Excellent in-depth tour of lions, tigers, bears, wolves, jaguars, and more! We got much closer looks at these animals than in other places my family has visited. The tour we took was 1.5 hours long. They broke us up into groups of about 40. We could always hear our tour guide easily, and she gave us a lot of information about each animal. The animals looked well cared for. For those who need a ride on the walking tour, there are golf carts. They provide bottled water, if you need it. Younger kids or those with shorter attention spans may get antsy or cranky, but I think it is a very enjoyable and unique tour. No photos are allowed on the tour for safety and logistical reasons. Honestly, it is nice to just enjoy the moment and not stress about optimal angles and lighting. A port-a-potty is available. The tour is a must-do in the area! read more

I took 3 of my grandchildren here mid-day on a late summer afternoon. We thought it would be a fun for the kids to see the animals in their natural habitats. While the staff can't control the weather, it seemed as though they could've done more so that the animals would be more comfortable in the heat! The day ended up being miserably uncomfortable for us, as well as the animals. Some were impatiently pacing in their cages. Some were just lying around in the dirt. Two were recovering from surgeries. All of the animals looked well cared for and some were enjoying some snacks while we were there. Our "walking tour" included a walk around the facility to each animal's habitat and the guide discussing multiple facts about the animals lives and journey to the Reserve. Start to finish, it took about an hour and included a bottled water. I'd recommend strollers for your kids. It's an unsafe place to allow young children to wander around. The "public" restroom is a port-o-let outside the gated entrance to the reserve. It was just as clean as the ones at a football game/concert! There is no gift shop but they do ask for donations and give you a t-shirt in return. In movie terms, the reserve is the equivalent of a low-budget film. It's saving grace is the effort to keep these animals alive, but as they all grow, I feel like this "low-budget film will not be able to keep up with the demand! Too few employees for so many demanding large animals. read more

So beautiful and amazing you learn so much perfect for all ages! Please donate so important we save the species so big and giant and come early beat the crowds the staff is very helpful and so kind and knowledgeable thank you so much for your support your hard work I appreciate it so much! Thank you so all the work and dedication to the community and animals! From Lauren read more

I did not know this pla e even existed. It is a animal reserve that takes all kind of animals from various sources. The animals range from seized to surrender animals and many more. You can look up Florida Kodiak bears and you'll find those bears here. All the animals have various stories and you can see from the interactions with the caretakers and the animals that there's a bond. It was a very informative exhibit and it was great to hear the wolves howling back at our group after we had howled. Unfortunately you can't take pictures, but I like being in the moment as well. You can purchase a flash drive that contains a power point with over 400 slides explaining the stories of the animals. read more

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Great place! We saw so many different animals from a lynx, hyena, tiger, bear, lion...and so much more. If you are on the fence about visiting here, hop over that fence and just go. The staff were amazing, you can clearly tell they love their job and the amount of volunteers speaks volumes. The animals (most) love their handlers and we even heard a few tigers chuffing, which is their happy noise. It is amazing to know the handlers are greeted like this because that means they trust them-meaning they're well cared for! If you are expecting a zoo, think again. If you are expecting a show, think again. If you just want to see exotic animals that weren't wanted and are now in a loving environment, this is the place for you. No pictures allowed inside but you can purchase them after. read more

For an up-close look at exotic animals, check out the St. Augustine Wild Reserve. This nonprofit sanctuary was established in 1995 as a care center for rescued exotic animals. Mountain lions, bears, ligers and leopards are just some of the animals housed here. Notable residents have included five arctic wolves and an African lion that once belonged to Michael Jackson. The guides did a good job trying to get the animals active during the tour. They also did a great job explaining how the animals came to the reserve. They won the esteemed title of Best Animal Encounter in the Jacksonville area in 2020 and 2022! We highly recommend this tour when looking for something to do with your family when In St. Augustine. Your visit helps the reserve provide a safe environment for these animals. Tours are by appointment only. ~ Visit SAWildReserve.org to learn more about their nonprofit and how to visit! St. Augustine Wild Reserve 5190 Farm Creek Rd St. Augustine Fl read more

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This was such a cool experience! We absolutely loved our tour. Amazing animals and there is clearly such a love for them. Our guide was incredible and very funny. The volunteer who was helping on tour, Lauren was amazing too!! Highly recommend this tour if you get the chance. Can't say enough about the beautiful animals in their care. read more

My family and I have lived in Northeast Florida for well over 30 years, the past 10 years in St Augustine, yet had never heard of the St Augustine Wild Reserve before moving into Trailmark. You could wake up in the early morning, go outside and listen to lions and tigers roaring in the early mornings because we are so close, yet never thought to visit the Reserve. We finally had an opportunity to do just that on March 20th when our neighborhood activities director set up a private tour for Trailmark residents. What an absolute incredible experience it was. While it's not a zoo by any means, the tour was amazing and educational to such an extent that it was actually better than any zoo I have ever been to. You simply cannot get that close to lions, tigers, bears, hyenas, wolves, ligers, and more, and the back stories on these beautiful animals was truly enlightening. The entire staff was great and very knowledgeable about each animal they are caring for, animals that would likely not be with us anymore if not for this amazing facility. They have saved countless lives of animals that simply had no other options left for them and they truly seem grateful to the people who were kind enough to rescue them and provide them a forever home. Every dime you spend there for admission or purchases of items they have available in remembrance of your visit go straight to housing, feeding, and caring for these beautiful creatures. It is a visit that provides more than you would expect, and my family and I felt truly blessed to have finally taken the opportunity to visit. Do yourself a favor, and do the reserve a favor, by visiting these animals and helping them continue to care for them, feed them, house them, take care of any medical costs, and show the animals the love they deserve. If my recollection is accurate, I believe the guide (Vince) mentioned that it costs $2000.00+ per week just to feed them. One of the best parts of the reserve is that it's not located in a busy area of St Augustine and not in a typically area that tourists would think to visit, but it's definitely a place that tourists and St Augustine residents alike would enjoy and you would be helping the facility and animals continue to thrive and take in more rescues when needed. It's a truly magical place to see and does not disappoint at all, so take the time to give them a visit. You will be glad you did. read more

Our visit here was absolutely wonderful. Seeing these beautiful animals up close was a once in a lifetime experience. Hearing their stories was sad, but it felt good to see them in this comfortable environment. The volunteers who staff the reserve do the most amazing work, and the bond they have with the animals is heartwarming. If you're in the St. Augustine area, do yourself and these animals a favor and visit this place. read more

Ligers and tigons and Teddy T Bear, oh my! We had Bev for our tour, and she went way out of her way to give a ton of info and answer just as many questions! At the end of the tour they get the tourists to howl, and the wolves reply-howl, THEN all the lions begin to roar and it's howling and roaring! So cool! When paying for tickets online I processed through as normal but was only charged a portion for some reason. I learned that upon arrival you must sign a waiver and they take remaining payment in person at that time to confirm your presence. I was super bummed that they don't allow photos. Part of learning for my son, and for me, is visual. I took tons of notes but without the photos of the different animals the info fell flat for my 4yo, and I had trouble remembering one animal from another. The ligers and tigons, especially, I'd love to see again. I can understand they don't want photos to be taken out of context, and perhaps need to protect the animals in censorship ways, but the slideshow disc they sell just isn't the same as souvenir pictures you take of your family with the animals. Wish they'd consider changing their policy. All in all a great tour, and I feel the animals are cared for deeply here. They even take the big cats for swims in their pond, something I'd LOVE to see, even if only on video, like a YouTube channel to promote the rescue. read more

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Loved this tour!! Staff is very knowledgeable and you can tell the animals are well cared for. It was an experience like no other.

What an amazing and beautiful place. People who work and volunteer there really care for there animals. They make sure to tell you everything about them and tell stories of how they got in their care and what's their temperament. Unfortunately, no pictures are allowed, but it's definitely worth seeing with your own eyes read more

I grew up in Jacksonville and didn't even know this place existed! It was our first visit and we absolutely felt the genuine love the staff felt for these animals. There are numerous big cats, wolves, Kodiak bears, peacocks, a porcupine, and deer. Each has a different story and most were removed from a bad or illegal situation. The facility is entirely run by volunteers and donations, so I'm writing this review to spread awareness and hopefully help bring more visitors and donations. I wish I was rich because this place is a worthy cause for your donations. Please take the time to visit and bring some items on their donations page. read more

Absolutely worth the trip. The most magnificent big cats and wildlife. The most heart warming part is how much the staff(who are volunteers) love and care about these animals. A must visit. read more

We love this place! We took our daughter for her birthday and she really enjoyed seeing all the animals, we enjoyed the stories and educational aspect. A great place to visit! read more

This place was a great find. It's in a kind of strange location but it's pretty easy to find with gps. I made reservations for my son and I. You should definitely show up 10-15 mins early... there's paperwork. So some people made us late. It's a strictly guided tour. So I think the group was bit large. It was hard to see until after the guide was done speaking about the animal. I thought it was great for adults, not entertaining enough for my son. He would've made it through in 30 mins, not 90. But despite his waning enthusiasm, we had a great time. We were able to hear the wolves howl and lions roar! Tons of animals, lots of information! Not allowed to take photos! read more

What a great experience! Probably not the best for the animals, but it sure was cool to go and see

Absolutely beautiful animals well taken care of by caring volunteers. Thank goodness for people and places like the St. Augustine Wild Reserve. read more

Loved getting to see such awesome animals up close. The animals seemed happy but it's still always a bummer to see them confined to small areas. You do have to understand that these animals wouldn't survive in the wild because they were raised by humans. Most animals came from breeders that couldn't sell them or idiots that thought they could raise a lion in their garage. Florida is hot obviously but they do a good job at providing shaded areas and free bottled water while going on the tour. My family all loved the experience. Also, if you're looking for a Tiger King experienced with a bunch of freak shows running the place then this isn't it. All the employees were nice and normal. I'm not going to lie, watching a meth head get bit by a tiger would have enhanced the experience but we were happy nonetheless. read more

This place is awesome. It is still so surprising, the stories the staff tells about these animals. They are very well cared for. I live close enough, that sometimes you can hear the big cats in the morning and sometimes in the evening. read more

A very informative tour. Although many of the personal stories of these rescue animals were sad and abhorrent, it is obvious to see how well cared for the animals are now. Sure, larger cages might be nice but sounds like every animal that needed a place was welcomed- I didn't see any EMPTY cages...I'm thinking the distance between cages could be filled quickly w NEW inhabitants at any point and larger cages would prevent from taking in more rescues? The volunteers have respectful loving interactions w the animals which was plain to see. Their work inspired us so much that we have signed up w SMILE Amazon per their suggestion in order to purchase some of their requested items but also so that a portion of what we buy for ourselves gets donated to the sanctuary. A simple way to help Every day! read more

Rescue animals being given a second chance. Owner and staff and volunteers are great!!

Wonderful sanctuary for rescued "wild" animals. Our tour guide was excellent. Great educational experience with the family.

Knowledgeable guides. Amazing animals.... Overall a great experience and worth a few hours of your time. Kids will love it too.

This is an incredible animal sanctuary that is run 99% by volunteers. The animals are well taken care of and they are closer than you could ever see them in a zoo. My wife has been there multiple times and taken guests every time. Well worth the admission price especially when the money goes directly to the care of the animals. read more

If I could give them 10 stars I would. This was such a great experience with our children. We were trying to find something different to do while our oldest daughter was in town from college. This was a perfect option. Things to know before hand. You must make a reservation for the tour. They only do tours on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Adults are $30/person and children under 10 years old are $20. So our family of 5 paid $140 for the visit. The tour was about 2 hours. We took our own bottles of water and were glad we did but they had water available also. Also, they have a portapotty outside the gates..use the restroom before as there was not an option to do that during the tour. They do have a golf cart available to have a rest off your feet if needed. Wear comfortable shoes that you don't mind getting dirty. Wear some bug spray. The volunteers that work here really love what they do and the animals they care for. We are members of the Jacksonville Zoo but this experience was just so unique and the proximity of the animals to the visitors was amazingly close. The Liger was my absolute favorite but I loved all the wolves here too!! Very educational experience for us and for the kids. Our five year old loved it too (and he is hard to please...aren't they all at that age?). Leave your cell phone/camera in the car. Photography is not allowed but they have photos you can purchase after the tour. read more

This place is a must see! They are rescued and well taken care of wildlife. The tigers are so cute and you can get face to face with them. Magnificent and majestic. Make a donation if you can't visit! read more

We visited the St. Augustine Wild Reserve on Friday 6/7 for the VIP tour. We honestly weren't sure what to expect but the opportunity to get up close and personal with wild animals was too good to pass up. We got there about 30 minutes early per their recommendations and our tour started right on time at 12. Our guide was Lindsey (sorry if I misspelled her name.) We started the tour with a cheetah (or leopard, I should've paid more attention but I was PSYCHED) and a big cuddly white tiger. I've never wanted to pet an animal so much in my entire life. We got to see tigers, lions, leopards, servals, wolves, a porcupine, a bear and a deer. At each stop on the tour we got to see the animals being lovingly fed by the staff at the reserve. Lindsey was able to give us details about where the animals came from and we got to see firsthand why it's a bad idea to own, say, a tiger without being knowledgeable about wildlife. The tour would have been great anyway, but the way she and the other staff/volunteers interacted with and respected the animals put it over the top. It's abundantly clear how well taken care of these animals are. She pet the animals who wanted to be pet, stayed at a respectful distance from those who didn't, and overall showed our group what great lives these animals can lead now that they've been rescued from their situations. One thing I will suggest is DEFINITELY heeding their warning about bug spray and sunscreen. That was our mistake and we're paying for it now with sunburns and bug bites. I don't know that this tour would be a good idea for small children. I think they would lose interest and their parents would have to keep them from getting too close so I think overall this should be a teen/adult experience. We loved our visit and we think you will too! read more

Was a nice experience I totally enjoyed seeing the big cats! It's not a zoo no petting or pictures allowed but totally worth it to me read more

St. Augustine Wild Reserve - Huge Turkeys - Zoos Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

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Awesome experience you can't get anywhere. Up close with various large tigers/cats & a lion and other animals. Private group tours available. People really care for the animals, god bless them. read more

I surprised my daughter with a trip here for her birthday. As a sneak peek I gave her the list of items needed for donation. We went and bought 1 of almost everything. She was beyond excited thanking Ms Tammy today for making it special for her even in a large tour group. We will absolutely be back! read more

St. Augustine Wild Reserve - Zoos Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

Awesome tour, well worth the reasonable entrance fee. First chance I've had to get so close to some truly breath taking animals. Hearing a lion roar or a tiger effortlessly chomp through some bones during feeding time was a once in a lifetime experience. From the massive 1100 lb liger to the ~150 lb wolves each animal was so impressive. It is a thorough 2 hour walking tour that can definitely get hot in the Florida sun, but believe me it is worth it! It is abundantly clear the volunteers here love the animals and do everything in their power to give them a good life. Heard story after story of the owner taking in animals with no other options and no place to go. Supporting this business directly supports the well being of these majestic creatures. Can't recommend enough. read more

This place is awesome! You can see a large number of wild animals up close in a controlled environment. They even have Ligers (amazing & terrifying at the same time- lol!). Best of all, this is a non profit & is very educational. Make sure to book your walking tour in advance as they are only open four days a week (mon, wed, fri, sat). read more

An outstanding experience to see exotic animals close up! Highly recommend take you take a tour!

Thiis was a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours. The staff was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable...answered all questions and encouraged people to ask questions. Our guide, Marti, really went the extra mile...even howling for the wolves! Definitely worth the drive and highly recommend! read more

We absolutely love this place. You can tell these animals are so well loved and so well taken care of. Everyone was lounging and loving their treats. I highly recommend. This place cares about their animals and take it very personally. We will be returning again in the future. read more

Such a great tour- you have to realize the price is to care for these animals that have been taken in and cared for because they can't be in the wild. See it as a contribution and entertainment! Our tour day ended up being wet and COLD and I didn't even pay attention to the weather until the tour was over and quickly realized I couldn't feel my toes but that's how intrigued I was in the tour! We take all our guests here! read more

A wonderful organization that really cares for their animals! The tour was roughly 2 hours. It was an extremely hot day, but the staff ensured no one got heat stroke and provided wet towels and water bottles. No photography is allowed here unfortunately, but it wasn't needed honestly. It was wonderful just to live in the moment and not have people ruin the tour by jumping in front of the animals for the "perfect shot". Overall, what a wonderful organization. Go see it for yourself! read more

This is a Fantastic place with amazing animals & caring, devoted staff. I highly recommend

We were driving through St Augustine, but wanted to stop for a few excursions. I asked my cousin for some recommendations. I am SO, SO happy we took his advice! What an amazing afternoon. The animals are beautiful and the people who work there (all volunteers) are all "animal people" and it's wonderful. I already wanted to move to Florida when I retire, but now I want to move to St. Augustine just so I can volunteer here. We love love loved it! read more