As summer starts, you’re probably itching to get out and have fun, especially if you have children fresh out of school. And while you could go camping in your Toyota or hit up a golf course or two, you could also satisfy your wild side with a real-life, up-close animal encounter.
Here in the Southeast, we’re lucky to have several zoos and animal refuges to visit. But not all are created equal. Here are five unique animal experiences that our area has to offer.
Wild Florida — Kenansville, FL
When it comes to seeing animals in action, nobody has variety like Wild Florida.Settled in the headwaters of the Florida Everglades, Wild Florida has more than 200 animals to see — and they’re all just 30 minutes away from Orlando’s theme park hub. One of Wild Florida’s specialties is its airboat tours, which show you the natural plants and wildlife of pristine Florida swamps, marshes, and rivers. Another popular attraction is its drive-thru safari, where you can spot giraffes, zebras, bison, and more on a self-guided 4-mile drive.
But if you want to get up close and personal with an animal, Wild Florida’s Animal Encounter programs are your best bet. You can hold and play with a sloth, ring-tailed lemur, porcupine, capybara, or anteater under the guidance of a trained animal specialist. Or, if you’re into the scaly side of things, you can even feed gators and meet two real-life albino gators!
Each experience has a different price. The park offers deals and discounts for Florida residents, military personnel, first responders, teachers, seniors, and more. But no matter your choice, you’re sure to get a taste of adventure. Check out Wild Florida’s website here.
The Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum — Montgomery, AL
More than 100 years old, the Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum is steeped in history — and filled with knowledge on global wildlife.The zoo has different “realms,” or areas that display animals from all around the world. You could start by visiting African cheetahs and hippos and round your trip off with the South American giant anteater or North American prairie bison. Poison dart frogs and pythons abound in the Reptile House, and the Old World Aviary displays birds like the Scarlet Ibis and Crowned Hornbill. You can even see a Komodo dragon named Merlin, placed at the zoo by a Species Survival Plan National Coordinator.
Like Wild Florida, the Montgomery Zoo has several different up-close animal experiences. You can feed koi and touch stingrays in shallow pools or offer lettuce to giraffes, which scoop it up with their long purple tongues. Other experiences are even more hands-on — like the Saturday Elephant Experience, where you tour the African elephant barn and participate in an elephant training session.
The Montgomery Zoo is open nearly every day of the year, seven days a week. You can visit its website for find ticket prices.
Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center — Pine Mountain, GA
Callaway Resort and Gardens is Pine Mountain’s premier vacation spot, boasting 2,500 acres of expertly manicured natural gardens. But among the greenery, restaurants, and pools, its crown jewel is the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center, one of North America’s largest tropical butterfly conservatories.More than 2,000 butterflies flutter around the center, made of clear glass to let sunlight stream in. At any given time, you can look up at the 40-foot ceiling and see 50 to 100 species in the air, depending on the time of year. Draping shade trees, bright tropical nectar flowers, and the carefully curated humidity give the space a rainforest feeling, similar to the butterflies’ natural habitats.
You don’t have to stay at Callaway Resort and Gardens to enjoy the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center. Visit the center’s website to find more information and ticket prices.
Edisto Island Serpentarium — Edisto Island, SC
If you’re in on all things scaly and shelled, Edisto Island Serpentarium in South Carolina is the place to be.Dozens of reptiles call the Serpentarium home; their appearance and behavior are displayed in specialized habitats. More than 20 alligators live in two on-site ponds, including three more than 11 feet long! Turtles and lizards abound, from the world’s largest land turtle, the African Spur-Thigh Tortoise, to the Bearded Dragon and Blue-Tongued Skink. Deadly venomous snakes curl up in glass-walled enclosures, joined by tropical snakes that can camouflage into their surroundings through color-changing scales.
But perhaps its most unique feature is the Serpentarium’s non-venomous snake enclosure. Dozens of rat snakes, black racers, coachwhips, and more have free reign of a landscaped, jungle-like habitat — and you can watch them enjoy it over low walls. The snakes swim in ponds, sun on logs, and even drip from the trees like ivy!
Edisto Island Serpentarium may change their business hours depending on the time of year. You can find its schedule here and its ticket prices here.
Outer Banks Wild Horse Tours — Corolla, NC
Beaches are the traditional home of sea turtles, seagulls, and seashells. But in Corolla, North Carolina, they’re also occupied by a unique wild horse herd.Descendants of colonial Spanish Mustangs, the Corolla Wild Horses, have roamed the sand for nearly 500 years. These days, hundreds of them live on the Outer Banks, North Carolina’s stretch of thin barrier islands. You can’t get closer than 50 feet to the horses due to state law — but what you can do is book a tour to see them.
Wild Horse Adventure Tours hosts one of the area's best-rated expeditions, complete with exclusive access to Swan Beach's Wild Horse Sanctuary, where the herd eats, sleeps, and plays undisturbed. And getting there is part of the fun – an open-air 4x4 off-road vehicle ensures you'll enjoy the salty ocean breeze as you search for these unique equines.
Check out the Wild Horse Adventure Tours website for times and ticket prices.