The Wild Animal Sanctuary Review

I have been planning a trip to the Wild Animal Sanctuary for a long time, but $50.00 PER PERSON IS RIDICULOUS!

The race was fun. With the other camera I got lots of pictures of animals with a better lens than the phone camera.

Love this place. I also loved how it was set up and focused on the comfort of the animals and not for the humans entertainment. I will be back

A fantastic mission of love for abused animals, being carried out with respect.

We had a fantastic time it's better than any of you seen you know what even out of California I wish continue success and saving as many animals as they can.

Very neat experience, but do go in the evening when all the animals are up!

Absolutely love The Wild Animal Sanctuary! My husband and I have been many times and will continue to go at least once a year.

I recommend visiting here, it is wonderful seeing animals in an open habitat where they have room to run!

We were going to take our 4 kids for a visit this weekend only to discover the drastic admission increase. Unfortunately we will not be visiting unless they come to their senses and charge a fair price for admission (instead of forcing people to be "donors").
All you have to do is look at the reviews/ratings since they made the insane decision to increase their prices to realize how many patrons they are losing. They went from all 4 & 5 star reviews to mostly 1s. Reviews and ratings greatly impact my decision on what places to visit and I know many others are the same. That being said the management is delusional if they think these reviews won't impact them.

This was the most amazing day I have had in a very long time.
the sanctuary is a very spectacular place for the animals. the people who are there really care for the animals

Great place and great people excellent place and service they provide for the animals. Please visit

We visited yesterday and had a lovely time. There were so many new animals out since the last time we were there. They take such good care of these rescued animals. It is really peaceful. We spent about two hours and will be sure to keep coming back.

We are regular contributors and familiar with and support the policy changes for admission.

Have been going for years. Each time we visit we see animals interact in such wonderful natural ways.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! Can spend the whole day there with these amazing animals.

Great and informative sanctuary. Read their website before going. It gives the expectations on what you may see. In the summer, definitely go either early in the morning @9am when they open, or after 5pm, so that you can see the bears and big cats. Otherwise, you won't get to see much. Volunteers were friendly and helpful also. Glad there are caring people that want to take care of these wonderful mistreated animals.

Ash in the air from mountain , still really fun watching them feed the lynx s.

Love everything about it I recommend adopting an animal

Wife and I adopted a wolf, such an amazing atmosphere, absolutely love the knowledge and care they have for the animals. Best time to go earthly morningwhen they open its closet to night when its cool. Recommend 2 hours before closing. Prices at stores are pretty decent and food is good. DO NOT BRING PETS PLEASE.

A great place for the family and friends to come visit and enjoy the amazing animals that are here in the area of the world of the USA

If you live in Colorado, you have to make some time to come here. So few people know about it, and it's so amazing.

I will be honest. Not worth your time. You walked high above to look down to see animals that which if are awake precisely include foxes, lions and bears. The entire facility is huge but you have no access to it all. Therefor your more likely to go to the zoo to see animals then here. I was very disappointed. Again, currently right now.. do not go. Maybe there is a better time during that year when the animals are active but again the boardwalk you get to walk on limits you. No one wants to use binoculars. People want to experience wildlife up close as much as possible.

This is my first time visiting The Wild Animal Sanctuary since they ve expanded and I was so impressed! It s refreshing to have a more ethical option to bring my family to other than a zoo, and there is plenty to see and enjoy.

My only disappointment is with the food options. I was disappointed that as a rescue there were no vegan options in their restaurant. The staff was friendly in working with me to make one of the options vegan. Unfortunately, after a 20 minute wait, my food arrived without the modifications that made it vegan, and I had to wait another 20 minutes for them to make me a new one. When I reached out to the sanctuary about my experience, I received no response.

Overall, I do hope more will help support this sanctuary vs. zoos in the state, and I am hopeful that they will bring plant-based options and be able to educate their staff on what is/isn t vegan in the future.

The people out here are doing a great job helping weak animals rehabilitate and lead a life as natural and stress-free as possible.

Overpriced @ $30 and $15 for kids! 3.0 round trip walk around a desert area and no guarantee the animals will come out of their sleeping area. One would get more bang for your money by going to zoo.

What an awesome experience. Our 10 year old was awed at every enclosure. Make sure you bring at least 1 pair of binoculars. The enclosures are big and animals don't necessarily want to be right by the walkway.

Not a zoo..... these folks are saving animals while keeping them in a natural habitat

Incredibly expensive and somewhat dangerous. Not kid friendly. Staff doesn't really seem to care much. Heatstroke will happen sooner or later to someone.

Very nice place fulfilling an admirable service to the animals. Well worth the price.

This place is such a great refuge for all the animals they save. Do some research online about the work they do to take circus animals out of abusive environments and let them live their lives in peace.

I was planning a trip to the sanctuary in a couple weeks for 2 of us. What was going to be a $30 day just became $100. No longer planning a trip to the sanctuary...

It's a great place,but just sad,there needs to be more tarps, and shade areas for the animals.

This place is EXPENSIVE for what you experience. Don't waste your money on a warm day. You won't see any animals. The cafe is way over-priced for food that is left out a little too long. The eating area smells like a port-a-potty. It only got 2 star for clean restrooms and friendly staff.

Love this place, my 2nd visit. beautiful animals rescued from unfortunate circumstances now living the good life thanks to some amazing people. Don't forget the sunscreen and buy a water for the walk.

Had a great time visiting the sanctuary. Well worth the trip out of town to see it. We planned our trip from Denver by picking up some sandwiches and bottled drinks for the road. Kids fell asleep on the way there, but when we got there, they were ready to explore. Depending on the weather, animals might be out and about. Bring a set of binoculars and your camera.

Very knowledgeable staff, made it fun and interesting!!

Great experience, wonderful place for the animals. Above and beyond my expectations.

Since it is a rescue and not a zoo I had expected not to see many animals but to my surprise I saw almost all of them! Word of advice: bring binoculars for a better view.
The layout is unique, as is the animal diversity, and there are places to eat and a gift shop.

Nice to see all the rescued animals, they are doing a good thing.

They only earned a 2 because seeing the animals is iffy and besides paying 30 per person and you must give a donation. Bottom line it is not worth it. A better bargain would be the Rocky mountain arsenal national wildlife refuge which is free.

I am a former zookeeper and a wildlife biologist. My husband is a wildlife biologist for the state of Colorado. Our grandchildren came from Australia and since we live very near the sanctuary we were thrilled with the idea of taking them for the experience of communing with wild animals. Their mother is a wildlife vet and their father a bat expert. Their love and reverence for animals is through the roof. Imagine our great disappointment when we were turned away because we could not afford to pay the exorbitant entrance fee. The admissions staff told us the sanctuary existed just for the animals, not people. Well people are animals too and we are deeply and intricately connected to all wildlife on this planet. In my zoo experience it was obvious that the animals were positively stimulated by people passing by, especially children. It broke the boredom wild animals sometimes experience in captivity. Humans have a tendency to love and support what they have a love and intimacy with which fosters understanding. Understanding animals inspires people to save them from extinction. Barring people from this facility is not only exclusionary but very very sad and actually detracts from its supposed vision of helping wild animals.

Definitely worth seeing and supporting - I'm an animal liker (not a hardcore animal lover) and I was very moved by my experience seeing the animals from above. You can tell they take great care of the creatures and put their needs above the wants of visitors (unlike, say, a zoo). My mom and girlfriend and I arrived 3 hours before sunset during a hot afternoon in September, which was a reasonable amount of time to read, gawk, and enjoy the evening and the walk together.

Be sure and bring binoculars. Many of the animals are so far away. Check the time of day you go also, as the animals may be sleeping.

Love it here! If you have a little one bring a stroller.

Amazing place! A must visit when in Colorado. We will be back! We saw lots of lions, tigers, bears, wolves, foxes, prairie dogs, black leopard, camels, ostriches, and horses.

What an amazing experience. I had lived in the Denver area and had no idea this place was even in existence. But while back in town I saw an ad in a magazine and decided to visit.
When you first come in you are asked to watch a video. Be prepared to cry at how they show what some of these creatures had to endure before being rescued. And then how heartwarming it is to see them in an environment where they are happy and healthy.
Romeo was a real treat. Who would have ever thought a mountain lion would meow when you said its name!
I have to say that all the volunteers were beyond friendly. They all went out of their way to chat with me, tell me the stories of the animals and help me out along the way.
A must visit. (oh and be sure to bring al il extra for a donation. They survive solely on donations and appreciate every little bit of help they can get!)

I went to the "sanctuary" about a year ago with my two boys and it was a good experience. However, after the price hike (donation), I will not be going again. This is a bad move for families that would like to go and support this place but do not have $300 (6 family members) for a visit. Then you have overpriced childrens toys, etc in gift shop for additional money. Good luck with the new business model.

Love what they do for these animals. Amazing place and amazing people!

They do fabulous work here for animals. It's not to be thought of as a zoo, it's a sanctuary, as it clearly states in the title. I loved seeing all of the tigers and reading background stories of where the wild animals came from.

Amazing place! I think all animal lovers should definitely go out to the wild animal sanctuary! Make sure you stay late enough for the sun to go down so you can hear them especially the Lions making their evening roars! Truly an experience I'll never forget!!
WEAR GOOD SHOE AND SUNSCREEN

There is a large video at the entrance to introduce visitors to the Sanctuary which is very well done. It explains the reasons for the Sanctuary and how animals are introduced and cared for. The walkway is above the animals which seems to make the animals less nervous about people. There are wheelchairs available, a cafe, and a great ice cream shop. It was a great way to spend the afternoon. It is a 1.5 mile walk one way. Make sure you have comfy shoes.

We had a great day there today watching the wildlife. It was cloudy and cool, so the little bears got frisky and the big bears put on a show. The big cats are so beautiful.
It was well worth the price, plus a nice donation. Some of the enclosures are too far for viewing and people who had binoculars seemed to be able to see a lot more. But overall, it was fun and I look forward to another visit.

Such an amazing experience! Stroller/wagon friendly. The animals were all out playing so it made for a really great time! Friendly workers and bathrooms throughout the 1.5 mile bridge which made it easier for children. Enjoyed the experience very much!

Saving rescue animals from horrible situations. So fun to see them play in large ranges

Great way to support a rescue agency and spend a memorable day!

Nice idea. Way overpriced AND they request donations too. Poorly designed. Walked miles on an open air bridge. We about blew away. Very few animals were out to see and habitats are nothing to view either. Stick with Wild Animal Park in San Diego.

We visited the sanctuary a couple of days ago and had a FANTASTIC time. The animals all appear to be quite happy and well cared for. The guides along the way have great information and stories to share. We spoke with Renee and Shyanne, both were great and made the experience that much better.

Now... Some of the negative reviews are crazy. They are very upfront with the rules and why the rules are in place. Please read them before showing up....

Thank you guys for an AWESOME time!

We didn't go in we were just checking to see where it was that day didn't see any animals, the cost is $30 with an additional animal donation fee.. My daughter did go one day and there was hardly any animals, I guess the bears are going into hibernation.. Not sure with lions and tigers? So not sure.

Beautiful sanctuary with hundreds of animals well cared for. Please donate

My husband and I visited at 9:00 am on a Thursday morning last week. It was not crowded and the weather was good for walking on the pedestrian bridge. The walk was a mile and a half and we passed by plenty of lions..tigers...bears....fox etc.i was saddened by all the stories of the animals living at the sanctuary. Many were abused before being rescued by the sanctuary. There was plenty of opportunity to get a look at the animals because many of them were in various stages of re adaptation which required them to be in enclosures you could view from the walkway. I recommend a visit if you are in the area....if I lived closer I would probably be a regular....there is a lot of good work being done here.

Amazing place with a huge selection of animals. They are doing good work providing a place for these rescued creatures and it is uplifting to see the impact it has on their lives. Two things to know, the price is steep and it is a lot of walking. The elevated walkway is a 3 mile round trip, with little rest or shade. I am not sure i would bring small children, due to the cost and the animals not being necessarily close up. We did rent binoculars for $5 there and it was well worth it as many animals were not close to walkway.
As a non-profit they do an excellent job of asking for donations, but that is how they stay open, so it didn't bother us. We happened to go on a Sunday morning, when it was cooler and overcast and as a result got to see more animal activity. When the sun did come out, the animals basked in its warmth. Overall it was a highlight of our Denver vacation.

Called to ask a question about the experience available, and was hung up on after being disrespected.

This place is AWESOME. The animals seem infinitely more at peace than those at a zoo, and the aboveground walkway is a neat way to see them without causing them unnecessary stress. The volunteers are happy to give additional information about the animals, and the ice cream at the main center is delicious. Altogether, a very nice way to spend the afternoon appreciating some beautiful animals. 10/10 would come back again!

The price was raised before I moved back to Colorado, and yes, it seemed like a hefty price increase, until it was explained to me that this is not a zoo, but when the prices were lower people treated it as such and it was problematic, with people littering, children throwing things into the habitats, etc. Even though it is free to anyone over 70, and I just turned 70, I gladly made a donation because it costs a lot of money to maintain these animals, especially in the wonderful manner in which they are maintained. My paltry $50 will feed how many animals for how long? Not many and not for long. I love this place and will continue to donate to the care and feeding of these formerly abused animals. Thank you, TWAS, for what you've created and how well you care for the facility and its inhabitants!

Wow, this place is incredible! So many prides of lions! A Kodiak bear, hyenas, tigers, foxes, emus, ostriches....huge enclosures for the animals and a walkway above them all to capture beautiful pictures without stressing out the animals! Fantastic time! To hear the lions roaring and the wolves howling, truly a place to revisit! The animals were very healthy and obviously well cared for.

A really cool place where the animals are well cared for.

During a holiday to Colorado (we live in France), my husband and I visited the Sanctuary, after having thoroughly researched whether it was, in fact, a real sanctuary, as many so called sanctuaries are not. It was a wonderful experience and well worth the cost of admission and we were very happy to make a donation too. We saw a lot of the animals, though not all as many were resting in the shady places provided for them. The bears alone were worth the visit as we spent a long time watching several of them play with each other, playing the their pools and with various objects in their enclosures. It was just a wonderful experience to see all the various animals that have been rescued. If you choose, there are also lots of vidoes being shown as to the origins and ongoing commitment of the santuary. We had a long chat with one of the volunteers who was very informative. Thoroughly recommended.

Had more fun than the kids here. Loved seeing all the animals. We tried to come early enough it was cool for the animals to be out roaming, will definitely try to come again in the evening next time to see if they are more active then.

Go in the coolest part of the day to be able to see more animals! It was wonderful!

Animals are the best, make sure you protect them from the upcoming hail storms!

I went for my son's birthday because we are animals lovers. When you read about what some of these animals have been through, to just see them without being able to live their lives it makes me happy. The note to the people going to visit, it is a donation based sanctuary, so yes it cost a bit to visit, but is it really cheaper then the zoo?. I was told by the many awesome volunteers that we came on a good day, it was cool and overcast and we saw so many animals. Of course, many were sleeping, but it was an amazing experience to see them not in pain anymore. The bridge is over 1 1/2 miles to walk the whole thing, so plan well for water, sunscreen, etc. We plan to visit again when we get a chance.

Just the best and worthy place for exotic animals. We donate every year.

A great place to spend a day. The entrance fee is worth it. They are doing great work rehabbing and rehoming these beautiful animals.

Awesome place to visit and enjoy all the wonderful animals in such a natural environment. It's an amazingly wonderful job The Wild Animal Sanctuary does with the help of all the volunteer's.

Very interesting experience. If it is a nice day and you want to see animals act more natural than in a zoo this is a great experience. Come in the evening before closing and you get go hear the lions start grumbling for food. Pretty neat.

Have visited and donated for years. It is an amazing place! It's full wonderful people creating a healthy, happy life for animals that were put in horrible situations. Visit and support.