Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park

16501 W Northern Ave, Litchfield Park, AZ 85340, USA

Address:	16501 W Northern Ave, Litchfield Park, AZ 85340, USA
Phone:	+1 623-935-9453
Site:	wildlifeworld.com
Rating:	4.3
Working:	9AM–6PM 9AM–6PM 9AM–6PM 9AM–6PM 9AM–6PM 9AM–6PM 9AM–6PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 4

Mindi Bear

This is a massive zoo. It took me 6 hours to explore everything without breaking for lunch, and I tried to keep a fairly quick pace. I recommend wearing comfortable shoes (preferably closed toe because the trails are dirt), sunscreen and bring some water. Also bring lots of quarters because the food they provide to feed the animals is in vending type machines that only accept quarters. The area with the ducks, geese and swans was nice and peaceful. I was surprised to see several beautiful peacocks walking around among the patrons. I loved feeding the giraffes. There is a 6 foot easement between you and the giraffes which makes it hard for kids to feed them since they cant reach across properly. There are a lot of animals here. I noticed some were in multiple locations, mostly monkeys and macaws. The leopards, tigers and lions were inactive and hard to take photos. Most of them sit in dark, shaded areas or as far away from people as they can get. I agree with the other reviewers that expressed some unhappiness with how small the cages were, especially for the birds (who have wings and were meant to fly.) Some of the alligators and crocodiles were in cages so small they could barely turn around. And the penguins area was also very small. Other cages, like the jackals, llamas and alpacas were very sparse. It was like looking into someones backyard in a lower-income neighborhood... chain link fence, overgrown grass and a makeshift dog house for shade. Thats it. A little more thought and creativity into building a lifelike habitat would have been appreciated. All of the animals looked sad and depressed. None of them were lively except for the white tiger which was pacing back and forth near the edge of the cage and growling at a little girl who wanted to get too close. One of the white tigers is also cross-eyed, as a result of inbreeding. After doing some research I found all white tigers are inbreed for the sole purpose of exhibiting them for money. The ostriches were pecking at each others feathers. The alpacas were biting on the fence (called bar-biting, a sign of distress). It was nice to get up close to animals that I would not have been able to otherwise, but seeing them held in captivity, and under obvious distress, when they should have been roaming the wild was hard to look at. These may have been rescued animals and unable to survive in the wild. If so, at least give them more space to roam and be free. After visiting here I really questioned the righteousness of keeping wild animals in captivity to be extorted and photographed by visitors for the sole purpose of making a profit. Next time I feel like visiting animals I will be donating the price of admission to a non-profit animal sanctuary or rescue organization instead.

Sarah Taylor

Im convinced the people giving this zoo the five stars it obviously does not deserve have not seen a proper zoo. The animals in this zoo lived in such small, lonely, dull exhibits it left me feeling shaken to my core and beyond sad. Half way through I felt as though I wanted my 34 dollars back because obviously the wild price for this place wasnt going towards better lifestyles for the animals. An advertisement I saw said, "Just dont call us a zoo." I agree -- it should be called an animal prison. Fish were kept in tanks so small they had to swim in place, a hawk was chained to a perch, an eel was stuck under a rock and was panicking, when we told the keeper she said that they enjoy hanging up there, completely ignoring us. Snakes were stuffed in a small cages with turtles, other snakes were much too large for their area and could only stay curled up. I saw alligators that were stuck indoors and it made me question if many of these animals had ever felt the sun in the first place. There were about 4 small monkeys stuck inside an indoor cage and they kept pacing probably because there was no other way to expel their excess energy. The poor lemurs were stuck in what looked like bird cages, and the bird cages that housed several macaws were tiny. There seemed to be no real rhyme or reason as to where the animals were placed, and it made for some very tense animals. The baby animals were stuck in white concrete rooms with no stimulation or companions. Completely unhealthy for a developing animal. The petting zoo housed at least 40 animals and was much too small, as well. Im shocked at how this place could get a 5 star rating from its guests.. Even if the cruelly small exhibits werent disturbing enough, the bathrooms were a wreck and the restaurants stank of mildew. Yes, there were many animals here, but I would think it to be much more beneficial to have fewer animals living in a more humane environment than stuffing the zoo to the brim. There are, however some less gut-wrenching areas for animals in the obviously newer parts of the zoo (which you have to pay an extra $5 per person.) I hope the rest of the zoo catches up and surpasses this. Still, in my honest opinion, I wouldnt go here unless you were looking for an example of how horrible captivity life can be for animals.

gypsywytch

81 dollars for 2 adults and a 4 year old, 19.50 for 2 mediocre hot dogs, bag of chips, small bowl of canned fruit cocktail, and two small bottle of drinks. This zoo is a disappointment. The animal enclosures are not at all suited for them. They do not resemble their habitats and therefore provide 0 in enrichment. They have ample opportunities for feeding some animals, but it is all pellets. Even the food you feed the Giraffes is pellets, all of which you have to buy for .50 cents per small handful. The animals did not at all appear happy except for the Giraffes, and Koi. They had "touch encounters" with some animals, mainly the stingrays in the aquarium where you can feed them. They have way to many Macaws and all over the place. After a while it was like.."yeah...another parrot". They did have a beautiful white male peacock. They have several carnival style rides which were all working but not every one was riding. The carousel was small and sad looking. One of the songs was rather depressing. The main type of enclosure that this zoo that is endorsed by "Jungle Jack Hannah" is in the form of CAGES!!!. In my opinion, if you are wanting to visit a zoo in the metro Phoenix area go to the Phoenix zoo. Costs less and the animals are visibly happier and their enclosures are more suited to their natural habitats. That is 100+ dollars and 5 hours I will never get back. The only bright spot is the Lorry Parrot feeding, and feeding the stingrays. Other wise no. Imaging a 7 foot salt water crocodile in an 10 foot by 6 foot enclosure in a wall. Or a performing seal lion in a small tank that he swims in circles in. Sad place, and a disgrace.

Erika Watts

I remember going to this zoo as a kid. I had no idea how bad it really was for the animals at the time. I just went today and I was so sad at what I saw. Dirty, small cages, pacing marks around the perimeter of the cage, you name it! Most the animals in the inside exhibits were in the same exact structures I saw 6 years ago! They were on plastic hard surfaces with artificial branches and rocks. Only some got real dirt and trees. I mean come on its Arizona, theres plenty of dirt! There was this poor bird chained to a branch in the aquarium. Apparently it gets to fly around twice a day. How sad! All of the big cats and some other animals had pacing marks in their cages. Which means theyre that bored and in distress that they made dirt paths in their areas. And dont even get me started on the ostriches! I dont know if its something they do but it definitely did not look right. There was one ostrich in particular that kept plucking all the feathers off the other ostriches backs! To the point where they were bare on the back! It was misery at its finest. I wanted to cry. This place is awful. The only animals that are happy are the giraffes and petting zoo animals. Which btw I dont think giraffes should be eating that many pellets in their diet anyways. This wasnt a zoo. It was a backyard animal cage attraction. Ive been to the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago and while I dont really like zoos (Im more for sanctuarys) it was WAY better. Please do not waste your money here. The person that owns this place is in it for the money. No one who cares about animals would let this place look the way it does.