It's sad that these animals have to be imprisoned only to be treated like garbage. They deserve so much better than this. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking of what might be happening to them now. This place should be closed down. No sentient being deserves this.
This is the BEST zoo to visit. The animals are wonderfully cared for and the close up encounters are great! I have been visiting here for 18 years and now bring my kids whenever we can get up from Richmond. Don't believe people on here who say their animals are mistreated because I guarantee they have never even visited this place. Check it out for yourself. The treatment and care is second to none.
Love visiting and seeing all that is new. Love all that work there. Great people and knowledgeable..
My kids LOVED the natural bridge zoo! The animals seemed happy. I just wish there were some more animals though. Awesome adding elephant rides and great job with the corn pit. Better than a sand pit!
all i have to say is check on youtube natural bridge animal cruelty
The videos of the staff abusing the animals just made me so sick. Many of the animals dead and dying of neglect. Why is this place still open!?!?
Come one come all for an amazing experience at the Natural Bridge Zoo!! My family had a wonderful time today interacting with the staff and animals. The staff were knowledgeable and kind as they worked with us and the animals. We participated in the Close Encounters Tour, in which we were able to feed Bengal Tigers, Lemurs, and a Beautiful African Elephant. With normal admission we were able to feed Fallow, Giraffes, and we were able to walk with Parakeets. Natural Bridge Zoo is a little gem tucked into the Virginia mountains waiting to be discovered and loved for the experiences it offers to both animals and humans alike. I will definitely be going back, hopefully soon!
So incredibly cruel. The enclosures are far too small. If you want to see just how poorly these animals are treated "behind the scenes," there are multiple YouTube videos that show you the chilling reality of this zoo. 10 out of 10 do NOT recommend supporting this zoo.
Horrible condition for the elephant. They ve been fined by the US Inspectors yet still they have the elephant without proper care!!
Asha - that poor baby! This elephant has spent 31 long years depressed! Please have some compassion and let this beautiful creature retire! She's forced to give rides and spend her life alone on concrete floors ALONE! ELEPHANTS ARE SOCIAL CREATURES WHO THRIVE WITH OTHER ELEPHANTS!! POOR ASHA BABY GIRL. My heart breaks for her. For God's sake please let her retire to an elephant sanctuary!!
There are a loving and caring, they really love there animal's and its a great experience.
This is NOT a proper environment for animals. I'm tired of reading all these "5 star" reviews because "sure the grounds could be kept better but boy we at least got to see the animals!" The animals are in enclosures that are too small. Elephant rides should be ILLEGAL due to the strain that it causes on their backs. Trainers yelling and berating the animals is UNEXCEPTABLE in an environment that is supposed to allow the animals to grow, be safe, and flourish. If your kids like this place, tell them why they shouldn't--would you want your family pet to be kept in a dirty, place with not enough space?
I had a great time walking and looking at all of the amazing animal's. This would be my only chance to get near a Giraffe and touch it's face , tiger's and many more animals than I could name .
This is not a zoo, it is a breeding ground of uncomprehendable sorrow. The animals do not receive vet care even with visible wounds. Read the American Humane Society's legal attempt to close down this business of animal mental destruction.
Kids loved feeding animals and touching some of them. Great interaction.
Had a wonderful experience at the Natural Bridge Zoo. The entrance fee/feed fee are very reasonable and affordable. The park is laid out in way that makes it easy for you to see all the animals and not have to backtrack. The animals seemed well taken care of and their habitats were clean. We noticed multiple staff members around the zoo performing different tasks from cleaning enclosures to simply checking on the animals. My family absolutely enjoyed our visit today and we will recommend the Natural Bridge Zoo to others.
Please don't believe what you read online, I hesitated bringing my kids here this last summer as it would of been there first experience of a zoo...they rode Asha the elephant and they still haven't stop talking about it. The elephant handler that cares for the elephant was great! So knowledgeable and friendly..we'll definitely be back.
Short but very sweet...going to stop there again real soon:). <3
Elephant should belong to the wild not for entertainment. Their body IS NOT FOR RIDE. They like social & family. It's so cruel separate Asha from her family. If you really like elephant should not go to zoo. Will you separate your own kids from you? Elephant just like human. Be compassion.
It was horrible. The animals looked miserable. The bathrooms were disgusting. Never again.
The owners of Natural Bridge Zoo have refused to do the right thing by letting Asha the elephant go. Despite citations for animal abuse, pressure from the public, and even pleas by acclaimed scientist Dr. Jane Goodall, Natural Bridge Zoo has so far refused to do what is best for Asha s mental and physical health. It is time Virginia officials take action.
I am not surprised at the delight expressed by those who got to ride the elephant, as I once thought riding an elephant would be a neat thing to do. However, I have since learned that riding an elephant is one of the worst things you can do. It is terrible for their health, especially the spine, as for all their size and weight their skeletons are really rather delicate. Also, an elephant is a wild herd animal and will only allow a rider if the elephant has been abused to the point of giving up, a very heartbreaking scenario. The other animals appear to be OK, but I have to wonder considering the treatment of the elephant.
I m giving the staff 5 stars. We went to Natural Bridge Zoo Drive Thru during the COVID-19 pandemic. The staff I encountered was extremely friendly and helpful. My son enjoyed his first zoo adventure. It was a different, but an enjoyable experience. I m not going to say anything about the animals. If you ve been there, you know.
Nice little park. Definitely worth a visit. Staff was friendly.
Excellent family outing for family with or without children. Up close to animals. Awesome day.
This place and the staff are simply jokes. May be a select few staff that are okay. Anyone who is okay with locking up innocent animals for profit is simply disconnected. Don't fund this monstrosity. Its takes hours of abuse called breaking meaning making a animal surrender its natral instincts to fend off pest riding on there baks. This place has a save the animal and elephant fund how can you trust the ones whome abuse. I guess these people sleep fine the animals get water n food n tires to play with. Smh truly sad.
I truly wish I could give this place ZERO stars. Just by looking at the website, I am DISGUSTED. The animals look so miserable, in these small CAGES. Not free, breathable and nice exhibits. And that poor elephant, being used every day to lug people around. This place makes me sick and I hope that these beautiful animals are placed in a nice sanctuary soon.
Zoo literally abuses animals and dont care if the animals die. If you want to support animal cruety and death then please stop by and torture these animals. Staff is irresponsible and cares nothing for these animals. Dont even know why the zoo is open. Government needs to regulate these type of businesses more. Disappointed.
I'm ashamed to say that I almost didn't bring my family to this beautiful zoo after reading what the media had said about it...the facility was an amazing experience and glad we brought the kids cause they had a blast. Staff is so friendly and knowledgeable about the animals they care for! recommended for anybody to go!
It was a walk through zoo. The grandbaby loved feeding the animals and seeing the animals active. A very nicely maintained zoo.
The enclosures are way too small. Most of the animals seem isolated or cramped. The elephant has no companion and literally has a gouge in its face where it has brushed against the boarding platform so many times. The bear enclosure was painfully small, and the puddle they keep the alligator in is a joke. The Natural Bridge Zoo has put the attraction above the animals and it shows. I'm not against animal captivity, but I am against forcing animals to live out miserable lives to sell tickets.
If I could give zero stars I would. We stayed a total ten minutes: 9 of those minutes were spent wandering looking to see if the rest of the zoo was as bad as what we saw within the first minute of being there. The animals are in tiny enclosures made of wire fencing. Some of them have grass floors, others have a slab on concrete. There was no type of enrichment for these animals and all the water was filthy. What really sealed it for me was a bear sitting on his concrete slab unmoving and staring blankly out of his enclosure- there was literally nothing else for him to do. This place needs to put more care into their animals- and if they can t then they need to do the right thing and transfer these animals to facilities that actually can give them a good life and shut down the natural bridge zoo.
It is smaller than I would like but kids still have fun
Horrible, horrible, horror. Please release these animals. Seriously. Keeping an elephant in these horrid conditions. C'mon, you wouldn't want to be a slave now would you. Let these animals, ALL THE ANIMALS, enjoy some sense of freedom and well being. I would give this no stars if possible.
DO NOT COME HERE The mother to the giraffes died while pregnant because they kept breeding her even though they knew her body wasn t going to be able to handle it again due to her age. The Cubs get deprived of food so that during open hours they Are easier to direct for entertainment. When the animals get sick or infections they are not tended to until near death. DO NOT encourage this cruel abusive profit motivated operation.
Remined me of a no frills zoo I would have seen when I was a kid.
Everyone was extremely nice and helpful. The animals, including the ones that approached me in the parking lot, seemed over sexualized however. I dont mind being in the company of aroused mammals.. just as long I have some time to prepare. The staff was delightful and aided me in every legal way possible. I did manage to slip away and get into an enclosure or 2.. haha. Needless to say, I had much fun. Btw, did you know there is an elephant there?
Cons: decrease the time between bathroom cleanings.
ALSO; I think it's free on Wednesdays.
To much for each person. When you have to do all the walking..
It's a small zoo but they have many impressive animals. I wish their enclosement was larger though, it seemed very small for many of the animals.
This is a zoo run by a group of America's white trash who are abusive to the animals. The Humane society needs to confiscate the animals and shut them down. Do not visit this zoo, what goes on behind the scenes is sickening.
Turning the zoo temporarily into a drive-thru was genius and I'm so happy we were still able to see everything! You guys are doing great!
Disgusting hell that should be shut down. Horrible "people" work here should be put out of a job and thrown on the street and this jail should be shut down. Don't be filth and support this treatment of the voiceless. Google this place and read the acts by this disgusting place ran by cowards.
If you go on youtube a lady investigated there facility and it was horrible they kept dead animals in a freezer and put some out of their misery by throwing them on the ground. A goat died because of a seizure and had symptoms for weeks and they didn't do anything at all and he later died. They kept a monkey and a giraffe in their enclosures even though they were dead. You could see the bone on a monkey and its wound went untreated. So for all you people who say it's the best these people are horrible and need to be put in jail by police.
Repulsive zoo, horrible staff. Abusive to their animals. Please shut this crap hole down.
Rustic Zoo with various animals. Well set up easy to explore. The bird cage was delightful and interactive. Very enjoyable.
The conditions that Asha, the elephant, endures are criminal. She has spent 31 years in captivity in a small space alone. Elephants were not placed on this earth to give rides. Please do not support this cruel practice.
Great part to a family vacation! We were traveling back north when my family visited this zoo. Beautiful, healthy looking animals, my sons favorite was the gibbon, he loved watching him swing around. Hand feeding the giraffes was a great experience also, and feeding the parakeets was fun too.
Please educate yourself about the harm done to elephants so that they become compliant for you to ride them. Asha the elephant at this zoo deserves to be in a sanctuary and not subjected to being inhumanely ridden. This is not what we should be teaching our children on how to respect wildlife. Elephants are repeatedly abused and chained into submission and they are NOT meant to be ridden. Their spines are not meant to carry weight. Elephants are herd animals and to subject them to a life of confinement and servitude is a disgrace. It's time to stop using them for our entertainment. FREE ASHA.
The animals were clean and healthy, and a good variety of animals to look at, and kids can feed multiple animals, and the prices are not bad, a good family day with the kids
This is not an AZA accredited zoo. The owners have been cited by the USDA many, many times for mistreatment of animals. It was shut down for a reason, but unfortunately it has since reopened so I'm writing this in hopes that people seeking to go here will realize that their ticket money funds animal abuse and neglect.
One of our favorite places to go through out the summer with our grandsons and it helps support and care for the animals.
This place is disgusting. abuses animals. Leaves them in unsafe enclosures. Does not provide proper veterinary aid for sick animals and has had countless animal deaths caused by negligence and abuse. Do not visit this zoo. It should be shut down. And owners should be arrested. Already lost its permit once. I would leave zero stars if I could
Nice and clean place! The Kids had a blast. We made great family memories here
Loved this zoo! Price was good and the animals are super close to you so they are easy to observe
animals look sad and not well taken care of. the bear broke my heart, in a ridiculously small cage, concrete floor, broken baby toys as only 'enrichment'. I now understand why so many people want this place closed, i dont understand how it is still open. If you want to see healthy and happy animals, go to the safari in natural bridge, and you'll have a way better time, and your money won't go in bad hands. this zoo is a shame, and is the stereotype people think of when talking about zoos, and it gives a terrible image of zoos in general, which hurt even the best places that do everything to keep their animals happy and healthy. Do not go there.
Asha should NOT be used for entertainment she should be in a good habitat with other elephants. If you care about animals then go to the Care2 website and sign the petition.
That elephant that they have is so lonely. I was in Absolute tears upon leaving
We visited today 06-30-2018, animals are in good condition and very clean enclosures, friendly staff. Very nice for a small privately owned zoo.
This is a great Zoo to visit because you get a close up and personal experience with the animals. You can even ride an elephant how much better does it get. The staff was great with the animals the place was kept very nicely and it's in a beautiful area. Well worth the stop along the way.
My husband, our best friend and I visited this zoo on sunday! We loved every minute of it! It is a small zoo but totally worth it. The pricing for tickets to visit was really cheap! My husband and I got to ride the elephant and we were over the moon with excitment best experience we had! Elephant rides are only saturday and Sun from 12-3pm and was only 6$ to ride per person! I would have never imagined that to be so cheap!
These wild animals are abused & should go back to the wild. Baby tigers hit, & they don't care of they are sick. This place should be shut down. All of the staff NEED to be jailed for animal cruelty.
Very small enclosures. Felt sad looking at the tigers bears and elephant in tiny cages with no grass on cement. Abusive.
These guys have been busted several times for animal abuse and yet this place is still open. Just google "natural bridge zoo animal abuse" and you'll see. I would never give my money to anyone who abuses animals. Not only should they be shut down but they should be in jail and have to drain theirs and their heirs' bank accounts defending themselves. And if they ever get out, they should all have to work a grueling, exploitative minimum wage job locked in a hot store and forced to work for free. Probably claim to be persecuted Christians.
The staff of this facility is the worst. The staff were being incredibly rude and nothing but cruel to them. The way these children were treated is unacceptable. I do not recommend anyone going there. One staff member said "read the freaking information and you'd actually know something." To a kid that can't read or write.
Absolutely horrid treatment of the poor animals in this establishment, those who work here and those who enjoy visiting should be ashamed!
This zoo was horrible. There was actually a small fire in the one of the animal cages that we allerted the staff about. They didn't tend to the animal after this they just unplugged the light. We even told them the monkey burned his hand. The cages are entirely too small for all of the animals. It was so so sad. There are two large tigers that laid down the whole time and never moved. Their cage is probably the saddest bc it is so small for them. I would totally not recommend bringing your family.
This place NEEDS to be shut down. Criminal charges need to be brought against the owners . What kind of pathetic human beings abuse those that have no voice or means to protect themselves, and the very animals they make a living off of !!??!! .... Yes , I get it !! Now the world knows you're a really tough bad ass lady because you can hit a baby tiger in the face or threaten to chop it's head off . How many more animals have to suffer and die under your watch? All because you're too incompetent to understand the meaning of compassion or what it means to be humane . You're sick twisted human beings. I cannot believe what I just saw. Close this nasty place down !!!!
I won't give this people any stars. but yet have to leave a star. The fact that the things they do with the animals totally disguised me.
If these Animals are being abused and Mistreated The Staff will Have there Day in a Higher Court.
I was appalled to find out that Asha the 30 year old elephant goes without water because the Zoo management don't want her to pee in front of families as she gives rides to children.
Beautiful, the elephant, was sweet and easygoing. Lots of cool animals. Loved feeding them.
This place is really awesome. Great for kids and us grown-up kids who just love animals.
Large variety of animals
Never visit a zoo that lets you ride elephants - inhumane and terrible.
The place is nice..animals are well cared for. Only issue I had was the elephant should have a mat. However the caretakers where cleaning and taking care of the animals while we was there.
It's alright if you like watching some happy and some depressed looking animals.
This zoo is kind of sad... Small cages out in the hot sun and they offer elephant rides which immediately turned me off. Just not my thing...
naturalbridgezoo.com