Animal Encounter

Reserve a meet-and-greet with our animal ambassadors. This encounter provides children and the young at heart with a unique and once in a lifetime interactive experience with animals.

Rates
$10.00 per person 1-year-old and up

Zoo admission is not included. Children under 1-year-old can participate at no cost. A portion of the cost of these encounters goes towards supporting animals in the wild.

• How long does the encounter last?
  • Encounters are 15–20 minutes long depending on how many questions you have for our zookeepers.
• Will I be feeding any of the animals?
  • For general encounters, you will not be able to feed the animals. If you book our Galapagos tortoise encounter you will have the opportunity to give them delicious leaves and/or veggies (Not available as a same-day experience).
• Can I hold or wear any of the animals?
  • Our animals feel the most comfortable when their zookeepers who are trained in animal handling hold them. While you won't be able to hold the animals, you will likely get a chance to touch most or all of the animals you meet.
• Do I get to choose which animals I will get to meet?
  • The health and well-being of our animals is very important to us. Animals only participate in a couple programs a week based on their personal care schedules so we cannot guarantee any specific animal. We also offer them choice and control, so if they are showing us signs that they would prefer to stay in their habitat, we let them be.
• What happens if I am late and cannot make it?
  • If you anticipate being late, please call the main zoo office at 352-395-5633 as soon as possible. We cannot guarantee that zookeepers will be available to facilitate the encounter if you are beyond 15 minutes late. If you cannot make your scheduled encounter, please let us know as soon as possible and we will do our best to reschedule.