Black Pine is an overlooked attraction in the northeast Indiana area. The Fort Wayne zoo gets the publicity. However, Black Pine has a different purpose, process and attraction. Black Pine is located in Albion - near Kendalville and the Chain O Lakes areas. Their purpose is to rescue distressed wild life, bring them back to health and give the animals a place to live out their days. The animal's habitats tries closely replicate their original habitat...well...as much as their private funding and Indiana landscape will allow. The caged settings do their best to get you close to the animals without stressing the animal out - which is a major part of their focus. Most all these animals were rescued from some sort of poor conditions. Those situations tend to be private citizens, in the US, that abused the animals and were forced to turn over the animals. Many had to be nursed back to health. We participated in the $20 3-5p Saturday private feeding tour. The group had about 30 people. The two tour guides were excellent. They shared stories about each animal, how it got there, the health issues and rehab process. They gave us info to let you know what these animals need to thrive. Also covered were the extinction status of the animals, the current legislation issues and the geo economic-political environment that shapes these animals lives. Black Pine feed the animals to try and draw them out of their shelters. They don't force them out perhaps like a zoo. Most all the animals came out and made an appearance. Only a few of them could be observed eating. The warning for small children was probably over played as there wasn't hardly any sensitive feeding situations. The tour is a lot of walking with almost no places to sit and rest. Be prepared with water. You will find the animals to be accessible and amazing. Many came out so they could easily be seen. The tigers have to be the main attraction as they are incredible creatures. read more

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Black Pine Animal Sanctuary might be one of Indiana's best kept secrets. Located about 40 minutes north west of Fort Wayne, the sanctuary is home to many different species who come to them from captivity. Here, they are provided a home for the rest of their lives and people can visit to learn about responsible care and conservation. I took the basic tour, which lasts nearly two hours. Our guide, Lowell, was extremely knowledgeable and gave us a lot of background on the animals. I was surprised to find that four of their tigers were rescued from the Tiger King's facility and now live there. This is a great place and I highly encourage people to visit and help the sanctuary by donations as that's the only way they can operate outside of grant funding. read more

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I tried to sponsor two birds in the memory of my daughters dear bird that she inherited from her grandmother. Someone named Melissa finally reached out to me a week after my inquiry. She then told me that the red and green parrot I wanted to sponsor was called a "Blue and gold". I later confirmed with my daughter that her bird looked just like that one and it was a greenwing macaw. After confirming what species I wanted to sponsor, and several emails back and forth about sponsoring parrots "Bernie" and "Blue" I was told that "Bernie" had been sponsored when I asked to meet him. I was then offered to only sponsor "Blue", but when I asked if I could still meet both birds if I only sponsored Blue, Melissa stopped responding. The entire ordeal seemed very shady to me, and I question if "Bernie" even exists at all. If so, why would anyone sponsor an animal they cannot even see in person? Seems like a total scam. read more

What a wonderful sanctuary. The peaceful grounds extend to the staff's approach to the animals. Lucky creatures to have found this shady place. The love and respect the staff have for the animals is evident. Reasonable entry fee includes guided tours at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Check the website for their special events and the Saturday feeding tour. read more

Black Pine Animal Sanctuary - This kind of says it all about the relationship of the staff with the animals in their care. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Albion, Indiana

Good people doing great things for these exotic animals. It's a must see!

Wow! What a great hidden gem in the country! Currently there are 95 animals including birds, monkeys, big cats, bears, reptiles, and a few grazing animals. The staff is super friendly and informative. The tours are definitely the way to go about the property. The animals are awesome, but some have such sad stories. Great animal rescue!! read more

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Wonderful place. Please visit and help support if you are in the area or want to take a trip. They are giving these animals a comfortable place to live out the rest of their lives in peace and keeping them healthy. It's NOT a zoo or a for-profit org but a true sanctuary. They are truly concerned only with the well-being (both mentally and physically) of the animals, not making a buck. Thank you BPAS for existing and continuing to work hard to create a safe haven for these amazing creatures. They deserve it. read more

AWESOME place to see rare animals and great photo ops. The closest you'll ever get to a Bengal tiger!

We saw the billboards and decided to stop. So glad we did! This animal sanctuary is so well kept. The staff is not only dedicated to their mission, but also to you having a great visit. Their was a tour guide who gave background info on the animals, how they ended up in their care and interesting facts about them. It amazes me that people actually think that wild animals would make good household pets. Every purchase made supports this sanctuary. I encourage all to go! read more

We took the feeding tour at 3pm and it was fantastic. The animals are well cared for, the guide was extremely well educated on each and every animal and their circumstance and answered every question. Highly recommend taking a trip out there. read more

An amazing animal sanctuary, just north of Ft. Wayne they have lions, tigers, bears, wolves, primates, birds, reptiles and more. We went during their feeding time to see the animals and it was amazing, despite the rain. These animals are a few of the lucky ones that have found their way to this sanctuary over the years. The staff is knowledgeable, friendly and have a wonderful passion for these animals and their well being. It is the perfect place for all ages, but know that it does involve walking on uneven paths and children must be well behaved with attentive parents, these are wild animals and everyone needs to be respectful of that. The tours give detailed information about the plight of these animals and the sad stories that many have endured before finding their way here. I highly recommend the feeding tours as it is a great way to see a lot of the animals in action. The wolves and the black bear were my favorites, but the primates were a big hit too. Don't forget to visit the various birds and reptiles that call this place home as well. Be sure to check out their special events page on their web site for unique opportunities to see these beautiful animals. read more

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Came here with 3 other adults and one 4 yr old. Took the 11am tour. Takes around 90 minutes. Very knowledgeable guide and volunteers. Had a blast. They were even feeding some of the animals. The only down side was it was hot and 4yr olds in the heat are a bit of trouble. Around the bigger animals lots of trees and shade. Would recommend for any age. read more

Black Pine Animal Sanctuary is a great place to get a guided tour to learn about how the animals ended up at the sanctuary. There are many stories about abuses the animals went through and one funny story about a bobcat who was to friendly to make it in the wild. The tour was helpful, but it was just as fun to go around afterward to see the tigers, bears, wolves, and other animals. The only downside was that the wifi didn't seem to work. All in all, it is great fun and worth taking the tour. read more

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My husband surprised me today for my birthday with a guided tour here. I couldn't of been happier with his choice! We had been here once before years ago, and have always wanted to go back. This place is wonderful. The animals are so well taken care of. Our tour guide was Ron, and he was great! He is one of the volunteers there and his love for animals really impressed me. Thank god for people like him. The animals there have came from very bad circumstances, but no more! They're being very well cared for and I will be back with more family members one day soon! read more

This Sanctuary is pretty awesome. The staff is very friendly to both the visitors and the animals. I couldn't ask for a better experience.

Black Pine rocks! Finding this place without GPS would be a challenge since it's sort of in the middle of nowhere. Make sure you have GPS. We went on a weekend and did the feeding tour. We got there about 45 minutes early because the feeding tour doesn't cover all animals in the sanctuary. We looked at those on our own (just not all of the animals because we didn't want "spoilers") The feeding tour is an extra $5 and well worth it. It's so much nicer to go through and have someone tell you the stories of each animal and answer questions. Our tour guide was very nice and knowledgeable. They said that when you go on the feeding tour, it has potential to be graphic (if they're feeding something with a head or something that looks like a body) but, most of the carnivorous animals we saw were fed chicken breasts. A few animals got alternative items such as the lion, who got some creature that was about the size of a raccoon, but had a tail that resembled possibly a squirrel. Aside from big and smaller cats, you will also see a chimpanzee and a few other monkeyish looking animals, lemurs, a cavie, wolves, foxes (which SMELL--beware!!!!)bears, birds, turtles/reptiles, and many other animals. They stress that it's not a zoo and no animals are purchased or sold. These poor animals are rescued from situations that aren't good. They seem to take good care of them. :) One of our fave animals was Tarzan. He's one of your first "stops". I won't tell you why we liked him best because it would spoil that part of the tour for you. We also enjoyed seeing the bears eat. (Again, I won't disclose why). One other benefit of the feeding tour is that when you go to see some of the animals when not on the tour, they may be in their inside housing and not visible to you. During the feeding tour, they come out. (Yay!) This tour is very educational-not just about animals (the way a zoo might be) but about the treatment of animals (their past and present), care, and behavior of various animals there. The tour guide/staff were all great about photo ops. (bringing the food near the fencing so the animals would be close and they also tried to stay out of pictures when possible-which was considerate) They allowed plenty of time for pictures and told everyone when to have cameras ready at certain animal enclosures. So---here are a few things to keep in mind when going on the tour-or to Black Pine in general. Much of the paths there are of crushed gravel or golf ball sized rocks. If you have some sort of situation where this will be difficult (such as a walker, wheelchair, or if you're an unsteady walker) ask them what they can do to help so you can still go. The tour is about 2 hours and you'll be on your feet the whole time, so, make sure that's something you're physically able to do. Bring water with you if it's hot out. That will help. Near the bear habitat, the trail goes sort of downhill a bit. If you're not very steady, don't go that far. There are some steps and incline that could be difficult. Also, beware--there are many tree roots etc on the ground near the wolves/foxes. If you're not paying attention every second, it's very easy to trip. All of us in our party tripped a few times and after a while, we just laughed about it because we almost expected it. :P Don't let any of these comments deter your visit--just anticipate these things/plan for them, and you'll have a great time! :) read more

I love this place, it is back off the road and quiet. You can tell that the animals are their top concern and not earning money like zoos. Every time we have gone we have heard the lion roar which is so cool. It is an amazing place that I think anyone from 2 to102 would enjoy. read more

Incredible staff who are very knowledgable and really care for the animals. The sanctuary features a wide variety of animals that have had quite a prior life but are now here to educate the public on responsible pet selection. The facility is beautiful- a true haven for these animals who have had a troubled past. The trails are loose gravel and and can be difficult to navigate for strollers or wheelchairs. Wear your walking shoes! I was impressed with how close the animal habitats are to the trail- definitely not like a zoo, a totally different experience. We went to the feeding tour- I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT! It was great to see the animals active and reacting to their keepers. The tour was very educational as the tour guide was extremely knowledgeable on the animals, their story, proper care and their details. Pictures are welcomed and they have a gift shop. My kids loved it! read more

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Great family place. Up close view of exotic animals. Far closer than you can get in a typical zoo. Love the stories of where some of the animals came from. Made me even more thankful for all this who rescue animals. Suggest going in slightly cooler weather so animals are more active. The staff is super friendly and were more than happy to answer all of our questions. We will be back!! read more

This was our first trip to Black Pine. We were so impressed!!! Black Pine is amazing! It was wonderful to be able to see the animals up close. We took a staff guided tour which I would highly recommend. Our tour guide had so many interesting facts to share about the animals. I am grateful for what the wonderful staff at Black Pine are doing to help the animals have a fabulous life. If you have not been, I strongly recommend a trip to Black Pine. read more

Black Pine Animal Park is a non-profit exotic animal rescue and sanctuary. They give rescued and retired exotic animals a safe haven, and to educate people and enhance their knowledge of exotic and endangered species, and responsible pet ownership. They do not buy, sell, trade, or breed exotic animals. They are a center for education and to provide forever homes for unwanted exotic pets and retired performing animals. When visiting you get closeup encounters with the animals. With personal tours you can learn each animals story, how they live in the wild, and why they would not make a good pet, or how to care for them properly. They are in the process of a very large relocation project to a much larger site, to assist with the moving project check out their website for different opportunities to help. www.blackpineanimalpark.com read more

Black Pine Animal Sanctuary is a fantastic place, not only for the visitors, but for the animals. The animals get to live out there days in a wonderful environment and visitors get to see them in a non-zoo setting. If you are going with the mindset that you are going to a zoo or to be entertained, you will likely be disappointed. This wonderful place is home to these animals and you are just allowed in to observe them. This is an amazing charitable organization and I would highly encourage those who love animals to donate to help them continue their wonderful work. read more

I have visited BPAS monthly during their open season for about 5 years and I thoroughly recommend it to people who love animals and care about animal welfare. They have a variety of animals, farm yard and exotic, so sure to please with the variety of "favorite" animals. The animals are respected and well cared for. I would recommend taking an organized tour with a staff person to hear the histories of each animal. Only 3 persons have paid positions so most of the work is done by volunteers so that says something about the dedication of the organization. If you are planning a trip, check the Wish List on their website and take an item or two to help them out--they depend on admission and donations. read more