Lots of very positive changes over the last few years. Friendly volunteers who love the animals in their care. Many animals have had a rough life but being treated very well now. Go visit and see (and donate!) read more

I visited Suncoast Primate Sanctuary after finding it on Groupon. I learned that it used to be a roadside attraction where people could buy monkeys and take them home, but it has since become a rescue and retirement sanctuary. Each primate has a story, and while many of them are sad, I'm grateful there is now a safe place where they are cared for. The volunteers were kind, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about the animals. The visit was emotional and a bit depressing at times, but that's to be expected given the nature of a rescue sanctuary. I still strongly encourage people to support this place and the important work they do. One tip: wear bug spray -- I ended up with quite a few bites on my legs. read more

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My second trip to the sanctuary was on Mother's Day. I love all animals especially the monkeys. They are all well kept. The staff are all knowledgeable about the animals and very friendly. read more

Fantastic day at the Suncoast primate sanctuary. The staff is so friendly and informational. The facility was much bigger than I expected and there is a LOT of monkeys to view and talk to. I recommend visiting and I even bought art work from the gift shop a primate painted- so cute ! read more

Suncoast Primate Sanctuary Foundation - Zoos Near Me - Palm Harbor, Florida

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A special thank you to one of their sanctuary's volunteers, Suzanne, for introducing us to all the animals. It's a small sanctuary mainly for primates but it also houses birds, reptiles, and a few mammals. Many of these animals have been rescued from:experimentation or neglectful owners. The sanctuary runs on donations. The majority of the staff are volunteers. It's a nice place to take young children as there are some cute play areas as well as picnic areas. The entry price goes towards the upkeep of the animals' food and enclosures. The most characteristic chimp is Harry. He's quite the showman. Pongo is a huge orangutan that makes the best purring sound when his back is being scratched. read more

There aren't a lot of animals, place is very dirty. Most likely won't be back. Most enclosures are empty.

dirty cramped spaces for animals. poorly laid out. need better signage. a sad experience for everyone.

This place was awesome we were looking for something to do for the day and found this place on Groupon. Pam and Kyle are very friendly, sociable, and knowledgeable. The animals are so cute and it's nice to know they were rescues. I liked how you can buY bags of food to feed the animals. It would be nice to have tubes for the other cages along the back because it's difficult to throw food in- most times it would bounce off the fences. Over all this place is great if you love animals! It's heartwarming to see these animals being taken care of and in better place than what they would have been if left in the previous situations. All of the volunteers deserve the deepest of gratitudes and they have mine! read more

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i have been going for a long time now. last 2-3 years lots of animals have disappeared and i mean a lot they have half the animals they had a few years ago and they are just gradually disappearing. with no information on what happened to them. they keep pushing they are making improvements but i haven't seen any major animal welfare improvements other than more staff and toys read more

Such a cute spot. We came here with a Groupon for a different type of afternoon and I love monkeys. The sanctuary isn't huge but there is a lot of animals to see. It was a very hot day so all of the animals were relaxing and trying to stay cool. They had several chimps there that were older. A lot of smaller monkeys. They had an orangutan that was tucked behind an older chimp where the alligators were it was hard to see him but he was being nosey so I saw his arm up hanging. One of the volunteers let me hold a snake and the chimp started making noises because he didn't like it lol it was funny. They also had the orangutan with the wider face that was hiding in the shade. I could see him through the window. It was also cool to see the lemurs up close. The one thing I would like to see is more of a description of the back story of the animals that are there. And the type of primates they were. Not all of the cages had the primate types listed. read more

What a great afternoon! Highly recommend! Lots of animals, a picnic area and great value for entry fee!

We loved it! The place was very clean and they interacted with my friend and I. The staff were all so sweet, perfect day to go today

What an amazing Father's Day! We were staying at Innisbrooke for the weekend and took my son here, WOW! The people who volunteer and work here and the nicest most accommodating people in the world. My son got to hold a snake and an alligator. Pongo is an Oranatang and so interactive with the guests. Attached are photos of our amazing time at Suncoast Primate Sanctuaty. Thank you for making Father's Day special. read more

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Didn't even know this sanctuary for apes, birds, crocodiles, goats, lemurs, monkeys existed! The new owners are doing a lot to turn this place around . They rely on volunteers and donations to keep it running. You can tell the volunteers really care about the animals in their care and are doing a lot to give the animals more stimulation. The animals are cute to boot. Really enjoyed feeding them and the apes and monkeys especially had comedic personalities. It's not especially large or expensive and you can be out in about an hour or so... read more

My friend was visiting from Chicago with her kids, so we decided to check out this primate sanctuary. You can buy "monkey chow" which consists of crackers and peanuts at the entrance. The kids and I enjoyed feeding the primates. There are tubes that you can drop the food through. They also told us we could toss snacks into enclosures without the tubes which was fun. You could tell that the owner was very passionate about what she does and really loves the animals. We enjoyed watching the gator show and the kids enjoyed digging in the sandbox for gator teeth and feeding the gators. A fun experience, especially for those with kids. read more

This place was so much fun! Unfortunately we couldn't get very close to the monkeys but that's ok cause they're all rescues! I think that's the best part about this it's not a zoo. Its a safe place for monkeys and other animals to rest and heal, or some of them can't go back out into the wild! Me and my boyfriend were too busy staring at Pongo, the cutie orangutan, but they also have little shows and presentations about animals every about hour or so. For example, the alligator show! They have a variety of different animals to offer! From alligators to chimpanzees to goats! Also for two dollars you get a bag of carrots to feed and interact with the monkeys! It's amazing 10/10 recommend! read more

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After visiting this place, I can understand the Yelp rating. A few of us, animal lovers and tree huggers, really enjoyed the visit, and spent time watching the animals, while several find this place unkempt, small and depressing, and 10 mins in there was plenty for them. if we were all to write a review, it will probably average out to a 2.5 or 3. So, I guess whether you will enjoy the visit or not, depends very much on you. It's a private nonprofit on small budget and little manpower, so don't compare it to a commercial zoo. These animals retire here after being lab experiment subjects, so don't expect them to be cuddly and friendly. I admit, I've been to other sanctuaries that are better maintained, with videos, tours, and all that, but then, I feel grateful someone has taken the time and effort to keep this running. While I do not mind the imperfection, I do have a grip: they sell you nuts and crackers to feed the animals, but there is no easy way to do so. There are a couple of cages that have a PVC tube, where you can slide the snacks down it for the animal. Otherwise, the cages are set rather far back (understandably for safety reasons), so you need to be a good pitcher to get the tiny pieces of snacks to fly pass the cage (and not bounced by the wires) to land close to the animals without, god forbid, hitting them. Winning a toy at a fair may be easier. Not recommended for little kids. BTW this place offers groupons, but actually using the Yelp app is a better deal. Although I did end up donating the saved money back to them. read more

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The monkeys are so cute and the staff is amazing. We just so happened to pass this and decided to stop.

First timer and I will be back again with my son! $10 for adults and $5 for kids. Lots of monkeys and other animals to see! The staff is absolutely amazing! So sweet and told us all about the animals including the history, how old they are, what they eat, their diet and more. They get fresh water from tap so it's always clean. Many volunteers to keep up with the animals! It only took about an hour to go through and see and visit with the animals which was plenty due to the hot Florida weather. They were feeding when we were there so it was fun to watch. The Orangutan "Pongo" was amazing to see up close! He was about 350 pounds. The lady who was talking with us who worked there was the best! She even let us hold an alligator! Such an awesome experience! They take donations too on the way out which is well deserved for the great job and care they are doing for these animals! You can tell they are loved and take time to spend with them! read more

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We took some friends of ours to the sanctuary recently and frankly it's depressing. The animals are well cared for by a team of volunteers or staff, but the facility is downtrodden and clearly underfunded. It's situated between a mixed residential/commercial area and Pinellas Trail. It's not exactly a selling feature of new residents. It seems out of place where it is. I realize the Sanctuary was there first and then businesses and homes encroached upon it, but it's now in an unusual spot. Plus, the shrieks and stomping of the animals can be heard for probably a 1-2 miles from the facility. Sometimes all through the night. The surrounding area is only going to grow more with homes, businesses and condos over time, and I'd assume local politicians, developers, and HOAs are going to put pressure on the facility to find a new location. That takes money and donations, of course, but it would probably be best for all concerned. The animals would be better served by being in a larger, more rural location, with expanded acreage to social and more active, rather than being confined to boxes and cages. I've read about primate sanctuaries in the US and other countries that are very humane and well run. I'm sorry to say that this facility doesn't quite live up to the promise of being a sanctuary. A generous donor should really step in and give them land and a new facility in FL somewhere, or simply fund the transfer of the animals to zoos and/or other sanctuaries in the US. read more

My review was also removed from Yelp - very strange. When I visited this place I expected to enjoy the animals in a loving "sanctuary". I was out bike riding on the local bike path and someone recommended I visit. I was excited to stop by. The animals are in small cages, usually alone, with no stimulation and it is sad and nothing about this place deserves even 1 star. This is no way to treat animals. I am very disappointed that my review was removed as I feel that is why Yelp is here - to inform others of our experiences. As I said previously: If you don't have the funds to properly run a animal care facility, then you should NOT. Move the animals somewhere else. There is no excuse for this.... read more

This place is amazing. If it wasn't for this sanctuary, the animals would be put to sleep. It's sad the animals are not in the wild but Suncoast has stepped up to retire the animals. I will definitely return! read more

Suncoast Primate Sanctuary Foundation - Suncoast Animal Sanctuary - Zoos Near Me - Palm Harbor, Florida

Not that this is the greatest place you'll ever go, but what they are doing here is GOD'S work. These animals were primarily laboratory experiments their entire existence. Imagine that life. Imagine what they've been through. Some are in their 70's! The people that work here are all volunteers. They need more volunteers. They need donations. Yes, the pens are not cosmetically glamorous, but they are large and functional. Imagine what the cages would have been like in a lab? These primates are on the retirement plan. They may have been abused most of their lives but now, in their twilight years, they're living the good life. So rather than be critical, volunteer. Donate. Change your Amazon account to www.smile.amazon.com and set this place up as your charity. That way a percentage of everything you buy will be donated. Let Bezos do something good with his billions. These people are trying. Hard. What are you doing? read more

Awful awful awful. Saw this place on Yelp with a 50 percent off deal and thought it would be fun last min without reading reviews. It cost 15 dollars a head to get in normally but I read online it was only 10. Upon showing the lady at admissions the Yelp coupon we were accused of being scammers and scrutinized. She finally let us get a bogo, and the rest of our group decided not to push it and paid full price. When we got in there they said they were about to close the gate and do some sort of show and we were pressured by at least 7 employees to go check it out and were even told aggressively. But when the rest of our group finally got there we didn't see any sort of show or frankly any space to have one. Most of the employees were not actually employees but child volunteers under the age of 13. One of the children even asked us for go get help because they were so understaffed. The monkeys were so so sad looking especially Pongo who was rattling the chain in his tiny tiny enclosure he would stop when we came near and would start again when you walked away. The monkey in the enclosure next to Pongo was in even worse shape he was pacing around in the same tiny tiny circle and looked like he was losing his mind! Pacing in tiny circles is a sign they're not in a good place. We checked on him multiple times and he didn't stop pacing I literally stood there and cried. Don't spend your money here unless you like to support animal abuse. It's downright awful. Especially those poor gators I saw a 7 year old carrying one around recklessly with its mouth taped shut looking like he needed a swim. Too bad there wasn't any water for them to swim. A tiny pool that couldn't accommodate a toddler probably won't be enough for a gator let alone 4. I've been to some shady redneck gator sanctuary in the Colorado mountains that treated their animals better. This place needs to be shut down! The animals there deserve better than this prison. I've read the owners excuses on other reviews just now saying he wishes he could give them a better life (let the monkeys swing from trees or play together) but unfortunately it's not possible for him. All I have to say to that is if you can't afford to give the animals a good life then don't just ruin your own life not some innocent monkey's. read more

This was my first experience at the "sanctuary." My husband grew up in the area and had many memories as a child visiting so when we came to visit family, my mother in law purchased a Groupon for us to experience with our kids. From the moment we walked in, something felt off when we were asked if we would like to purchase a bag of monkey food. It was literally a ziplock bag of Cheetos, animal crackers and other small snacks! I avoid giving my own children this junk let alone an animal that should never encounter or consume such food! I found it ridiculous and so off putting to see people throwing food at the monkeys. The monkeys seemed sad and not very playful or energetic at all. It was bizarre to read about 90% the diets of the monkeys being fruits, seeds, roots etc so I guess the other 10% is naturally Cheetos. Duhhhhhhhhh, major eye rolling. There were other animals in small enclosures as well including alligators, parrots, goats, a rooster and pigs. The animals didn't seem to have nearly enough space to live a happy life. Alligators and tortoises barely had any water! I seen one adult in the whole place directing children that seemed to be volunteers. Based on demeanor, it seems that they were forced to be there for community service or something. Overall, my children enjoyed it because kids love animals and we were on vacation so everything was awesome and fun and it was free since the Groupon was a gift so that's how I decided on 2 stars. However, as an adult, I would never pay for this roadside abandoned circus. It overall made me sad and feel that the term sanctuary was misused and misleading for this place to continue to operate. read more

if I could give less than one star, I 100% would.... I'm a huge advocate for wildlife and proper care of all different species. After many visits to different sanctuary's for birds, cats, primates, etc. this was by far the worst one I have ever seen. First, from the visitors point of view... we walk up to the front entrance and the two workers at the front gates were smoking. I don't care that they were smoking but the fact that there are primates, birds, and other wildlife just 50 feet away. There should be no smoking allowed near or on the premises. A little weird how we had to sign in, never had to do that before and the lady didn't explain what it was for. Walking around there was no real directions or map or any pathways to the different habitats. Also, I found it a little weird how they had pigs and goats near the primates especially having them roam free? There was also a lady in yellow spraying the cages on "Jet" mode with the water hose. Not only was she spraying the cages but she was also spraying the primates. One primate in particular jumped towards her in disgust. You could see it on his face that he wasn't happy. She then kept spraying him. After someone said try to put the hose on a different mode, she continued to spray the baboon with the jet mode to try and "cool him down" ... the primates looked miserable in these cages. I've seen many animals in bigger and better cages. Just putting my hands on the top of the fence, the fence wasn't sturdy at all. A few more things, the items in the food bag were terrible, who gives a primate cheese puffs?????? Cheese puffs are actually unhealthy snacks for humans, why do you think it's okay to give them to primates? It's very unfortunate, the cages seemed so small for such big wildlife animals. There were very little to no signs about what types of primates they were or where they came from, why they're in the sanctuary, etc.. I am just overall very displeased and disgusted with this sanctuary. I really hope someone goes in and evaluates this place, in different states this place wouldn't have existed because of how terrible it is. I mean just look at this picture and tell me "Pongo" doesn't look miserable. read more

Suncoast Primate Sanctuary Foundation - Zoos Near Me - Palm Harbor, Florida

We spent less than an hour here and saw basically everything. I'm torn writing this review. I've read the others and I can't claim to know anything about whether the conditions here are good for the animals or not, so I have to write this from a purely entertainment standpoint. We got a groupon. Even with a groupon, I probably wouldn't suggest this place to someone. I can see how it may be useful to bring kids here to teach them about animals, but I think I would recommend the lowry park zoo instead. It would be less sad. We got a bag of peanuts with our groupon. We were confused about how we could actually give the peanuts to the monkeys. There is a fence that stops people from walking up to the cages, so we ended up chucking the peanuts at the cages and hoped they would fall through and not bounce off. Later we saw a couple cages with a pipe that you could stick the peanut in and it would slide to the cage, but that was only for a couple and nobody ever stopped us from chucking the peanuts at the monkeys (don't worry, we never tried to hit the monkeys, we always tried to throw it by the monkeys). I'm pretty sure this is a Christian sanctuary. They played Christian music and I saw a garden decoration with a bible verse. It was a little odd. My husband found this place very sad. He didn't like seeing the monkeys in such small cages. There were also run down children toys in all the cages. Like I said at the beginning, I'm no expert at animal sanctuaries. I have no idea if this is normal or if these conditions are fine, but we ended up spending less than an hour here and I have no desire to come back. read more

We were driving back to Gainesville on Alt 19. Noticed their sign out of the corner of my eye, turned around and investigated. (ask for map of tarpon springs there's a BOGO coupon for the primate sanctuary in it). All in all we were very impressed. They had about 20 high school kids there earning their bright future scholarship volunteer points. Very neat. Everyone was working hard, and really providing great care to the animals. When we were there we saw them feeding them treats and given them orange juice mixed with other things to all the primates. We could tell the abused animals are being very well cared for. We really felt it was worth the $20 for us all. They also give you treats to feed the animals with. We would encourage you to drop by and support this cause. We really learned a lot. read more

The sanctuary seemed clean, but depressingly void of frills. Primates are in cages with cement floors. There's nothing soft for them to lie on. While the volunteers sprayed water on the cement decks for cleaning, the primates huddled at the top corner of the cell. On a positive note, the cells were clean. Staff are very friendly, but most are obviously armature. Despite a vicious attack on a staff member several months ago, staff still handle the animals and stick hands into the cages. I'm not sure whether to be thankful for this sanctuary and send them money, or protest. I've never seen a primate sanctuary, except in the movie Planet of the Apes. This sanctuary looked strikingly similar to the one in the movie, minus the psychopath workers. I must repeat that the Suncoast staff seemed kind and caring. The saddest thing at Suncoast is Cheeta, the 80-year-old chimp. Cheeta lives in a the same type cell as everyone else. He sits quietly and accepts his food. Very sad. read more

My fiancé and I were doing the bike trail behind the sanctuary so we decided to park our bikes and come in! The girl at the door greeted us, very friendly...I loved seeing all the animals. I enjoyed feeding them with the monkey bags we bought at the front. Pongo was my favorite!! He was cute and I enjoyed watching him eat the treats. I also enjoyed reading the different back stories of all the animals. It made me happy to read that Cheetah from the Tarzan movies resided there as well! This place is doing an amazing job ! Can't wait to go back and bring more people read more

Although I've lived in Pinellas my whole life, I just recently visited SPS for the first time, based on a friends recommendation. We usually go to LPZ in Tampa, but heard this would be a good place to take my toddler for a morning outing. I wasn't sure what to expect when arriving, as I hadn't read the reviews before coming. My overall impression was that yes, the place is run down, but the volunteers who work here have their hearts in their mission and are doing their best to care for the animals. The first stop we made was the "kids play area", which is definitely quite lacking, but my toddler enjoyed playing on it for a few minutes. Then we got to walking around looking at the different primates and birds. At SPS you can definitely get a closer view of the animals than at the zoo or busch gardens. You are only a few feet away from their cages here. We bought some snacks to give to the animals, but it's hard to get to them since the only option is to toss it through the cage and hope it lands, with the exception of the few cages that have tubes to send food through. I spoke with a few of the volunteers while we were there. They were very informative and obviously care about the animals. They all knew a lot about the animals including their age, names and 'personalities'. I also saw many of them bringing out fresh fruit, sandwiches and salads for the primates. The food looked gourmet, honestly better than some salads I've seen at restaurants. On a side note, Pongo the Orangutan was one of the most fascinating creatures I've ever seen! All in all, this is a place for kids to enjoy seeing animals up close and personal. I did feel bad for some of the primates who seemed to be restless in their cage, but since we don't know their background story, I assume they have a reason to keep them here for the good. This is a place to visit for the experience, but not big enough to return on a regular basis. read more

Some of you are complaining, but what are YOU doing for the abused and neglected primates of the world? These are monkeys and apes that literally have nowhere else to go, Obviously life in a cage is not ideal for ANY wild animal but at least they are alive. They provide enrichment and the staff is very loving and doing the best they can with limited resources in these tough times. Some of these monkeys have literal lab tattoos, this is one of the only places helping those animals. I love to go here and spend time with them. I don't mind the price, worth every dime. They have a lot of other non-primates they help out and house too. Great place! read more

You really do have to check this place out. What they do is amazing. Note: Check Groupon and LivingSocial for deals. read more

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Honestly, the sanctuary was home to a lot of beautiful animals. There is a huge selection, and the primates really have a mind of their own. They are filled with attitude and love putting on a show for the bystanders. The place seems well tended for, with it being rather clean for the place that it is. The sanctuary does not have a strong animal odor which I was surprised about. At the door, you can purchase a $1 snack bag with little things like peanuts and cheerios in it to feed to the animals. The place overall seems very underfunded as many of the other reviews have said. The majority of the staff were young children that were trying to help out, likely volunteers. Overall, with a little more money I think they could have the place really beautiful. read more

The only highlight was Pongo, the orangutan . He's huge and so beautiful , but he looks so bored and unenthused about everything going on around him.. The lady who works at the place was so happy, running around telling everyone that somebody donated Twizzlers for him. Really? Twizzlers?! Oh, that's a healthy treat! Ugh! She said it was his favorite treat, but when she threw a couple strips at him he just sat there and watched them fly right past his head with his eyes and didn't even move his head, hands locked on the cage bars. A hahahahahaha ha! Awesome! I don't blame u Pongo, I wouldn't eat those corn syrup sticks either ! They sell $1.00 bags of food for them at the door which looks like cat or dog food with a few peanuts inside. Of course , they didn't like the dog kibble so I threw it out . I felt like I was insulting them by trying to feed them that garbage. They did like the peanuts though. I threw one in for Pongo and he finally got a little pep In His step, passed the Twizzlers , cracked open the nut and ate it. He then stuck his hand out through the cage and opened and closed it to ask for another. Aha! A snack they like! Is that why they only give u 4 in this 1.00 bag, and fill the rest with junky kibble? Figures. I was really disappointed that they have the chimps all the way in the back. There is a huge fence that blocks u from even getting anywhere near them.. Why so far away? I didn't know I had to bring binoculars. I don't know...At $10.00 a pop I was expecting more than that. read more

Suncoast Primate Sanctuary Foundation - Pongo is Beautiful! but In need of excitement - Zoos Near Me - Palm Harbor, Florida

I am torn to rate this place. If I follow Yelp's criteria, it is 3 star or less. If I follow my heart, this place deserve 5 stars because it saves life. As a human that share 97% DNA with chimpanzees, I feel uneasy to give less. Sadness, as most previous reviews brought up, is unmistakably presented. It is a primate sanctuary. It is a sanctuary because some human acted inhumanly and irresponsibly that brought suffering upon the primates. One of the monkey gave us middle finger every time we called his name. The caretaker told us he was mistreated by his owner. The finger gestured speaks volume. What I like about this sanctuary is the education purpose for young students. Mine are 6th to 8th grade so they understand more than their younger peers. We have a caretaker gave us presentation to each species and everyone listened tentatively. Cages are very closer to each other. Surprise, all primates live in harmonies. The sanctuary is so compacted that you can finish within 30 minutes. But you also learn a lot about primates without get distracted like you are in the zoo. Most of my students are ADHD. I was pleased they found calmness among visiting animals. We get chance to see great apes and monkeys from all over the world. Some are endangered. Students love great apes. Pagon, the Orangutan is their favorite. He is a magnificent gentle giant. Chimpanzees are on the naughty side. If they start throwing things to you, stay away, because the next subject fly towards you could be something from their bottom part.... You are forewarned. The sanctuary is a nonprofit foundation. The operation relied solely on donation and volunteer contributions. There are about 20+ monkeys retired from lab after 20+ years of being the experiment subject for human disease treatment such as diabetes. They settled at the back side of the sanctuary. They are living in good life now. SPC has partnered with sanctuary and it is in process to set an education program for veteran training. Another good thing happened to these animals. Our students donated bunch of items that were listed on the sanctuary website. For return, they gain something mighty. It is their compassion to these less fortunate primates. That worth the 5 stars. read more

If you are fond of monkeys, and want to go here to see them up close - DO NOT go here. It is VERY depressing. The cages are stark and barren. You get a feeling of quiet desperation from the poor apes. This is not like the zoo, where they have whole habitats set up (or at least cages with greenery and earth in them) I agree 100% with Janeen H's review. The one image burned into my soul after the visit here was SADNESS. The eyes of the caged primates are still haunting me. I have never seen that look in zoo monkeys... I suppose it's better than an early death, or whatever other fate would await them. Or is it? read more

Small but worth the visit... I've lived in Largo, Florida over 25 yrs. My family visited this Primate Zoo a few times when I was in elem-middle school. I remember back then being so shocked at how the place was allowed to be open. The gages for the chimps were literally 5 x 5 and stacked 2 high in two rows. They had a huge brown bear in the smallest enclosure and a rather large gator in a cement enclosure so small the water was green & it could barely turn around. The resident Silverback Gorilla was kept in a small converted trailer and just seemed SO miserable. It was heart wrenching. Flash forward, I was in town visiting my sister in Safety Harbor and we decided to take my niece & nephew there. My sister informed me she had heard over the years that they were forced to close. After looking it up online, we were delighted to hear they had just reopened after a major remodel. Upon arrival the outside had not changed very much. Entrance fee was very minimal. But to my delight all the cages and enclosures were much much larger and way nicer! Yes, it's not your typical "state zoo" but it's being ran by volunteers and donations. They have tried very hard to make do with what they have. The animals that are there come from unwanted situations and this is there last hope. The gorillas are very large and would benefit from a much larger enclosure but there's a lack of property and funds. ***Don't let the negative review stop you from visiting, that should make you want to visit. While your there, talk to the animals. Interact with them. They are bored and you are the only new entertainment they get. Just because they are not looking at you does not mean they are not listening! Don't forget to drop a donation off on your way out, Donations are tax deductible so make it worth it! And have fun, it's a zoo! read more

This was an unfortunate venture. I appreciate the fact that volunteers are "trying" but this place is so run down that they apparently accept anyone with a pulse to help. Every primate enclosure was dirty, small, run down, and filled with dirty moldy toys that have clearly never been played with. There is the initial plea from the front lady to support the sanctuary because "we provide the best retirement home a primate could wish for". I rue the day I believed her. They entice you to purchase a bag or two of peanuts to "give" to the chimps. What they don't tell you is there is no way to give them without throwing peanuts at them. This was disturbing. There were a handful of enclosures we would simply walk up to where the chimps would immediately start throwing feces at us. It was a clear message to have people stop pelting them with food. The volunteers weren't any better. Reckon there were one or two that seemed wholeheartedly passionate about the work they did, but the place was filled with 18 year olds and 20 year olds in college that could give a S*&% about what they were doing. One young man literally carried around a baby alligator with his mouth taped shut so that old grandmas and their grandsons could poke it and pet it. After talking with the owner for a minute, she relished in the pride of her good deeds by stating how she was eager to take any stray primate she can find. All-in-all, this was a disgusting place. There are so many organizations out there that would be desperate to shut this down, but it seems everyone loves a "good ole' roadside attraction for the kids!". read more

When I look at Yelp reviews for a place I am considering, I almost always look at the negative reviews first. If they seem legit then I may avoid a place or at least tell myself I can't be surprised if they turn out to be true. This place was no exception. We went anyway, despite the single stars it got on here and several low ratings on Google. We are so glad we did. The place is a sanctuary! It's not perfect and it needs plenty of love. If you want it to be up to commercial Zoo standards then donate some frickin time and money and help them improve. Don't wait till they have struggled and fought and managed to get help elsewhere before you bestow words of kindness on them. The caregivers are regular people that want to give something. You can tell if you just spend 5 minutes with them around the animals that they love them and want to see them cared for and that they connect and bond with them. I would honestly love to see this place get someone that will give some time that is educated on grant writing to scare up some money for the place. They do need help marketing and promoting the project. Don't go there with the single mind to be entertained. Go with the open mind and heart to learn, observe, give and possibly elevate their standing in the community and region. read more