Not at all what I expected. The tour is looking at a few sad animals in pens. Tiger King vibes.

Completely speechless! Such an amazing experience please come and do the extreme encounter!!! Worth every single penny read more

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I'm a firm believer in having a bucket list in life, one of those items on my list was to ride an elephant or just get up close and personal with one. They're truly beautiful, wise creatures - so of course when my friend asked me to go to Two Tails Ranch with her, I was 100% on board. We are from Jacksonville, FL, so the ride was a little over an hour and a half. Totally worth it though! Seeing as how I'm used to traveling to Disney in the same amount of time. When we got there, we waited outside the gate. They promptly open at 10:55am. Patricia, the owner of the ranch, comes out on golf cart and leads you to the parking area. There is plenty of parking. You then are led to the check in area where you pay for your experience for the day. My friend and I were all in and did the extreme encounter tour: which roughly was $206.00 per person (completely worth it and I'll explain why later on). There are other experiences such as a picture with an elephant, feeding of an elephant or riding the elephant (all cheaper in price than the extreme encounter, so don't think it will break the bank if you are on a budget). We are then all led to take a seat in an area where Patricia provides back ground information about the ranch and then does a Q&A session. Behind her, you are able to see 5 of the 6 elephants (all Asian elephants) on the premise. Honestly, it's a magical experience being able to see these beautiful creatures up close like that. Patricia then proceeded to lead Luke, one of the male Asian elephants, over to paint a picture. Luke was so proud of his painting and he even took a bow and waved to the crowd after he was done. After this, Patricia advised everyone with a blue ticket (taking pictures with the elephant) to an enclosure where that was taking place. After this, she led everyone with a red ticket and extreme encounter pass to the feeding area where we all got to feed two elephants carrot pieces. It was nerve wrecking reaching out your hand to a large being, but they were so gentle when taking the pieces from your hand. Kind of tickled lol! After this, everyone still left with a green ticket or extreme encounter pass went over to the ride portion of the tour where we got to actually ride an elephant. I mean come on! Who in their life can say that they got to ride an elephant?! Being on top of Marie the elephant was elating! She was slow in pace and made us feel comfortable as she went around the area back over to let us off. My bucket list of riding an elephant was checked off! Then everyone that was left were the ones with the extreme encounter pass (8 people, very small group which was nice). We got to bathe the elephants which was so cute, they thoroughly enjoyed it. Then we got to take our own personal pictures and selfies with the elephants. We also got a personal painting from Luke. Overall, the experience was just amazing. If you love elephants or are just an animal welfare enthusiast, Two Tails Ranch is a must!! Elephants are on the endangered list and unfortunately may be extinct within 5-10 years. What Patricia and her family do here is amazing! I just want everyone to know about this place and to please go and support the effort of these people. It was an amazing experience and I will definitely be back! *disclaimer* wear closed toe shoes and make sure you have the day to spend here. We started at noon and finished up around 3pm. So don't make plans afterwards seeing as how the tour depends on how long each station takes. read more

Two Tails Ranch - Zoos Near Me - Williston, Florida

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The tour only lasted 45 minutes and their brochure says tours are 1 & 1/2 to 2 hours long. At $40 pp and $5 to only feed one carrot is ok if you feel like you are helping those animals but not worth it otherwise. We weren't up close...hands on with these elephants. The staff seemed unhappy about doing the tour. If you get the chance to travel to Asia, the elephant sanctuaries there are hands-on fun! read more

Two Tails Ranch - Zoos Near Me - Williston, Florida

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I have mixed feelings about this place. I do think it's worth a visit, but just know what to expect and you won't be disappointed. First off, it's very expensive for what it is. This is understandable considering the upkeep and what you're supporting. It's not a complaint, just know that it's $20 to get in and all that gets you is a walk around where you see a handful of animals. If you want to do any activity, that will cost you another $20 or so. The staff is very knowledgable and the animals seem to be treated well. They bring up that species of many animals are dying off in the wild and keeping them protected in captivity could help. I suppose regardless on your views on the issue, it is an informative experience. The gift shop has some affordable things and it's a cute place to take your kids. There just isn't really much to see. If you're in the area, pop in and take a look but I wouldn't travel too far out of my way. read more

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This was a great experience for myself and my family. I learned alot about Asian elephants and conservation. It was extremely informative and enlightening on the how policy affects the survival of these animals. Grateful that our previous administration had lifted bans that helped conservationists and hopefully it can be rectified again before we lose these beautiful animals (and others). read more

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Today we did an extreme encounter at this ranch and it was the best experience we could have! Please go support this ranch as the elephants are truly loved and looked after. Also this encounter is a 10 out of 10 best gift you can ever give to anyone!! So informative and also the best hands on moments with the sweetest elephants! It's a must go! Bucket list! read more

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Today our daughter turned 26 and wanted to spend it with elephants. It was GREAT! This is a wonderful experience for any age. It's a non profit, every bit of money raised goes toward the care for the animals. These elephants are such gentle giants. I recommend the extreme encounter. You get to wash, ride and get a ton of pictures. It was so great. Please consider going to see this amazing place if you're in Florida. You won't be disappointed! read more

It is mostly elephants, then ostrich, lemur, dromedary, zebra, tortoise, emu, some more caged animals, and a snack truck. It covers a lecture on the elephants, answering questions, and a stern warning not to film her and what she talks about. She (Patricia) talks mostly about the elephants. She is knowledgeable, but doesn't tell all about her elephants. And she really has a chip about PETA. It centers around the elephants; they paint on a board; get their picture taken with you; it mentions a ride. For children it is slow moving, and they entertain themselve by wandering to see all at a faster pace. Maybe a circus clown or face painting would help the children. One elephant close by showed her dislike to being corralled. They are left-over elephants living out their existence doing their last "hurrah". read more

Absolutely disgusting. The most rude and demeaning staff I have ever encountered. Deplorable conditions for these endangered animals. The "tour" has around 50-70 people in it rather than what you book. There's is no room for these poor creatures to roam at all. For your "photo" op you're given a single baby carrot to feed to this massive animal then you're shoved aside. Definitely the next Joe Exotic "zoo". Patrica the circus ring leader spoke about how many hundreds of pounds of food and water these animals consume 24/7 and not a single drop or water or bit of food was in the enclosure. Hopefully Real wildlife conservationists will be able to help those poor animals instead of the clowns that run it currently. read more

One of THE most amazing things I've ever experienced! We did the EXTREME ENCOUNTER and it was incredible!!! Extremely informative and a lot of interaction time. Patricia was a wealth of knowledge! Well worth the flight and drive!!! read more

Two Tails Ranch - Zoos Near Me - Williston, Florida

One of the most depressing days of my life! This review which I only read AFTER a visit just about says it all :-( Two Tails Ranch, Williston, Florida Two Tails Ranch offers tours six days a week for the public to see its eight Asian elephants and menagerie of other captive animals. And when they're not on public display, Two Tails forces elephants to tour and perform in traveling circuses. This facility is pulling a circus trick, masquerading as a zoo, when in fact it is part of a family-owned traveling circus with a history of animal welfare citations and government actions against it, both in the U.S. and Canada. Canadian authorities recently refused entry of two of its elephants, Shell and Marie. Two Tails' most notorious performance was when a visiting woman suffered very serious injuries after one of the elephants tried to pull her through a fence. Two Tails had already been warned that its fencing was inadequate. As a result, Two Tails was fined in 2014 by the USDA for failing to protect the public with a barrier. Tuberculosis is a very common and risky disease in zoo elephants. Two Tails was cited by the USDA in 2011 for exposing two elephants to the disease by failing to take adequate quarantine provisions. Despite the risk to the public, Two Tails still offers elephant rides to paying customers and close contact that includes touching, sitting on elephants' legs, and hand-feeding, putting both the elephants and humans at risk from disease and injury. At least two of Two Tails' elephants, ageing Marie and Shell, can't escape the annual grueling circus circuit that can last eight months a year. They are forced to travel from place to place with the likes of the Tarzan Zerbini Circus, TZ Productions, and the Royal Canadian Circus. Travelling circuses are terrible for elephant health and psychological well being because they must endure the most unnatural of captive environments. Circuses force elephants to stand in transport trucks for long periods of time, perform in arenas surrounded by loud voices, applause, and other unnatural and stressful noises, and deprive them of virtually any vital natural experiences and freedom of choice. Two Tails fails elephants. It is a zoo charade that supports the inhumane and increasingly obsolete circus trade. read more

If I could put 0 stars I would....this is someone's back yard, who has 4 pet elephants and some other exotic animals. The poor animals The "tour" was a q & a, watching an elephant paint, photo op and feed 2 baby carrots to an elephant. (Photo op and feeding not included in the admission). The women who gave the tour was rude and did not have correct or clear answers to most of the questions that were asked. Her answer to a lot of the questions were "it depends" She basically yelled at the elephants when they did not do the tricks they have been taught. Which in turn they shouldn't be do any tricks. The elephants are all kept in separate pens, which are all to small. I would not recommend for anyone to go here and I would hope these animals can be saved. They need to be at a true sanctuary. read more

Absolute waste of money. Some reviews said tiger king vibes- and it was serious tiger king vibes. Standard of care aside, the structure of the tour is awful. You basically sit on a bench and listen to questions being asked and then sit some more while people get pictures taken. And then sit some more while everyone lines up to feed the elephants. And then sit some more while people ride an elephant. I bought a ticket to feed the elephants for my 2 yr old and she wanted to hold my hand while she walked up and the owner was so rude. She basically yelled ONE PERSON ONLY at us. So I was trying to convince my timid toddler to get the courage to go by herself and after 5 seconds the lady yelled again NEXT! WHO ELSE?! I wouldn't give this place my last nickel. read more

Very cool place! Lots of education on elephants and the work the goes into caring for them, which results in them living 3x longer than in the wild. Highly recommended for adults and kids. read more

Mixed feelings here. The elephants were incredibly cute, and very sweet! However, the owner was one of THE RUDEST people I've ever encountered. There was a young girl who was very shy and had a few questions, the owner berated her in front of the crowd "You weren't paying attention" "I guess you have something to look up on the internet when you get home" The tour was also not much of a "tour" we got to see two elephants (one of which you had to pay to feed two tiny carrots) before being yelled at from across the yard by owner if god forbid your friends tried to take a quick photo of you feeding them. Listen if you hate people, don't invite them in to look at your elephants, and don't yell at people for asking questions, especially curious children. The one star is honestly for the elephants. Oh and there was a random tortoise, emu, ostrich and some caged lemurs. read more

We made an an appointment with Gary on a Tuesday to come on the following Sunday. We drove 3 hours and then we're told there are no tours for the day. VERY DISAPPOINTED read more

We took my son here and had to leave early because of how rude the tour guide was being to everyone. Ridiculous.

Ten dollars per person for Elephant Days. To go down the inflateable bounce house slide ten times is $5. The $5 does not apply to other rides. That is the system is not ticket-based. To go on the other bounce house slide is another $5. Camel ride is another $10 per person. Pony rides another $5. They have soap to wash your hands by the Port-a- potties, but no water to wash your hands with. The cheesebueger pictured is $5, but they do not have salt or pepper (I asked when I couldn't find it). In my opinion, don't waste your time coming to this disorganized mess that also happens to be a rip off. read more

Two Tails Ranch - A $5 cheeseburger which I ate on a very wobbly picnic table. - Zoos Near Me - Williston, Florida

Loved it. Lots of elephants to see. She uses the proceeds to help take care of these gentle giants. They eat over 300 lbs of food per day! I didn't purchase anything other than the $20 admission but wish I had atleast purchased the option to ride the elephant. There are other animals to check out around the ranch as well. The lemurs were my favorite read more

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While visiting family in Florida we heard about this facility. In the back country, it took a little bit of a drive to get there but was well worth it. The caretaker, Patricia was wonderful and made a great connection with our family members. Having been around elephants for nearly her whole life, she was extremely knowledgable and the q&a that she offers during her lesson about these wonderful creatures was great. Answering each and every question asked and taking the time to do so until there were no more. Our tour was never rushed along like we have seen at other places. Patricia is fully for animal conservation and is very passionate about keeping the animals from going extinct. Her lessons were eye opening. Having a preteen in our group, we were slightly worried she would get bored but she loved it. In fact there were many older children there along with us. A great facility for all ages. Patricia doesn't cater her lessons to the little ones either. Much of what she spoke about was to educate the visitors on the animal itself. The little ones enjoyed looking at the elephants while the older ones enjoyed learning about them. Much fun for all. There is a sign at the cashier desk that mentions that all fees paid go toward the caring of these animals. You can tell she is very passionate about her life's calling and makes sure to provide a good home for them. She even temporarily houses elephants from other parts of the region when hurricanes come thru. I would definitely like to come back again. So happy to have met Patricia and visit her farm. Will look her up the next time we are in Florida read more

Two Tails is fantastic. Great experience with animals who clearly have a loving home, first-rate care and a beautiful place to live. Asian Elephants are endangered and will soon be extinct because there aren't enough places like this for them to live. Support these precious elephants while we can. What a great day! read more

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I made an appointment to get a tour a week in advance for 2 o clock. When I called to confirm the day of they told me the tours were over at 11 and that I shouldn't show up. Even though they let me schedule a tour, they just decided they were going to cancel 2 hours before. I do not recommend this place. My friends and I are on vacation and had to completely change our plans for the day. read more

I loved our day at the Ranch so Mich! You need to know that Two Tails Ranch is a sanctuary not a theme park type place. They offer tours and experiences to help pay the bills. The family that runs it pretty much dedicates their lives to these animals. Many are retired from facilities or are given by private owners who can no longer take care. The experiences range from a tour/ walk around of the ranch, feeding, photo op, ride or the extreme experience. We did the extreme experience which cost $200. It included all of the above mentioned plus we bathed the elephant and had touch time with the elephant. It was AMAZING! The thing that I really appreciate about the visit was it wasn't just an animal encounter but a reminder that these amazing animals are endangered. Being so close to the animals reminds us to continue to make the changes in our lives to help the environment. Sadly, man is the most dangerous to elephants and most animals. I highly recommend doing the extreme encounter I'd you can. read more

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After reading the reviews online we were very skeptical about the experience. The tour and ranch were great. Definitely recommend the elephant ride. Very awesome experience. read more

This was the most amazing experience, and I cannot stop raving about our visit! We were traveling through the area while on vacation and my daughter loves elephants so I called to see if we could set up a tour. Be aware that they cannot book tours extremely far in advance because they have to plan according to the weather. But about two weeks out, we were able to work out a day and time with Patricia. She was very easy to work with and kept in touch via email to answer my questions. Two Tails Ranch is pretty easy to find, and on the day of our tour we pulled up outside of the gate at the recommended time. We were in line with about four other cars and when the time came for our tour, the gate automatically opened and we were directed to a parking area. The children naturally went crazy at the sight of elephants in their pens as we drove up! We parked and paid at a kiosk for our tour and some extras that are offered. We were first directed to a seating area in front of an elephant pen, where Luke the elephant was walking around. Patricia then introduced herself and told us a little bit about her facility. This is absolutely the time to ask questions, and our group asked a lot of them. Patricia is obviously very passionate about her elephants and elephants in general. Don't sit on your hands - ask Patricia whatever you'd like to know! We asked not only about the elephant's history with her facility, their daily routine, their eating habits, and of course their waste habits, but also about the kind of trouble she gets from "animal rights" groups and about elephant conservation in the wild and domestically. Patricia is very educated about these topics and has strong opinions that were fascinating to learn. My children asked questions as well and she answered them with the same respect she showed to the adults. After the question and answer session, she went in with Luke and worked with him to show us some of what he could do. And one of those things is paint! The amazing thing is that Luke didn't just slap the brush against the canvas - the tip of his trunk twirled around as he made the paint strokes. It was just incredible to watch him. Luke really did seem to enjoy the painting and he had a better aesthetic than some human artists I know! That painting and others that Luke had done were available to buy in a little gift shop on site. After the painting, we had picture time with Luke. Patricia had him lie down on his belly so that those who wanted a picture could sit on his leg to pose for pictures. Make sure you bring a good camera and have someone in your party who takes a good photo, because this is a wonderful opportunity. There were some in the group who didn't get the photo opp, and I guarantee you that they regretted it! Purchase the photo opp! My kids each had a turn sitting on the elephant's leg to pose, and had his ear brushing up against them as Luke flapped it around. Every one of my kids was absolutely enthralled with the experience! After picture time with Luke, we met Roxy the elephant and got to feed her. Everyone in our group had purchased the feeding option, and it was another opportunity to get some great pictures. We fed Roxy a couple of large carrots and got to feel her trunk. We then took a tour of some of the other animals that have ended up at Two Tails Ranch. These included a couple of zebras, a camel, some African spur tortoises, and a pair of ring-tailed lemurs. We visited the small gift shop where they had elephant paintings, t-shirts, artwork, and jewelry - among a few other items. Patricia did another check of the weather radar and then announced that elephant rides would be available. They wait until the end of the tour to offer them so as to be certain the weather is good. You pay for the rides in the gift shop. You need to have at least four people from the tour group who want rides for them to go ahead and do it, but we had a lot more people who were interested than that! They brought Roxy to a loading platform wearing a riding saddle to give the rides. The riding saddle has a bar going around it that you can hold on to or lean against. Roxy made an easy stroll around a small grassy area with Patricia guiding her - it was incredible! I HIGHLY recommend a visit to Two Tails Ranch, and I encourage you to go ahead and purchase all of the added options - picture opportunity, feeding the elephants, and elephant rides if they are available. You will never have the chance to interact as closely with elephants as you do here, and they are moments that you will never forget! read more

Two Tails Ranch - Elephant rides are available if the weather is good, and it is totally worth doing! My ten year old loved every minute of it! - Zoos Near Me - Williston, Florida

Very fun place. This lady takes her elephant rescue seriously. She has been doing it 30+ years and her family before that. Sadly it wont be handed down to her children as the elephants will probably be extinct in 10 years or so. Still nice to see some animals living in good conditions and trained humanely and not in the typical circus. Several were rescued from the circus. She needs the help as it is super expensive with 7 elephants. Please go visit her! read more

Fantastic place to learn about elephants and their care by dedicated people. Patricia is awesome and right on point after living around and with these beauties her entire life. Love her and Two Tails Ranch. read more

This place is amazing! So wonderful how awesome the care for each animal is talked about and given. I love that she goes into detail about the decline in Indian elephant population, but gives some key suggestions as to how we can help possibly not allow that to happen. Beautiful setting and sweet elephant's, my whole family enjoyed this immensely!! We're excited to continue to learn more about the difference between animal welfare versus animal rights. And knowing that some people who leave reviews that are not in favor of this establishment simply are doing it under the guise of animal rights which has nothing to do with animal welfare, these elephants are happy well cared for and you can tell enjoy being around people, showcasing their talents and it is definitely something we will go to again!! read more

There was a very enlightening and educational presentation prior to the tour. The owner of this Ranch is passionate about elephants and committed to her her mission of caring for the existing elephants on her ranch. Worth the time to go and see as well as learn about elephants. read more

If you haven't been here before and you love animals and want to help save elephants, PLEASE come here and support these majestic elephants! While you're here, listen and learn, as the owner is a wealth of knowledge and we all need to do our part and spread the word and support them! We had an amazing time and there is so much to learn about them. Luke is absolutely adorable and talented! You should see his paintings. Better yet, buy one! read more

not worth it. Shouldn't be considered a "tour" because all you do is sit there and go walk by the camel and emu. The owner was rude and just seemed miserable. Pretty sad. read more

The Florida Wildlife Conservation verified that an elephant at this facility severely injured a visitor by grabbing her with his trunk through the openings of the cage and pulling her against the bars. The victim was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and was unable to speak for two months after the attack. Zerbini called the citation a minor infraction and that "there's really nothing to say about it." At that time, she blithely added that she did not know the current condition of the victim. http://www.gainesville.com/article/20140520/ARTICLES/140529978/0/search In a previous incident, a Tarzan Zerbini Circus worker was trampled to death by an elephant. Another employee was stepped on by an elephant and sustained a crushed pelvis. At least two other workers have been hospitalized for injuries caused by elephants, and three children were injured during elephant rides provided by the circus. A worker at Two Tails also died of internal injuries after an elephant knocked him down and stomped on his chest. Elephants used by Tarzan Zerbini and elephants housed at Two Tails Ranch have also been placed under quarantine on numerous occasions after testing positive for a form of tuberculosis that is highly transmissible to humans. Elephants at Two Tails Ranch, like all elephants in circuses, are controlled with bullhooks and forced to obey, perform tricks, and give rides out of fear of physical punishment. read more

I would not go back and wish I had not gone to begin with. One review said tiger king vibes and I agree 100%. We were led to believe that groups were in sizes of 25 and no more, there were at least 50 people in our group. Your first stage is sitting and listening to her educate you. She spoke very quickly it was hard to hear her and she told dramatic untruths such as she is the only elephant sanctuary and the entire United States and that elephants are said to be extinct in 5 to 10 years. There were other questionable statements made and she will answer questions but she gets very snippy and goes very fast. She clearly is inconvenienced by the public on her property. Next you will go and if you have paid for it you will feed the elephant two pieces of broken up carrot. Your $20 photo op consist of standing by the elephant for literally three seconds while who you are with takes a picture, and then she steps back around in front of the elephant cutting off any additional pictures you may want to take. Then there was the elephant ride where three children in my group wanted to ride separately and she wanted them to all ride together, and then made the comment that you don't always get what you pay for. She was very interested in her smoking breaks. We only saw two elephants the whole time we were there she admits that she paid for all the elephants that are there and there was nothing that led me to believe that it was a sanctuary to aid injured or harmed animals or to aid in any conservation of any animals. All of her elephants are Asian elephants if she bought them then she's not doing the species a favor she is exploiting them for her own benefit. As she stood and spoke , the elephants would consistently try to touch her or show affection to her and she would brush them off, at no point did she ever appear to have any affection or appreciation for the elephants or any other animals. I have never been a fan of zoos, but I went with a group as a day trip hoping it would not be sad. It was sad. read more

Please take the time to visit this wonderful sanctuary. The elephants are well loved, taken care of and happy. Patricia,the owner and trainer is knowledgable, and dedicated to teaching the public about the harsh reality of elephant's future world wide. They are a dying species. Two tails is not just for children, it is for any one that is young at heart and loves animals, especially elephants! I came from Oregon to visit, and I left knowing more about who they are, and why I have always had a special place for them in my heart. If you can not visit, I highly recommend making any donation you can to help Patricia keep Two Tails Ranch running. read more

If you haven't been here before and you love animals and want to help save elephants, PLEASE come here and support these majestic elephants! While you're here, listen and learn, as the owner is a wealth of knowledge and we all need to do our part and spread the word and support them! We had an amazing time and there is so much to learn about them. Luke is absolutely adorable and talented! You should see his paintings. Better yet, buy one! read more

I was looking forward to my visit to Two Tails because I thought it was an elephant sanctuary. Unfortunately I was wrong and wish I would have done my research before hand. The elephants are kept in small pens and are forced to do circus tricks for the visitors. I didn't realize the owner Patricia was associated with the Zerbini family circus. The "retired" elephants are still sent all over the country for various jobs, and she even uses a bull hook to get them to do tricks. I left with really mixed emotions. I just hope the high price tag of the attraction is actually going to the wellbeing of these beautiful animals. read more

Very informative about animals, care of animals, animal-human interaction and the importance of preserving them/ways to prevent their extinction. read more

Be warned: Two Tails Ranch is NOT a legitimate sanctuary/rescue. If you care about animal welfare or are visiting Two Tails Ranch to support elephant conservation efforts, I would encourage you to think twice and do some research before visiting this location. While I hope that my review can help prevent others from making the same mistake I did, please do not take my word for it: I found out AFTER my visit today that there is a LOT of publicly available information on this facility and its dubious history, affiliations, and operations. (One source names it one of the 2017 Top 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants.) I visited this facility today with a friend and noticed several red flags during our visit that set off so many alarm bells. These alarm bells prompted hours of additional research, which has now prompted this review ... The first red flag seemed so innocuous that I almost didn't give it a second thought: There was a political campaign poster inside the entrance, which may not seem like a big deal (regardless of your politics), but actually should have tipped me off to the fact that this is not a genuine rescue or animal welfare organization. Legitimate animal welfare/conservation organizations are almost universally classified as 501(c)(3), or not-for-profit organizations. Having worked for a not-for-profit organization for several years myself, I know that 501(c)(3)'s are expressly prohibited from engaging in ANY political campaign activity (including candidate endorsements). So the presence of this sign should have indicated to me that Two Tails Ranch was either not a legitimate sanctuary OR was operating in violation of its tax exempt classification (perhaps unknowingly). If I'd had my second cup of coffee this morning, I probably would have put 2 and 2 together and turned the car around and gone home. Hindsight is 20/20, I guess. However, several other red flags started popping up during the afternoon. * In the adjacent pasture, I noticed several circus trailers with the names of the circuses painted on the outside. I rationalized these as secondhand purchases for transporting the elephants as needed. However, I now recognize that this was an even bigger red flag than I realized at the time. Even if they were secondhand purchases, why would a sanctuary/rescue decide NOT to paint over the circus insignia, since circuses are widely considered to be tantamount to animal cruelty? It seemed lazy at best and hypocritical at worst. * One of the more concerning red flags was the size of the enclosures for the elephants, which were unbelievably small, considering that these are the largest land mammals on the planet. I don't know how much room elephants NEED, but I was shocked at how little room they had to roam. Eyeballing the enclosure, it appeared to be about the size of my small two-bedroom apartment, which is fine for a person, but I wouldn't house an elephant in here. Again, I rationalized this by telling myself that there must be larger spaces for them roam out of sight somewhere. While this MAY be the case, it certainly was not made clear to the attendees, which is something I would expect a genuine conservationist to take pains to discuss (i.e., the quality of life for the animals in their charge, parity of their current environment with their natural habitat, etc.). The red flags continued to pile up throughout the day. The presentation given by the tour guide started as a basic information session on elephants (and was admittedly informative), but the presentation quickly turned more political in nature ... which, in context, seemed appropriate given the topic (saving an endangered species), but some of the policies she was advocating were openly and inherently contrary to those embraced by (literally) every other animal welfare organization I've ever encountered (e.g., WWF, Humane Society, National Geographic, PETA, etc.) Although a healthy conversation about policy in this area is certainly needed, the fact that the owners were overtly opposed to policies embraced by so many other globally-recognized animal rights and welfare organizations was certainly a red flag. Lastly, the presenter cited some pretty incredible facts that were so earth-shattering that I took note of many of them to read up on them after the tour. Upon leaving the ranch, I began researching some of these factoids and could find no supporting evidence from ANY sources, let alone legitimate ones. This was when my healthy skepticism turned to outright suspicion. Ultimately, the search for more sources on the plight of the elephant led to research on the ranch itself. A simple Google search yielded some pretty disturbing information about the ranch that made my stomach churn. Hence, my review. Bottom line: If you care about elephants or animal welfare in general, you may want to reconsider visiting this facility. I left feeling as though I'd unwittingly contributed more to the problem than to the solution. :-\ read more

Incredible up close & personal elephant experience! Patricia & her volunteers are so knowledgeable & friendly. Great family fun with an opportunity to buy a painting by an elephant and learn about these magnificent creatures. I highly recommend and would absolutely go again. read more