Austin, United States
10808 Rawhide Trail
N/A
+1 5122881490
Good for kids
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
I loved it here! This place is slightly small but so much and so great. I saw almost all (94%) the animals and some places were roped off (due to COVID) but they had it so you could get a close to the animals as possible. The placards they had to show us where the animals came from and their names were great and I really love that they were rescue animals that means a lot to people! The staff was super friendly and answered the questions even the ones that were about the animals ar the vet. I would love to come and get closer to the animals and bring my family, it was a great experience. Again I really love they are rescues
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We had a nice time at the zoo. I loved that every plate describing the species had their names and birthdays - very cute! The large cats were very majestic. The train could be improved with running more often than once an hour on high volume days. The animals looked mostly health. We did watch a goat get tackled by the workers and it looked like they were forcing some medicine - understandable but probably more appropriate time to do it or heads up to the people right by the enclosure as it looked super distressed/ scared and for some of the kids that was a little scary to watch.
Don't expect the Austin Zoo to have elephants, zebras, and giraffes. All of their animals are clearly rescues from private owners and other zoos. That being said, I'm all about supporting them and their cause, but I just wished that they would have mentioned somewhere in the ticket purchasing process that half of the exhibits are closed due to social distancing.
Let’s be clear. This is not a zoo comparable to one you might find in other medium-sized cities like San Antonio. It’s essentially a repurposed ranch in the middle of nowhere, featuring rescued animals with a bare minimum of infrastructure and few amenities (water fountains, bathrooms, concessions, educational materials, permanent placards, tour guides,...) with dirt walkways, unpaved parking lots, few visible staff members, gating and railing not similar in quality to publicly funded zoos,... It’s sort of like the zoo from the movie “We Bought a Zoo”. I totally respect the mission of the organization and it’s great to know that many animals are rescued and given a home they otherwise might not have. However the lack of community funding or investment to create quality, permanent infrastructure gives the feeling that this place has survived and thrived by winning over patrons hearts through the mission and connecting with animals (wow those lions are close!) rather than through creating an educational or cultural experience you would find in other major cities.
Due to Covid19, orange netting is surrounding much of the exhibits. Please don't let this deter you! This does not obstruct viewing, only for extra distance purposes for the animals. The old admissions building is no longer open. You will now walk up to a small outside trailer to show proof of online ticket purchase, which is preferred. By the way, NO CASH.. just debit/credit cards are being used. This day we visited around 3pm when many animals were active. Zoo keepers fed most of the animals while we watched. Our 3 year old enjoyed feeding the goats, sheep, deer and Llamas. Brown bag feed bags are 3 which you will find in the now outside souvenir shop next to the reptile exhibit. We all also rode the train for 5 a person. The scenery/displays on the train ride could use some improvement but I understand the money raised here goes back in to keeping those sweet animals happy and healthy. Concession stand is closed, but they offer a small selection of chips and drinks in the souvenir shop. You can bring your own refreshments in, just no sharing with the animals. Oh! And watch out for the beautiful roaming free peacocks. They are mesmerizing! Overall, we love visiting Austin Zoo. We visit 2-3 times a year. It's small but worth seeing the smile on your kiddos face.
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