on them all. God have mercy on my soul, for I swear I did not know better.

In a nutshell: it was a total waste of money and time. No animal lover could ever find that place pleasant, and next time someone tells you not to go there, please, PLEASE listen to them!

Thank you.
Written March 31, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Love2Travel99501
Anchorage, Ak7 contributions
Jun 2011
This is not a good place to bring your children. The staff are not knowledgible in animal care, and many are young. The ones that are not young are frightening to say the least.

The animals are not in comfortable looking cages. They're cramped, and don't have much to play with.

The park does permit animal encounters, so you can take a photo with a baby animal, but the sadness and scaryness surrounding isn't worth the visit.
Written July 20, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go