Giraffe Ranch

38650 Mickler Rd, Dade City, FL 33523, USA

Address:	38650 Mickler Rd, Dade City, FL 33523, USA
Phone:	+1 813-482-3400
Site:	girafferanch.com
Rating:	4.3

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 5

Michael Zych

This is a very intimate experience with the owners who live on the property serving as your guides. It was established on an old cattle ranch and there are a good variety of up close encounters with animals and a ride in a safari truck. There are many primates and small cat species as well as giraffes, camels, zebras, tortoise, wild pigs, llamas, lemurs, miniature hippos, rhino, ostrich, hooved animals as well as more I cant remember. You get up and close with most of them either on the safaris or being able to be close to their caged enclosures. The owners make it a very educational experience explaining just about everything youd want to know about the animals and how they satisfy their well being. On the safaris you will hand feed the giraffes and be paid a visit by the curious ostrich, zebras and camels. There are 4 options for feeding animals as well that you can add on to the package. You can hand feed the bongos (Hoofed Animal), lemurs, otters or the rhino and I highly recommend you add one of the packages. We fed the lemurs. Even though it was chaotic as they eagerly awaited us to go into the enclosure, they were all extremely gentle. They would take the grapes from you so carefully and deliberately. I wish we would have also fed the otters and rhino. Ive never heard of a place where you can get so close to the rhino. Even though the people that fed it were safely behind a fence, they were able to touch and pet the gentle beast. For 2Xs the cost of the safari in a vehicle, you can also opt for a segway, camel or llama tour instead. I highly recommend Giraffe Ranch for those who love visiting Zoos, state parks and anywhere you want to observe animals. Because they limit the number of people, you dont have to worry about a crowd and get a genuine up close and personal learning experience.

Tristen Spears

Ever go to a third world country where they hate their tourists but love their money? A friend of mine and I purchased a Living Social deal for the Giraffe Ranch for $75 each. The owner answered the phone but changed her tone as soon as she learned we had vouchers, and refused to look up times for availability for both of us to attend together since I only had my voucher number. She said the vouchers were not a good source of revenue for them, which I understand, but frankly I wouldnt have even known about them had it not been for Living Social. We even had two other friends who were going to go with us that would have paid full price. She would only book us one at a time and not together unless I had both vouchers available in my hand instead of just my own, and then suggested they were not for everyone, and that the camel ride that I had purchased was "even more exclusive than the safari" and therefore she suggested I just get my money back. If they didnt want to honor the vouchers, I would say why bother entering into that agreement. Ace of Hearts Ranch was much better in terms of service, treating both the animals and the customers with dignity and respect. Here is what Living Social had to say after the owner of the Giraffe Ranch rejected my voucher as its clear Im not the only person that paid for their advertising for them: Hi Tristen, We are very sorry to hear about this. We have submitted this issue to our merchant team. We suggest having your other friends send in requests. This will help us gather more information as other consumers are having the same issue. We will get right back with you when we get a resolution.Thank you for your patience. If you still have questions, please reply to this email. Were happy to help. Thanks for LivingSocial!

Emily Jaffe

If it were possible to give this place 10 stars, I would! Everything about Giraffe Ranch is spectacular! From the beautiful scenery (they have a tree that’s been there 200 years longer than the United States has been a country!) to the amazing animal encounters, this is an experience you won’t forget. My favorite part of the day was feeding the giraffe! Looking these beautiful creatures in the eye from just a foot or two away is an experience you won’t forget. Words can’t describe the thrill you will get as the giraffe politely takes a carrot from your hand and then licks it to make sure they get every last crumb. Be sure to also get the rhino encounter add-on. Feeling the texture of their skin and seeing them happily rolling around in the mud makes you realize just how amazing and important these nearly-extinct creatures are. Giraffe Ranch is much different (and way better!) than your typical zoo experience. The diverse collection of both domestic and exotic animals live in open grasslands, complete with live trees and ephemeral wetlands. Tours are guided and limited in size, which enhances the visitor experience exponentially. The owners have so much knowledge about the animals, and they could not be more friendly or customer-service oriented! The passion the staff have for these incredible species, and their wild counterparts, is truly inspiring. After learning about their ongoing conservation efforts and the fact that the entire property is carbon neutral, you realize that the staff at Giraffe Ranch are 100% committed. Thank you Giraffe Ranch for all that you do!!

Jill Lindberg

Do not book an African Safari, you can see everything you need to at Giraffe Ranch and get to feed the Giraffes too! I cant say enough about this amazing adventure we had at Giraffe Ranch. From the moments the owners opened the gates and warmly welcomed us with handshakes we felt like we were visiting old friends. They took such great care in making sure each and every guest felt welcomed and got a chance to feed each animal they wanted too. The owner has a PHD in Zoology and was so very informative telling us not only about the animals and their habitats but the history of Florida. You cannot believe the thrill you will get to feed a giraffe and have them lick your hands and gobble up pieces of cabbage leaves! We saw hippos, rhinoceros, lemurs (they were just too cute), giraffes, camels and more. There are many options of visiting the ranch from camel ride, to Segway, to the open air bus we rode on. The ranch is eco friendly and self sustainable. A rare thing today! They truly care about their animals and their well being and truly care about their guests! I will visit again and recommend this adventure to anyone no matter what age!!

Angela Patrick

My boyfriend and I took our two 2 year olds for my birthday this past weekend. While we did have fun, there is no way I would ever pay $75.00 per person for this experience again. I was told on the phone that we were allowed to touch the giraffes and we were not. The giraffe feeding experience only lasted about 10 minutes, which you can do at Lowry Park Zoo for $3.00 or Busch Gardens for $35.00 (where you are allowed to touch them and they are out in the open allowed to run free in an environment much like their natural habitat). Our kids actually liked the chickens best out of everything, which says a lot about the experience. Dont mean to put the ranch down but it was in no way worth the money it cost. Very cute little town though and seeing the countryside on the drive to and from was probably my favorite thing about the entire day. Go to Lowrey Park Zoo or Busch Gardens for a great and much, much cheaper experience.