Busch Wildlife Sanctuary
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The new location for the incredible Bush Wildlife Sanctuary in Jupiter, FL. This new location is incredible !!!! It's huge, and clean. I love the layout of the path. They have so many animals to see. The entrance is donation based, card or cash. So many different animals to see up close. From bears ... to a bobcat. The main building has education for all ages. There's even a "stage" where they do daily shows of the animals for education purposes. They also have a second building, exclusive to animal rehab. It's not open to the public to view. This building is meant to bring in wild life in need of immediate rehab. The buildings are clearly labeled. Be sure to bring an umbrella or wear some sunscreen! The path is outdoors with little to no shade. Bring water to stay hydrated :-) Perfect for all ages and is accessible for all. I hope you go and enjoy!
The entrance is free of charge you are welcome to donate money to any of the animals you want. They do have information about all the animals they had rescued. The service is excellent and the quality of service is phenomenal! Service request for you to be respectful with the animals and the surroundings.
Looking for a fun activity that also helps the animals at the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary? Try painting with a panther, otter or bobcat. It's a great experience for both you and the "painter" ... and you get to keep the one-of-a-kind piece of art. We painted with Tahmahlah, the resident cougar (related to the panther family), who was rescued from the California wildfires several years ago. The process involved guiding Tahmahlah across the paint on the floor and stepping onto the canvas, creating a Jason Pollack-style abstract artwork. It provides an enrichment exercise for him while simultaneously creating a delightful experience for us. The trainer kept things very safe for all, and educated us about the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary operation. She offered Tahmahlah pieces of fish as rewards throughout the painting process. And she even demonstrated her training skills a by having Tahmahlah sit and then stand on his hind legs. Anyone who owns a cat knows how difficult it is to train them to do any tricks. Amazing! While you wait for your artwork to dry, you can walk around the grounds at Busch Wildlife Sanctuary and meet the many resident animals. The facility offers presentations throughout the day. We enjoyed a short lecture about the resident black bears. Lesson: don't let them feed on garbage in your neighborhood! They need to remain safely away from people and forage for appropriate food. Now that we've "bonded" with Tahmahlah over our shared painting effort, we look forward to seeing him and the other animals at the new Busch Wildlife Sanctuary facility in the fall after they move. This is a great organization that does amazing work to rehabilitate and care for sick and injured animals. We should all support them!
The Busch Wildlife Sanctuary is a non profit dedicated to protecting and conserving Florida's wildlife. Formerly located on the grounds of the Loxahatchee River District water treatment facility, they have moved to this new location down the street from Riverbend Park. This organization relies completely on donations and fund raising. In Florida there are no government funded wildlife rehabilitation centers. If you find a sick or injured animal you must find a non profit center to help you. Since there are only a handful of such organizations in the state it is up to us to contribute so that they can keep on providing aid to wild animals. In 1983, it was founded as the Wildlife Rehabilitation and Environmental Education Center to care for and rehabilitate sick, injured, and orphaned animals. In 1994, the sanctuary joined with the Peter W. Busch Family Foundation. Busch owns Southern Eagle Distributing, the local Anheuser-Busch distributor. With the foundations support, a facility was created to bring wildlife and people together while fostering community awareness of Florida's natural resources in order to promote wildlife and habitat conservation. Today the sanctuary provides free medical and rehabilitative care to over 5,000 wild animal patients each year with the focus on being able to release them back into the wild. Today is the grand opening of the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary's new home in Jupiter. Admission to the event is free. There are food trucks and activities for the family. Wildlife on display includes river otters, black bears, reptiles, birds, small mammals, and bobcats. There is an animal hospital on site where the public can bring in injured wildlife. As you exit, there is a cute gift shop selling toys, ornaments, clothing and other gift items. Your purchases help support the animals rehabilitated here. I liked how the Loxahatchee location had a more woodsy feel with trails but this location is very close to the Turnpike. There was no shade here today and it was a feel like temperature of 100 degrees. I had to walk a mile in and out with the crowds although they had a Molly Trolly making sporadic trips to the overflow parking. I plan on coming back when it is cooler out. I wish them much success with their new center.
This is a great place to visit. Whenever I have friends in from out of town I try to make a visit. It's a great place to see local animals most native to the area. They have many variety. They even offer little info classes at different times through out the week and bring the animals out to talk about them and sometimes hold. This is a MUST see when in the area. They do great work for local injured wildlife. Entry is donation based.
Busch Wildlife Sanctuary is a non-profit organization so any to all donations are super appreciated here. There is no entry fee and parking is free also but be a decent human being and donate when entering the place. (Or buy something from the gift shop. There's neat stuff in there!) It's a decent sized area where you see bears, panther, birds, gator and bobcat. Staff are super friendly and helpful and the whole place is just a true fun experience. I would come back for sure to support them and to see the cute animals.
It's great to be able to see incredible Florida wildlife up close, rest assured that the animals are being rehabilitated. There's no set fee for entry, but is easy to choose what to donate on the way in. From alligators to otters to foxes and so many birds, our family group was thrilled to not only see the animals but to learn more about them. This place is great for all ages. One thing I wish we had done was to make an effort to see the show where a handler introduced the audience to live animals. We caught the last ten seconds of it, but even that was enough to tell that the handler was incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic. By the way, they even have a nice gift shop. I had forgotten to bring some small earrings on my trip, so I bought some there which I was later complimented on. They also sell art made by otters, which is really cool but otters aren't very talented artists so I didn't buy any. I didn't want it to be confused with my own art.
2 days ago
A Must-Visit Animal Sanctuary! I am absolutely in love with this animal sanctuary! It's such an amazing place where they rescue injured and vulnerable animals, give them a safe and beautiful home, and provide them with the medical care they need. The entire sanctuary is so beautiful, clean, and incredibly well cared for. You can truly tell how much the staff loves and cares about the animals. The staff is also so sweet, friendly, and knowledgeable. They do a wonderful job teaching you about the animals and their individual stories. There are SO many animals to see, including alligators, bears, bobcats, otters, snakes, birds, and so many other amazing creatures! They also have different animal encounters and special events throughout the week, so there's always something fun to experience. It's such a great place for kids and families, but honestly, I had just as much fun as an adult! They even have a super cute kids' play area and a gift shop. I especially recommend visiting when the weather is cooler, because it can get pretty hot while walking around the sanctuary. But even with the heat, it is SO worth it! If you're looking for something fun, educational, family-friendly, and meaningful to do, I highly recommend visiting! It's such a special place, and I love that your visit helps support the rescue and care of these animals. It's also entirely free to visit here, however they do welcome donations. read more
11 months ago
What a great facility and experience! Donations for your entry fee and volunteers are great in answering questions. read more
My little sister asked if I wanted to check out the Busch w.S, I said yes, I love anything that has to do with animals and especially helping animals, this is a beautiful and spacious location, and they have a nice variety of animals that they assist, check them out if you are in the area! Great for kids and adults! This is also their new location! read more
The new location for the incredible Bush Wildlife Sanctuary in Jupiter, FL. This new location is incredible !!!! It's huge, and clean. I love the layout of the path. They have so many animals to see. The entrance is donation based, card or cash. So many different animals to see up close. From bears ... to a bobcat. The main building has education for all ages. There's even a "stage" where they do daily shows of the animals for education purposes. They also have a second building, exclusive to animal rehab. It's not open to the public to view. This building is meant to bring in wild life in need of immediate rehab. The buildings are clearly labeled. Be sure to bring an umbrella or wear some sunscreen! The path is outdoors with little to no shade. Bring water to stay hydrated :-) Perfect for all ages and is accessible for all. I hope you go and enjoy! read more
8 months ago
2 years ago
The entrance is free of charge you are welcome to donate money to any of the animals you want. They do have information about all the animals they had rescued. The service is excellent and the quality of service is phenomenal! Service request for you to be respectful with the animals and the surroundings. read more
6 months ago
Looking for a fun activity that also helps the animals at the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary? Try painting with a panther, otter or bobcat. It's a great experience for both you and the "painter" ... and you get to keep the one-of-a-kind piece of art. We painted with Tahmahlah, the resident cougar (related to the panther family), who was rescued from the California wildfires several years ago. The process involved guiding Tahmahlah across the paint on the floor and stepping onto the canvas, creating a Jason Pollack-style abstract artwork. It provides an enrichment exercise for him while simultaneously creating a delightful experience for us. The trainer kept things very safe for all, and educated us about the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary operation. She offered Tahmahlah pieces of fish as rewards throughout the painting process. And she even demonstrated her training skills a by having Tahmahlah sit and then stand on his hind legs. Anyone who owns a cat knows how difficult it is to train them to do any tricks. Amazing! While you wait for your artwork to dry, you can walk around the grounds at Busch Wildlife Sanctuary and meet the many resident animals. The facility offers presentations throughout the day. We enjoyed a short lecture about the resident black bears. Lesson: don't let them feed on garbage in your neighborhood! They need to remain safely away from people and forage for appropriate food. Now that we've "bonded" with Tahmahlah over our shared painting effort, we look forward to seeing him and the other animals at the new Busch Wildlife Sanctuary facility in the fall after they move. This is a great organization that does amazing work to rehabilitate and care for sick and injured animals. We should all support them! read more
The Busch Wildlife Sanctuary is a non profit dedicated to protecting and conserving Florida's wildlife. Formerly located on the grounds of the Loxahatchee River District water treatment facility, they have moved to this new location down the street from Riverbend Park. This organization relies completely on donations and fund raising. In Florida there are no government funded wildlife rehabilitation centers. If you find a sick or injured animal you must find a non profit center to help you. Since there are only a handful of such organizations in the state it is up to us to contribute so that they can keep on providing aid to wild animals. In 1983, it was founded as the Wildlife Rehabilitation and Environmental Education Center to care for and rehabilitate sick, injured, and orphaned animals. In 1994, the sanctuary joined with the Peter W. Busch Family Foundation. Busch owns Southern Eagle Distributing, the local Anheuser-Busch distributor. With the foundations support, a facility was created to bring wildlife and people together while fostering community awareness of Florida's natural resources in order to promote wildlife and habitat conservation. Today the sanctuary provides free medical and rehabilitative care to over 5,000 wild animal patients each year with the focus on being able to release them back into the wild. Today is the grand opening of the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary's new home in Jupiter. Admission to the event is free. There are food trucks and activities for the family. Wildlife on display includes river otters, black bears, reptiles, birds, small mammals, and bobcats. There is an animal hospital on site where the public can bring in injured wildlife. As you exit, there is a cute gift shop selling toys, ornaments, clothing and other gift items. Your purchases help support the animals rehabilitated here. I liked how the Loxahatchee location had a more woodsy feel with trails but this location is very close to the Turnpike. There was no shade here today and it was a feel like temperature of 100 degrees. I had to walk a mile in and out with the crowds although they had a Molly Trolly making sporadic trips to the overflow parking. I plan on coming back when it is cooler out. I wish them much success with their new center. read more
2 years ago
This is a great place to visit. Whenever I have friends in from out of town I try to make a visit. It's a great place to see local animals most native to the area. They have many variety. They even offer little info classes at different times through out the week and bring the animals out to talk about them and sometimes hold. This is a MUST see when in the area. They do great work for local injured wildlife. Entry is donation based. read more
Busch Wildlife Sanctuary is a non-profit organization so any to all donations are super appreciated here. There is no entry fee and parking is free also but be a decent human being and donate when entering the place. (Or buy something from the gift shop. There's neat stuff in there!) It's a decent sized area where you see bears, panther, birds, gator and bobcat. Staff are super friendly and helpful and the whole place is just a true fun experience. I would come back for sure to support them and to see the cute animals. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
It's great to be able to see incredible Florida wildlife up close, rest assured that the animals are being rehabilitated. There's no set fee for entry, but is easy to choose what to donate on the way in. From alligators to otters to foxes and so many birds, our family group was thrilled to not only see the animals but to learn more about them. This place is great for all ages. One thing I wish we had done was to make an effort to see the show where a handler introduced the audience to live animals. We caught the last ten seconds of it, but even that was enough to tell that the handler was incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic. By the way, they even have a nice gift shop. I had forgotten to bring some small earrings on my trip, so I bought some there which I was later complimented on. They also sell art made by otters, which is really cool but otters aren't very talented artists so I didn't buy any. I didn't want it to be confused with my own art. read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
This was an easy, neat and close place to visit. Free admission (they ask for donations and run exclusively on donations) and offer story times for the little ones and wildlife presentations for those little and not so little. Kids got to see an alligator sunning itself, bald eagles, a panther, bears, snakes, owls and a neat presentation of a baby gator, an opossum and a barn owl. Great quick place to take the kids. And They have a gift shop. I recommend going! read more
Busch Wildlife rescued a baby otter from our front yard. We decided to come visit the sanctuary about 2 weeks later. We met some family and had a wonderful day. It's such a peaceful place and plenty to see and lots of places to sit. Definitely kid friendly. We had a 10 year old and 2 littles in strollers. The staff is so amazing and informative. We will definitely be back! read more
5 years ago
Jupiterfooddiary here! Let's talk about Busch Wildlife Sanctuary! This spot is free to the public (they just recommend a small donation to enter) and the parking is spacious. You enter through the gift shop and get to walk through pathways to see all sorts of animals. Some highlights included the alligator, otter, large birds of prey, the foxes, bobcats, bears, and the panther! The exhibits are spacious for the animals and the walkways are mostly covered by trees - it has a real Jurassic Park vibe when walking around. We went on a relatively cool (approx 73 degrees) day and the animals were very active. The panther was playing with a traffic cone and the bears were shuffling around their enclosure. Make sure to stop by the parrot cages and say hello ... they will likely say hello back! It's a great spot for the entire family, everyone I've taken here has loved it. They also have educational segments, you can find the times for these on their website. Absolutely worth stopping by. read more
I've always been a fan of Busch Wildlife Sanctuary. It's a wonderful place to visit and the education programs as well as the animal habitats are great. This visit was the first in quite a few years being my daughter is nearly two decades old. I brought the three year old love I babysit and he was absolutely smitten with Freddy the Alligator. I enjoyed Freddy's new habitat because it's much nicer and far more natural than the once upon a time old school fenced concrete pond I remember. The sanctuary is adhering to Covid-19 protocols. Currently, all guest must wear masks, there is a 1 way route and many spaces including the picnic area are closed. Additionally, occupancy is reduced so arrive early. I did see a hand sanitizer station or two, but I recommend having your own handy if you're traveling with children. We saw lots of animals on our visit including but not limited to: birds, bobcats, deer, ducks, eagles, Freddy, owls, snakes, and the final stretch was the bear and panthers. It was a great day to see the snakes because almost all of them were awake and visible. On the contrary, we didn't have an opportunity to see any river otters. Unfortunately, the bear and panthers didn't hold a candle to Freddy the Alligator (3 year old perspective) so we had to schlep back through the sanctuary in the 90 degree temps so we could share one last goodbye with Queen Freddy (she's a female gator). The sanctuary is non-profit and operates based on donor generosity. There are various places to donate along the path and options inside at the gift shop. Please support the sanctuary. read more
2 years ago
Loved the animals, respect the conservation & rehabilitation work but just wish those sidewalks wouldn't reflect the blazing south florida heat! read more
Adorable little day activity! We stopped in to see the animals, it is a free sanctuary but we always advice to leave a donation! Grounds were kept clean, staff was very friendly and knowledgeable, overall cute place to visit! read more
5 years ago
I love this animal sanctuary. The best part is that it's free. They have a nature trail and tons of animals. read more
9 years ago
This place is awesome! Just off I-95 at Indiantown Road, this completely free 'zoo' is really a wildlife sanctuary and hospital. If you're looking for exotic animals in impressive enclosures, this is not it. But if you want to see local wildlife up close, this absolutely is! I have been here before over the years, but I was most impressed recently when I brought my 18-month-old. He was completely enamored! He can view almost all the animals on his own, at eye-level, without having to be picked up or held back by an adult. He was so close to certain animals- namely some of the birds, turtles and deer- that he got some quality stare-down and talk-to-the-animal time in. So cool! We went in full Florida summer around 10:30/11; almost the entire park was shaded at that time, thus we did not overheat. However, bringing water bottles is essential to stay cool; there is a convenient water-bottle filling station behind the gift shop. The swamp area is appropriately cool, with benches to rest on. There are no food or drinks sold here, so pack your own lunch/snacks; a shaded picnic area provides plenty of space for eating with a little grassy area for kids to run around. The gift shop is filled with local books and wildlife-themed stuff- not a bad place for buying gifts. Donations are, of course, welcome, and who doesn't mind shelling out a few bucks for a free facility that does such good for our community? Busch is just the tip of the iceberg for free/donation-only awesome nature-based activities in Jupiter; continue on to The River Center and the Marinelife Center, to start! But with kids in tow, perhaps you want to take a visit to the giant playground around the corner from Busch first. read more
3 years ago
Place lost its luster once it moved. Animals are in thick metal cages, hard to see. Not much "nature or natural areas. A turfed "tot lot" with no shade. Place in general is lacking natural shade. The other location was just a special gem to visit often. This one is more of a once and done for us sadly. read more
5 years ago
This sanctuary is dedicated to the preservation and conservation of Florida wildlife. Their educational exhibits are well informed with enough facts to educate all ages. The animals are representative of mostly native wildlife with the exception of birds of prey from distinct parts of the country. The foliage is characteristic of the natural habitats of South Florida including swamp like marshes and pine/oak forests. read more
This place is so cool and the best part it's completely free and open to the public! they have tons of different animals you can see and certain days of the week/times in the day they have different "shows" or things you can view (ex: feeding crocodiles). It made me a little upset because there were clear signs such as "do not touch the animals" "animals may bite, do not put hands inside cage" etc, but people still did it . There was even one woman who broke off a branch from a tree and tried to poke the alligator so it would move! So upsetting! Any way, this place is awesome. Please be respectful to the animals.. read more
5 years ago
We had a very nice time here. There are all different kinds of rescues animals from Florida and the demonstration with the animals in the pavilion was very informative. I love what they do. read more
2 years ago
6 years ago
This place is absolutely amazing! It was suggested to have a family meet up here and I can't believe I have never heard of this place. They are a donation based wildlife sanctuary that have animals that can no longer live in the wild. They also have an animal hospital on site where they rehabilitate animals that have been hurt or are sick. Such a beautiful place to walk around and explore. The focus is on Florida native wildlife. The wildlife encounter show was very nice and informative. The staff are extremely knowledgeable and invested in the wildlife. They have birds, an alligator, foxes, raccoons and even black bears. My favorite though was the panther. This place can be enjoyed by all ages and is a must stop if you are passing through the area. Tip: wear closed toed shoes. read more
10 years ago
Needing to kill about an hour before I met my dad at The Food Shack for a late lunch I had to decide between here and the lighthouse. I'm so pleased we went here!!! My daughter and I had a brilliant time. They have an area with tons of animals and then another nature trail type area where they keep the big cats and bears. At the end of the trail there is a peaceful area with a couple observation docks overlooking a huge lake. Wow, super peaceful!! I couldn't believe there was no admission cost for this place, they run on donations only! We picked up a couple things in the gift shop at the ladies working in there were very kind :) I highly recommend checking this place out! Allow approximately 1.5 hours :) read more
Poor little guys here. A lot of animals that were confiscated as illegal pets and as a result can no longer be integrated into the wild. This was a fascinating visit. I learned a lot! They were doing some renovations while we were there and I just wish they had more staff around and info about the animals we were seeing and their histories. But perhaps next time. read more
3 years ago
Great activity for all ages! I love that they are rehabilitating animals to return to the wild when they are injured. I personal know a few employees and it's a great business that works with youth programs throughout Jupiter. Definitely a great place to visit with young ones read more
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