St. Augustine Wild Reserve Reviews

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and quantity of the lions, tigers and other animals, and how close we saw them in their enclosures. The guides were knowledgeable and interesting. Definitely worth the trip.

Oh my , Lions, Tigers and Bears!!!!! This is the most kept secret in St. Johns County.
It is a wild life Reserve and Rescue. The tour guides are amazing and very informative. I learned so much and got to see the most beautiful Black jaguar and white tigers and other Rare wild life such as hyenas and linx and fox and all other cats!!!
the admission fee is well worth it, because it covers the expenses to maintain the animals. The animals look so healthy and happy.
The tour is 1hr and 30 mins and at the end you get to talk to the wolves and they respond back.!!

If you want to get up close to big lions, tigers and bears, this is a must. The guided tour gets you within 10 feet of these beautiful animals. Great for the whole family.

Amazing experience! You get so close to the animals and learn so much about them. Staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. So many gorgeous animals! Worth it!! Please go!

This was by far the best family trip that we have ever taken to see animals. Better than any zoo or other reserve.

Every single animal from lions, tigers, and Teddy looked extremely happy and healthy.

Unlike a zoo, these animals were full of life up and moving around, playing, and all around happy.

God bless these volunteers that give their lives to these amazing creatures.

Our family really enjoyed the tour. The associates really did a good job with the animals and really care about the animals. It’s a really nice thing to see. Everyone there seem to have a really good heart.

Today we had the pleasure of doing the Wild Reserve Tour... and it was an amazing experience! 🐾💚
We loved absolutely everything: the way the tour is organized, the unique stories of each animal and, above all, the love and respect with which they are cared.
It is rating in every detail that the animals are in a place where they are valued and protected.
It is worth every penny, not only for what you live, but also for what you learn.
An experience I would recommend once and a thousand times. 🙌✨

What an incredible place! You get super close to the big cats, Teddy the Bear, wolves and even a porcupine! Extremely educational and eye opening. The animals are just beautiful, and very well cared for. It is just so obvious how much the staff and volunteers care about the critters. A great day trip from old town and well worth the time. Highly recommended!!

Staff is very friendly and knowledgeable, animals are amazing and well kept, very reasonably priced for the unforgettable experience, close encounters, amazing family time

Wow! They have so many tigers and lions and I didn’t realize how close you are to them. They also have other animals besides the cats. Well worth it! The staff was super friendly and accommodating. Sam and Marti were wonderful!

We did the private tour and it was amazing! While visiting family in St Augustine, FL my daughter and I picked this place to visit for her birthday. Her favorite was being able to pet the wolf Raven(if I remember her name correctly). The whole experience was awesome and we learned so much. Would highly recommend to anyone and will definitely be back.

So many lions, tigers, ligers, wolves, etc. All rescued! They do a great job explaining about the animals, how they aquired them, feeding, life, etc. Wonderful staff! We have brought family and friends here, they all loved it!

Many animals and birds, but most are big cats. The staff and volunteers provided excellent info about each animal. Very interesting and worth the 40 min. drive from St. Augustine, where we were staying

Not a zoo, not a breeder. Just a group of caring people dedicated to giving exotic animals their best chance at living a full, healthy, and happy life.

This was my second visit to the reserve, and I was still impressed by how well the animals are treated and cared for. Every visit, you see and learn something new. You can tell how much the tour guides and staff love every one of these animals by how animated they get when they tell you an animal's story, or by the animal's reaction when a staff member approaches an enclosure. I never thought I would live to see these animals so up close and personal, let alone watch them play, smile, and ham it up for the tourists.

The tour lasts for approximately 90 minutes, with the option to purchase a group or VIP ticket. Both of which provide you with significant value for the small donation you make to make a difference in these animals' lives. I highly recommend purchasing a USB drive at the conclusion of the tour, which will give you high-definition pictures of all of the animals, from INSIDE their enclosure. So much better than any picture you would take!

This was an amazing tour of beautiful wild animals. This consisted of multiple tigers and lions, wolves, cougar, a bear along with many others. I highly recommend this tour as it's only 35.00 a person and you get about 2 hours learning about each animal able how they came to be there. We were so moved by the their effort that we made an additional donation. Please go to help them continue this amazing facility!

We took a mid-day tour and enjoyed every moment!
Reservation online with a $45 deposit, $15 due upon arrival. Don't let that stop you! It is worth every penny and much more! Super clean, no smell, well kept cages.
One and half hour tour seeing saved animals from all over the world being spoiled and very well cared for. Lions, tigers, bears, and much more. The lion roars were just amazing to hear as were the wolves howling.
Panthers, hyenas, porcupine, bobcat, and much more.
We plan on returning for a private feed the animals with photo opportunities very soon!

We got to see so many beautiful animals. Such a great experience. Animals were so well taken care of and the staff was phenomenal. One of the Tigers was Diva , we saw hyenas get their teeth brushed. Some of the Tigers had a water front condo, so they could swim anytime they wanted! We can't wait to go back again!

The animals were amazing. We were close enough, but not too close. Lots of lions, tigers, ligers, white lions. Also, hyenas, wolves an a black bear.
I have trouble with my balance and was able to ride in one of the golf carts.
Lots of staff around, to make sure everyone is safe.

The staff was knowledgeable and very loving to the animals. The lions and tigers were so well looked after. We loved our visit!

My son and I really enjoyed visiting the Saint Augustine Wild Reserve. The staff was very professional, knowledgeable , passionate and answered any questions we had. The reserve is a great place and I’m glad they allow the public to enjoy . Margaret was really special to the animals. You could see how much they love her. Very heartwarming .
Great afternoon, enjoyed

I booked along with my husband for a group tour, but happened to be the only two people that day. How lucky we were!! We were able to be up SO close to the animals (though within the safety guidelines) and watch the volunteers feed treats to each animal while they told us about the back story for each one. Clearly they love them all dearly. What a treat!!! Well worth the visit, absolutely. Along with a little extra donation…

Amazing! The volunteers were SO knowledgeable, we learned so much. The heat was oppressive but the volunteers kept us all watered and as comfortable as possible. We've never been so close to wild animals before and it was breathtaking.

Great experience. We learned about lives of wild animals located there. Tour guide had lots of stories and was quite humorous!

I was so impressed! The animals and their habitats were so clean and well-kept. The animals were obviously happy and loved their caretakers. A once in a lifetime experience.

Absolutely wonderful place to take your family or your kids or your significant other. You can tell they care for the animals and it’s mainly a nonprofit so all support helps. Great detail in teaching about the animals. They care about their guests getting the full experience with the animals, and have such nice positive attitudes. Would definitely come back in the future with my kids. Love the support for the animals and for the city itself

Believe all of the 5 star reviews! My husband and I took the tour today and were simply amazed! The animals were beyond our expectations! Around every corner was another beautiful creature. And the dedicated staff and volunteers were incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. It’s a must see!

Superb!! Best experience in st Augustine. A must do… The staff was amazing, caring and very knowledgeable. Time went by very quickly and we saw soooo many gorgeous animals. Thank you for taking such good care of them.

This was a great place to visit. Tour guide spoke on each animal that we stopped at, and provided their background. Can tell these beautiful animals are well thought of and taken care of. Animals really respond to staff, making the visit even more enjoyable. The staff here are exceptional. You get to view the animals from just a few feet away. Don’t miss out on this opportunity.

Really amazing experience. Loved seeing the big cats in particular up close. Just wonderful to hear the animals make the noises they normally would in the wild. Very informative as well.

Advertise Zoo, what Zoo. Alligator’s, Lemu, crocodiles, and birds. I wanted to see lions, tigers and bears, etc. Spent 71.00, a waste. Everyone was complaining, won’t return.

Absolutely loved the tour and all the information regarding the animals
A must see if you’re visiting St. Augustine’s.

Great, informative tour with knowledgeable, friendly staff/volunteers and AMAZING animals! I wish such places weren’t needed to protect these beautiful animals from the unfortunate decisions of humans, but I’m grateful that this group of caring individuals is on the job! Absolutely recommend!!!

This was an awesome, intimate experience with some of the most endangered and unique animals on the planet.

Very knowledgeable staff that you can really feel their passion for caring for these unique animals.

Awesome experience.

One side note, they do not allow you to take pictures.

Beautiful, clean, lush, tropical animal habitat. The staff is informative, while being carefully interactive with the rescued animals is a delight . Funny & sad stories about each rescue. Warm & fuzzy experience like none other. All the wolves howled at the end of the tour. Please donate.

I love this experience!!! It is the best experience i had in St. AUGUSTINE PERIOD!!! I made a reservation we got there right at 11 am instead of being a little early we arrived right at the time it was supposed to start. They were very kind. Not annoyed or anything very awesome staff. This was so educational the field trips should be to this tour!! The accommodations for the animals was clean and beautiful. I had the best experience. I would love to come back. My daughter had to go to the restroom of course. An amazing team walked us and waited for us while my child waited in line and walked us back through giving us info on the animals we passed. I gotta say these folks love these beautiful creatures and they love these folks. They make you wanna work there!!! My little girl should go to.wprk there!! She asked 1 million questions and the team was so patient. Thank you all for an amazing educational tour!! It was an amazing experience

It is not "bright and shiny" nor is it expansive but it is an opportunity to see "predators" about as up close and personal as you will ever get. Like many I would love to see the animals have much more room to roam but when you hear about the conditions so many of them tolerated before they arrived this must be heaven. The staff is friendly and informative and all of them have a bond w/ the animals that is truly remarkable. (I marveled at how many of the animals would see a favorite staff member approach and run to them to get a scratch under the chin or behind the ears. Not something you would expect fr/ a bear weighing several hundred pounds or a huge tiger!) I thoroughly enjoyed my time there despite the heat, humidity, and sudden shower.
Yes, as some have mentioned, I would have preferred a pathway in better shape and freshly shorn grass but would much rather see the funds go to the well-being of the animals as opposed to the comfort of the visitors.

Amazing animals to see. The tour guide was great and explained about each animal and how they arrived at their sanctuary. You can see how much the caretakers really care about each animal they have.
Definitely worth a visit.

Awesome experience! Excellent intimate small group tour. You get really up close to so many of the beautiful wildlife residents at the reserve. Thank you so much to our wonderful guides- Vince, Kathy, Steven for such a unique experience! We highly recommend a visit!

Don’t miss this! The animals are well cared for and amazing to see up close-4 feet away in most cases. The volunteers are knowledgeable and truly love the animals. A worthy cause to donate to and well worth a visit!

This was an early birthday present for me! I had the best time and can't wait to return :) ! Being an "old school Floridian" and remembering what Florida used to be like (progress and development are ruining everything) this place is an absolute gem. The staff are mostly all female and are extremely knowledgeable and fantastic. It is amazing what people can accomplish if they work together and actually care about the purpose. I recommend the Friday tour - it is a little more money but a smaller group of people.

What a great opportunity to admire well cared for/obviously comfortable unusual animals in a well maintained environment.
501c3 nonprofit for animals no one else would care for.
Absolutely beautiful creatures appear to be happy and loved.

The best was the community “howl” at the end.

This is a must do if you are in the area. It is a little off the beaten path but well worth the effort. Wonderful people who are extremely passionate and knowledgeable about these amazing animals. You will be up close and at the same time very safe. Everyone is caring and passionate about protecting these amazing animals.
Please support this group!

Was amazing to see all the animals up close. The animals are well cared for and love their trainers. The trainers & staff enjoy their work and the animals definitely appreciate them!

A 90-min authentic opportunity to observe rare, stunning big cats in a loving, humane and natural/tropical environment. The animals were active, some interested in us or ready for a treat from their handlers (who clearly care for these beautiful creatures). Well worth it.

This was my 4th time going to the reserve with family and/or friends when someone comes to visit. The animals are beautiful. This never gets old. Marty, Vince and the rest of the crew are great, always informative. The back stories of these animals are very sad and they now have a wonderful life and are so well cared for and loved by the staff and volunteers. I can't say enough about the place. Don't miss it if you're in the area.

I always bring friends and family to visit the reserve! The volunteers truly love the animals and know the animals and their stories. The animals are well cared for with clean enclosures. Photos are not permitted, however you live in the moment and truly enjoy the animals!

My husband and I are visiting St. Augustine (our first time here). We've visited so many places while here, but my absolute favorite place to visit is the Wild Reserve. We took a tour yesterday, and our guide was awesome! I just loved hearing about all the animals that live there, and what a great place for these animals to live out their lives. The enclosures are large and provide places for them based on the animal's needs. We saw lions, tigers, bears, wolves, and more! We plan to come back again next year, and will visit the Wild Reserve again!

We enjoyed this experience completely both the animals and staff made for a very good time, most guests were very enthusiastic as well!

This was my third time going and my friend's first time. It is amazing! The facility is well kept and the animals loved and well cared for. The volunteers and staff are just amazing and have the best job ever! Watching a full grown lion do Happy Baby yoga pose for about ten minutes was the best! I truly can't say enough positive things about the Reserve. If you haven't been--GO!!! You will be so glad you did and you will never be able to see these kinds of animals as up close as you will here. I already want to go again.....:)

Took my grandchildren again for the 3rd time. We all love seeing these wild animals up close. You can see the love the staff has for each of these animals. We saw lions, tigers, jaguars, bears, wolfs, hyenas, and others. It’s just amazing to watch them eat raw chicken as a snack. These animals look so happy and peaceful at the reserve! They are definitely well treated! ❤️

As part of our stay in St. Augustine my wife and I arranged for a tour of the wild reserve. A chance to be up close to big cats, wolves and bears, while being informed how these animals had come into their care. The love and care provided by the staff and volunteers was apparent in their knowledge and enthusiasm for each of the animals. Well worth the admission fee to help maintain a healthy environment for animals that would not survive being set free into their own known environments.

All I can say is you have to come see it to believe it! This place provides so much care and dedication to the animals from all who work there. As we started our tour we were greeted by ducks and peacocks. In the distance you can hear a lions roar! Amazing!!! We go through the gates and it’s like we are transported into a jungle full of wild animals that are so close you could almost touch them (but do not touch them)! Lions, tigers and bear (Teddy) Oh my! These animals are so well taken care of and you can see that from the interactions they have with their handlers. Please donate, visit and volunteer at this place. It is run with 4 employees and 40-60 volunteers! As we ended our tour we sent a HOWL to the wolves and we then received back many Howls along with a roar from the lion and cock-a-doodle doo from the rooster. What a way to end a magical tour through the jungle! Great job everyone!

Marti was a wealth of knowledge and funny at the same time….all the staff were very knowledgeable & kind. The story about each and every animal was fascinating. Love what this rescue stands for! Can’t wait to come back when the new bear cubs arrive

I was blown away by this visit. Never have I been this close to such awe-inspiring animals. St. Augustine Wild Reserve runs a fantastic operation, and from everything they say and do, you can tell they genuinely care about these animals. The whole place is clean, well-maintained, the animals look healthy, well-fed and in good shape. And most of all: they are treated with great respect.

During our particular tour, all animals were very active, and we simply didn't know where to look first! Around every corner, there was another animal that was even more impressive than the one before. Their website mentioned that the tour lasts 90 minutes, but it was closer to 2 hours, which we weren't mad about! I could have spent all day there. Make sure to pay them a visit.

This was an awesome experience. The reserve has so many beautiful animals that they are caring for. The tour is educational and entertaining. The staff a volunteers did a great job. The best part is hearing all of the wolves and big cats roar at the same time. It was amazing.

My wife and I were looking for something fun to do in Saint Augustine for the day. We always like going to see exotic wild animals. The tour was exceptional and the care they provide for all the various animals was amazing. The highlight of the trip was the very ending when you say goodbye to all the animals and they all respond to you at the same time. It ran chills through my body. When you go, you’ll understand

I only recently found out about this place so I thought it would be a nice little adventure out. It was really amazing! You can see how much everyone loves the animals and I learned a lot. All of the animals are gorgeous and it just a really nice way to spend some time. Not to mention your fees are used to care for the animals. We will definitely be back and I encourage anyone in the area to visit.

This is the place for amazing, up close experiences with wildlife from around the world! It was so much more than my wife and I were expecting. All the lions, tigers, and other big cats are rescues from all over. There’s also wolves, bears, and hyenas. All animals were active and not just laying around. I highly, highly, recommend this tour. You will not be disappointed!

Amazingly close-up views. Great information regarding Big Cats and Wolves. Wear comfortable shoes. No pictures nor cellphones in use during tour.

My husband and I were here last year and enjoyed the tour so much that we came back again this year and brought friends with us. Our tour guide was excellent, and it was nice to hear the stories of each animal we visited. They do such an amazing job individualizing the different enclosures, with each tailored to the preferences and individuality of each animal. We look forward to returning for another visit in the future.

My husband and I did the 11am tour on Saturday and we absolutely loved it! All of the animals are beautiful, they are well taken care of, and we enjoyed hearing the stories behind how each one arrived there and what their personalities are like. The tour guides were super helpful, informative, and friendly. We plan on going back again!

We were looking for something different and unique to do in St. Augustine so we decided to take the tour here. We went on a Monday at 2pm. Be sure to check the website as the tours are only offered certain times a day and they have certain hours. You do have to have a tour booked to come here, and you book online. It was $35/person for a 90 minute tour of the grounds. They open the gates 30 minutes prior to the tour time. It is located in the back of a residential/ranch type neighborhood. As you arrive, they will direct you where to park as they have to be strategic about parking. From booking online it looks like there can be upwards of 60 people in a group at a time! Ours was about 20-25 people. When you check in, you must sign a waiver, and must fill out all of the information including your address? He said it was for legal reasons… Also your email address, which they proceed to sign you up for their email subscription list so I had to unsubscribe because I didn’t ask for that. As you wait there are some tortoises to look at. When the tour starts, they tell you that there is no photography allowed, and you must put your phone on silent and away for the tour. Their reasoning given was that since the animals are in cages, it makes for bad pictures, and they sell a flash drive of pictures at the entrance (along with some other small gadgets like magnets). They also say that the animals can be spooked by your phone noises. They have free bottled water in a cooler on the golf cart, as the path is mostly in the sun (there are a few shady spots), so bring your sunscreen, your hat, and your bug spray. They have a golf cart that you can ride on if you need to, since there will be a lot of standing and a bit of walking, for 90 minutes. The tour takes you on a path to see all of the animals that they have at the reserve, and you get to hear a little bit about their story and how they got to the reserve, and a little about how they are living now such as their meals. As we walked up, they had small treats and enrichment for the animals to encourage them to get close up to us. You do get very close to these animals and to see them up close is majestic. They have lions, tigers, bears, serval, cougar, hyenas, and wolves. In fact, as we pulled up we could hear the lions roaring and the wolves howling. Most of these animals came from the illegal pet trade, but some had other different stories. The message here is that these animals were sentenced to a life of captivity by human error, and so now they do the best they can to give them the best life possible given their circumstances. We enjoyed the facility and the tour, but we did not care for the tour guide Tammy. She was very anthropomorphic when talking about the animals, she told long winded stories that trailed off, contradicted herself a few times, made loud startling noises that she claims the animals do not like, and was overall very eccentric. She was super friendly and informative, but we just didn’t like the way she would say, “this animal is happy” or “this animal loves this” or “this animal thinks this”. Its just not true. Coming from a conservation background, we are taught to not say those things, as we truly don’t know for certain if an animal is happy, sad, how they are feeling, or what they are thinking. We can say what behaviors they exhibit such as eating, drinking, playing, and what they prefer to spend their time doing, but we can’t make those other assumptions. We just chalked it up to places like zoo’s and aquarium’s have an animal conservation focus with the animals being ambassadors for their counter parts in the wild, while this place is not conservation focused, just rescue and give them a retirement home focused. For the average person though, I presume they would enjoy all of it. As animal lovers ourselves, we enjoyed getting so close up to these animals, but we just didn’t enjoy our particular tour guide. Was it worth $35/person? No. But we do know that they are a non profit organization so the money we pay goes back to taking care of the animals which we are okay with. Also, while we enjoyed that we got 90 minutes for our money, for those who are not interested in animals or have a short attention span, this may not be for you.

The tour is always amazing. The animals are beautiful, well taken care of and obviously loved. The guides give treats and back scratching during the tour and the animals looked forward to the love and attention. I recommended this tour to my neighbors and only 20 accepted but the Facebook comments to me are all complimentary about the beauty of the animals and information and knowledge provided by the guides.

Today was our family’s first trip to the reserve but can promise will not be our last. Was an amazing chance to see beautiful animals up close. Learned a lot and was obvious the volunteers love what they do and the animals love them right back. Can’t wait to go back!

We visited the Friday after Thanksgiving with a small group. From check in (and signing a required waiver) to the very end, the three of us were totally enchanted and delighted with each animal! The guide knew each beautiful animal personally and each one came to her when she called their name! Lions, tiger, bears, wolves, hyenas, a liger ( cross between a tiger and a lion!!)! Oh, my!

And the drive from St. Augustine Beach to the reserve is through backroads that are especially lovely! Tour was from 11:00 until 12:30 and souvenirs are available afterwards- thumb drive with lots of photos (no photography allowed on tour), magnets, etc. for a very reasonable fee!

Best tour I’ve experienced in a very long time!

I loved this tour! The guide was very knowledgeable, answered questions and gave lots of interesting information. Our group size was perfect and you really do see the animals much closer than you would in a zoo. Highly recommend this tour. You are not allowed to take any photos. Water is provided ( it was a hot day when we went)

We love big cats, and this reserve had real beauties. Our guides were knowledgeable and knew each animal well. We learned about each species as well as the history of each animal prior to their arrival at the reserve.

More than big cats, we also enjoyed the wolves, bears, peacocks and more. An appropriate tour length and easy walk made this a great way to spend a hour and a half.

This is an amazing experience. This non-profit cares for a variety of big cats, bears, wolves and hyenas. The tour guides do a great job providing the background and details of the animals and provide an “up close” experience you don’t get from zoos and US-based safaris. They do limited tours and are really caring for the animals. I thoroughly recommend this tour, it surpassed my expectations and I’ll be donating to them after my visit.

Amazing experience! The animals are clearly well cared for and the staff guided tour was interesting and informative. I would go back again!

The reserve is an up-close encounter with some of the most beautiful animals in the world. It is easy to see the strong bond between the animals and the volunteers. Truly a wonderful experience! We look forward to returning again, and HIGHLY recommend to all animal lovers.

St. Augustine Wild Reserve is a unique wildlife sanctuary that offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of rescued animals. The guided tours are informative and engaging, allowing you to learn about conservation efforts while seeing majestic creatures up close. It’s a heartwarming experience for animal lovers and a great way to support a worthy cause!

Amazing adventure with spectacular animals. Impressed with the care the animals receive, and the cleanliness. Hope to be back soon.

Very disappointed in the tour, expected much more. It was pretty boring, lots of talking from the guide person, but we only saw a few animals. Also, Deborah was very rude at check-in and disrespected and humiliated me in front of other people because I speak another language besides English. Would not recommend. It is not worth the time and money.

This was by far and away the best zoo kind of experience I have ever had. The guides were super nice and knowledgeable. They fed the animals chicken and treats so they would get up and move around. They take very good care of these animals.

Don’t miss this. You will regret it.

This place is amazing!!! You get to see the animals up close and they’re very interactive. The staff is outstanding. They explain everything so well and give you a history on each animal. They will also answer any questions you may have. These animals are well taken care of and it shows. Will definitely be back again

Lions, tigers, wolves, bears and much more await you at this special place. All of their animals are rescued, usually from bad situations, and here are given the tlc necessary to recover. Come and watch them eat treats, get back scratches, growl, howl, and just be their wonderful animal selves in a caring environment.

We found the Friday VIP Tour to be wonderful!! The animals are obviously well cared for and the facility receives a lot of attention from the volunteers. Both guides, Marty and Steve are deeply knowledgeable and present clear and detailed information on each animal. The staff clearly has fond relationships with their animal charges. Listen to the website's instruction - hiking boots or strong athletic shoes are best for the pathways and you don't get to take your own photos. Strong, chain-link cages don't make for good pics, but contain quite powerful animals. We will cherish being among howling wolves accompanied by big cat baritones. Not bad for a first date!

Wonderful tour. We live right around the corner and can hear the lions at night. We love to come here and bring new visitors. It’s such a unique experience where you learn so many facts about these exotic animals and even get to watch hyenas get their teeth brushed! You can tell these employees and volunteers care deeply about these animals with the stories they tell and how happy and content the animals seem in their habitats. We will continue to go back and support this cause!

My granddaughters, ages 7 and 12, and I had a wonderful 1 1/2 hr up-close guided tour of the numerous amazing rescued animals in the reserve, including large cats, wolves, bears, and peacocks. We learned the stories of many of the animals and helped raise an awesome roaring of the lions and howling of the wolves at the end of the tour. We definitely will return.

Fabulous visit! Saw many types of exotic animals! The love of the animals was on display by the volunteers doing the guided tour..Grounds were well kept. Animals were clean and healthy looking. Everything is highly recommended! Thanks for a great experience!

Amazing upclose encounter!! Passionate and compassionate caregivers gave detailed descriptions of each animal including the history of how the animal arrived at the reserve.

This is a “must see” activity when visiting St. Augustine. It’s obvious that the volunteers and employees who care for these amazing animals do it as a labor of love. We had 2 tour guides who were extremely knowledgeable and really made this experience awesome! Definitely worth your time.

What a great experience. Better than a zoo because we were within feet of gorgeous animals who were getting a second chance. Great for kids too; the guide through the park captivated us with facts and anecdotes about each animal and species. A must see for anyone visiting St Augustine.

I’ve been to many zoos, and this is most definitely not a zoo—so much better. You can get up close to all of the amazing animals. The staff feeds them, which guarantees that you see them in all their glory. I loved hearing the back stories about how they’ve all ended up in the Reserve. The staff (mostly volunteer) love the animals, and it is clear that the animals love them just as much. I’ve never seen such well-cared-for animals in any zoo. Even their cages are built for their particular needs. Another thing you don’t get in a zoo is the opportunity to ask questions about each animal. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. When I think about what would have happened to these beautiful animals if they had not been rescued, it breaks my heart.

The Reserve sells small items at the end of the tour, and every cent goes toward taking care of these fantastic animals. I’ve visited this area at least a dozen times and was never aware of the Reserve. It is one of the best things I’ve done in the area—including the Jacksonville Zoo!

I really enjoyed the guided tour. It was a hot day and they did a great job making sure we were well hydrated. They do a great job with the animals and it is obvious that they care for their well-being.

Best part of my vacation! The animals here are gorgeous, well cared for. The tour is fantastic! The staff take you on a guided tour . I have never been so close to wild animals! Put it on your bucket list!!!

My husband and I were looking for something unique and boy this was it. We are both animal lovers and this place far exceeded our expectations. Up close to all the animals and it was very obvious how much they are loved. Enjoyed all the stories of how they each came to be there. Very memorable.

This is the second year we have gone to the reserve. I wait all year to go on vacation and see the animals. The tour guides are knowledgeable and keep the crowd engaged. You can tell the animals are well taken care of and loved. I wish I lived closer so that I could go more frequently. Thank you to everyone at the reserve for making this such an enjoyable experience !!

This is the Second Time i have been to the Reserve. The Tour was Great Each Time! The Animals Are Beautiful and Well Taken Care Of! The Tour is Reasonably Priced. The Volunteers Are Wonderful! So Worth Going! Already Recommended the Tour to Several People.

This is an amazing group of people trying to give unwanted exotic animals a place to survive and thrive. They are extremely knowledgeable and caring.

As a safari owner in Tanzania, I’ve always wanted to visit the reserve when I was visiting in Florida. This was the time. I really enjoyed seeing all the wildlife and meeting them all. The reserve was well maintained and the wildlife very well taken care of. The staff was extremely knowledgeable and attentive towards the animal family. Family because those animals are all part of the family, well taken care of. Diverse group of animals reside at this reserve and we learned a lot!

What a fantastic experience. I did not know what to expect when I signed up for a tour and was only recently aware that this Reserve was so close to home. The staff is very friendly, knowledgeable and friendly - you can tell these volunteers are truly passionate about the animals and what they do. It was a beautiful piece of property, and all of the animals looked healthy, happy, and well cared for. I was amazed at how close you were to each of the animals, and it really put things in perspective with their size and beauty. This up-close look makes this experience very different from our zoo. Can't say enough so you will have to go and check it out on your own.

Although I’ve lived in the area for the last 13 years I hadn’t heard about this reserve. My 16 yr old and I were excited to visit this place and had no expectations since we didn’t know anyone who had been there. Well we were so happy we went! All the staff were very knowledgeable and friendly. Even though it was very hot we still enjoyed the whole experience. Some of our favorites were: Pharaoh the lion, Teddy T bear, all the wolves, the porcupine, the Lynx, the peacocks, and the gorgeous lions and jaguars. The animals are lovingly cared for. Definitely schedule a visit and bring donations as they need them!

It was an absolutely amazing experience. The volunteers and staff are all wonderful. The animals are well kept and it truly is heart warming to see that there is a place that will welcome animals in need. It is also a great opportunity to see animals that you would otherwise never have the ability to see up close. It is a very unique experience.

I would give this tour a 10 if I could! This hidden gem of a tour is wonderful! The reserve brings you up close to some magnificent creatures with knowledgable guides leading you on the 1 1/2 hour tour. The property is clean, the animals healthy looking, and you can feel the caring the staff has for their animals . I highly recommend this excursion for anyone who loves animals and encourage you to support this non-profit by your tour and additional donations.

Had a great afternoon seeing and learning about these beautiful animals. The staff were excellent very helpful. I have family visiting later this year and I will definitely go back with them. If your in town I recommend you book the tour, you won’t be disappointed

This is a wonderful place to visit if you love seeing lions, tigers, bears and hyenas up close.
Love it. I’ve been there at least 5 times and I never get tired of seeing these beautiful creatures.

Loved our experience!! We did the 2pm tour and it was really hot out. The stuff made sure to hand out water bottles and cold towels to everyone. They even had golf carts following incase anyone needed to take a seat. Highly recommend!

Bless these wonderful folks for rescuing these beautiful animals and for all the loving care they render. Strongly recommend the tour they do a wonderful job.

I never knew that such an amazing place existed so close to WGV area, until recently. My family enjoyed the tour, learning about the animals and seeing them from really close. The staff was super welcoming, answered all questions, and told us about each unique animal and their story of how they ended up in the reserve. All money goes to care for the animals and the cost of the ticket is similar to that of Jax Zoo. We highly recommend this place! :)

Amazing place. Tour guides were knowledgeable and you can really tell they love the animals. Great family experience.

Absolutely not worth the money, or time!
Big disappointment!
Tour not even the full length due to animals appearing upset!
Highly suggest Jacksonville Zoo over this attraction,
Don't waste your vacation funds or time !!

What a great place! The staff is almost entirely volunteers and they really love and know about the animals in their care. The facilities are nice and are expanded or updated as needed for the animals. The animals (lions, tigers, bears, wolves, and more) are beautiful. No pictures allowed but you can purchase a photo stick with over 450 photos for a nominal fee.

What a well designed wildlife reserve, the animals are so well looked after and very active with the “treats” given to them during our tour. Great time for all ages! The staff are dedicated to the animals and friendly to visitors. Highly recommend this activity, really interesting and a lot of fun! * especially the end!! (I don’t want to give it the fun away)

My daughter absolutely LOVES white tigers and they had 2. For her 14th birthday we went with all of our kids (6). It was a great tour. The tour guide was very fun and knowledgeable. This was one of our highlights during our trip to St. Augustine! I would highly recommend, especially for people who love rare felines! :)

4 Beaties got together and met up in the are. Booked this experience for us 4 women. We all love big cats and animals. Very informative and interesting. Got to see all the animals and hear their personal stories, as well as facts about the species. All the guides and attendants weee very helpful and friendly. Definitely recommend this experience.

This place is an extraordinary experience for anyone who loves animals. It's obvious the people caring for them are completely dedicated to theirwell-being. Being a place of last resort, these magnificent animals would have been euthanized if not for the Reserve. You learn all the animals individual stories about how they came to be at the Reserve, and visiting here is an absolute must! Do yourself a favor and put this place on your must-do list and support the work being done here.

What an enjoyable afternoon. The animals are stunning. Bev Mustaine is an outstanding tour guide. I learned so much in a relaxing atmosphere. It is obvious that the animals are well cared for.

Awesome place to visit. We took our 4 year old son, planned on leashing him but he was able to walk and behave the whole tour. My mother has gone on safari in Africa, but this is truly the closest you will get to these animals. This was a very cool experience for our whole family. Watching the animal interact with the keepers was a treat. You can tell the whole staff loves being here.

All the five star reviews are right, great experience, great people and awesome animals. Extremely interesting, informative day.

We had a great time. The animals were so beautiful, and the staff was very helpful in every way. We loved all the cats, the wolves, Teddy the bear, the hyenas, and more. It was great to be so close, like face-to-face with them.

We went with our granddaughters, son and fiancée, and my wife and I. Three generations.

Just a reminder to those going midday in the summer, bring sun screen, a hat, etc. It can get very hot on the tour.

Highly, highly, highly recommend. My wife and and I took our 2-1/2 year old grandson and we truly loved the experience. The all volunteer staff are all so helpful and informative. The stories told about each animal made the trip that much better. Our guide had such passion and love for the animals that is was palpable. We were able to be within a few feet of these magnificent beasts as they snacked on chicken wings like they were Doritos.

This place is amazing! We had a wonderful tour with amazing people and beautiful animals. It is clear these animals are well cared for and loved. I hope you visit if you are in the area.

The St Augustine Wild Reserve is awesome! The tour is excellent and only a limited number of people are allowed on the tour so it's not crowded. They talk about each animal and it's background or how it was rescued and how they are cared for. They have Tigers, Lions, Pumas, Wolves and Bears to name a few. Highly recommend this tour!

This tour was wonderful. All of the animals are stunning. The tour guides are so knowledgeable, and it was interesting to know how each animal came to the rescue. Hearing each of their stories and their personalities made it interesting and fun. We are grateful for the people that are so dedicated to this cause.

A must when in NE Florida!!! I live here and want to go back every 6 months.

The women who run it are awesome and the tour was amazing. Thank you for all that you do.

We were a family of 3 on Thanksgiving Holiday get away to St. Augustine. So glad we checked out this reserve. The staff was great, friendly and gave interesting stories and information on all the animals. The animals were Magnificent! These animals seemed loved and well cared for. Highly recommend visiting St. Augustine Wild Reserve!

I just went with my family, and the experience was great. The staff members are incredibly kind, welcoming, and helpful. The animals are beautiful and very well cared for, and the place is in excellent condition. It’s the perfect plan for a family outing if you’re looking to do something different.

My sister and I went on one of the tours. It really was a great experience. The guides were very knowledgeable. You could tell that everyone loves these animals and only wants the best for them

Animated tour guide and lots of beautiful animals! Lions, tigers, jaguars and more! Even though it was a holiday with a fairly large crowd, we had no trouble seeing the animals.

What a great experience! The animals were healthy, happy and very well taken care of. I really enjoyed seeing them as close up as we were able. There was a lot of interaction between the handlers and we were right with them watching. Lions, tigers, leopards, lynx, bears, wolves, hyenas and more. I loved to be able to call to the wolves and they answered us with their howl.

Excellent 90-minute walking tour of the habitat in which these rescued exotic animals reside. We saw lions, tigers, cougars, wolves, hyenas, bears, and more at a distance of 5 to 15 feet, as they were being fed their daily ration. Our tour guide (Tammy) was a wealth of knowledge about each animal's personality/tendencies, and how each animal became a resident at the Wild Reserve. No photography is permitted (for reasons they explain), but a flash drive of several hundred photos of the animals (without the cage obstructions) is available for purchase afterward. Bring comfy shoes that you don't mind getting soiled, especially in wet weather.

This was a very informative tour with lots of up close encounters! My son couldn’t wait to go. If you haven’t been yet, you should definitely go!

This reserve of rescued exotic animals is my family's favorite activity. You will not be disappointed and be absolutely amazed. Loving staff interacts with the animals.

WOW! What an experience! This is a MUST do when visiting St. Augustine. The staff is top notch. To see such incredible creatures up close and how the staff interacts and cares for them is amazing. You feel like you actually get to know the animals personally with the in-depth backgrounds the guides provide. This facility should be a prototype for all animal habitats. Thank you for all you do.

Great place to go visit. Love seeing the animals up close. The rescue does a great job of educating about the animals and explaining how the animals got there. They take great care of these animals. Great team of volunteers.

Wonderful to see the beautiful big cats!
And listen to the fascinating narration by the great staff. Still got the magnificent lions and tigers in our minds! Thank you!

A wonderful afternoon outing. Better than any animal experience or zoo I've ever been to. Extremely clean, incredible staff, and worth admission price. These animals are taken care of with incredible amount of knowledge and love. No photography allowed and it's a smart and respectful choice all around. I applaud the rule as it made the experience more enjoyable and immersive.

Amazing Cats and Wolves. Crazy how people with money abuse such beautiful creatures. I was in tears with these animals beautiful spirits. Tour guide did a fantastic job highlighting the personality of each and every animal. Highly recommended and please donate to these majestic animals. Can't wait to see Aladin all grown up.

The tour was very fun and informative. You get to see the animals up close, and it is amazing! The staff is really friendly too, and you can tell they really care alot about the animals.

I visited the Reserve on 6/17/23 and was completely amazed at the breadth of knowledge shared by the tour guide. Not only are the animals beautiful, but you can tell they are loved and cared for with the limited resources provided to this organization. This is so very worthy of your time in St. Augustine. If you love any kind of animal, this if for you.

We took two of our granddaughters who were visiting us from NC. They loved seeing all the big cats and especially the li tiger and ti tiger. They had seen this place on Disney+ in one of their animal shows. It was very clean and the volunteers were super informative. We took bubble bath (they have a list of items to donate) that they use to bathe the big cats. We even got to see a tiger taking a bubble bath on our tour! What a wonderful sanctuary for all of these wild animals. Thank you so much for the work you do!!

This was a great experience!! We learned so much about the animals and loved seeing them up close. I would definitely recommend this tour.

This is an amazing Wild Life Reserve. It’s better than going to the zoo! The guides make sure the animals are visible and interactive. So many different animals like tigers, lions, bears Jaquars,panthers and more. The tour is very interesting and informative and you can tell the staff really love the animals. Beautiful majestic peacocks roam the property. My grandchildren loved the whole experience.

We booked a tour of this facility while staying in the Palm Coast area. Our tour was scheduled for 2PM but we arrived shortly after 1PM. The gates to the park didn't open until 1:30PM, so we had to wait in our car on the street. Parking is a bit problematic, but managable. The staff were very friendly and knowledgeable. The weather was very hot and humid so it was necessary to drink a lot of water. The animals, while in cages, were easily visible but, because of the heat, somewhat lethargic. We highly recommend a visit to this park, hopefully during cooler weather, I'd like to give a special shout out to Bill who drove a cart for handicapped personnel and fed the animals.

Nice off the beaten path tour with great guides. Numerous cats, wolves, hyenas and a few others. Took about an hour and a half.

We've lived here in St. Augustine for almost 6 years & just found out about this neighborhood gem from a friend; friends from upstate NY were visiting and we thought this would be something different from the other places we've taken them to visit when they come to see us - it was great; they also have a golf cart (first come, first serve) for those who need and that worked out very well - the tour guide was very knowledgeable, professional & did a great job giving us information about the different species of wild life that they have rescued and care for - we would definitely recommend you plan a visit (both young & old) to this wonderful local wild life rescue organization!

Absolutely amazing, beautiful cats, wolves, bears, even saw a porcupine. Guide was knowledgeable and great and staff was all friendly and take great care of all the animals. A must see place to visit. Only bummer cannot take your own photos but it's okay you can buy a flash drive. I purchased magnets. Not Able to take pictures but i was aloud some of the Peacocks and tortoises at front gate.
Really enjoyed our visit it was my birthday present from my family.

We live right down the street from the Reserve and have wanted to go visit for awhile as we have heard roars at night when it is quiet. Our daughter turned 1 in November and we decided to take her to go see the "lions and tigers" as she loves them. You can tell the staff/volunteers love being there and have a bond with each one of the animals. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming and we loved the roar of the lions and howling of the wolves. Highly recommended! We will definitely be back when our daughter is a little older to really take it in and enjoy all of the sights and sounds as she got a little restless towards the end.

We had the most amazing experience on our tour this week. We were greeted by friendly and very accommodating staff and volunteers when we arrived. After we checked in, one of the very nice volunteers offered to show us the tortoises, prior to official tour begin. We were lucky to have had some very knowledgeable, kind, and professional staff to guide us on our tour. The tour leader, Sam, took us to each enclosure, introduced us to the animal, shared background information of the animal, where it came from, age, character traits, and other very informative pointers. In particular, the other staff/ volunteers, who accompanied us on the tour, were there to interact with the animal we were learning about, gave them treats, scratched their backs, and petted them when possible. I have never been this close to wild animals before, although safely kept on the marked path, and animals in their enclosure. The experience was simply amazing. We were offered to sit and rest in one of the golf carts that followed on the tour, if we needed to sit down, and we were offered bottles of water, to keep us hydrated during the tour. We met various "big cats", and the beautiful wolves; we also met hyenas, a black bear, porcupine, and some other exotic, rescued animals. The reserve grounds presented very clean and well kept. The animals looked amazingly healthy and happy. They clearly receive the best care from their handlers. Additionally, questions were encouraged and answered in a way that further helped to gain a better understanding of each animal featured. What a great learning opportunity! At the end of the tour we all "howled" to the wolves from a distance, and to my amazement, the wolves answered! Overall, this was a wonderful opportunity to see beautiful exotic, rescued cats, [ and other animals] and learn about them. We enjoyed the tour tremendously, and it won't be long, before we will return, to experience it all again!

My husband, myself and our 3 children visited the reserve on our vacation and it was absolutely AMAZING! We were able to see these awesome creatures up close. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and we learned so many things about the animals we saw. The tour lasted about 1.5 hours and was one of the best parts of our trip!

Second time going with family who are local to the area. We live in NY and family live in Trail Mark. Went for the first time in 2023, always a great experience for all. Amazing to see such apex predators up close. And you can see how much love the caretakers give these animals. They are all rescues and are taken care of in a respectful and caring way. A must see for the area.

Our visit was outstanding! Our family was impressed with how clean and well-maintained the grounds were. The animal enclosures were spacious and in excellent condition—it’s clear the animals are well cared for and loved. The staff and tour guides were friendly and knowledgeable. You can tell they’re passionate about what they do. This is a truly special place doing amazing work, and we highly recommend it to anyone visiting the area!

My husband & I took our 2 grandkids, age 17 &11 yr old boys. It was an amazing tour. The wild animals were so fascinating. The tour guild was so informative and explained about each animal and how they gained possession of them. Very unique experience to see the unique animals. So many tigers, lions, L-tigers, jaguars, lynx, bears, wolves, deer, tortoises, birds, etc. it’s a non- profit, so many great volunteers. The walking tour is a must see. Highly recommend the trip. Worth every penny!!

It was a great experience for my 7 year old grandson and me. Fun day. Up close and personal guided tour. Learned a lot about these magnificent animals. A must do when near St Aug!!

Couldn't stop smiling, great animals and experience, guide was extremely informative. Everyone is super friendly, GO!

I can’t believe it took us this long to find out about this place. It’s a fantastic tour of lions, tigers, and bears (and wolves!) that were rescued here after being improperly homed by unlicensed people or breeders that didn’t have people to buy them. The keepers take very good care of them. The way the enclosures are set up (for caring rather than viewing like a zoo) you get to walk within 3-5 ft of many of the animals and see how their handlers interact with them. Definitely the closest up I have ever seen white lions - so pretty! We brought young kids (4-9) and the 1.5 hr tour was the max of their attention span but they still liked it. They gave us water bottles while walking too.

This is the most amazing wild Amina’s reserve. The animals are so well cared for and loved. It’s amazing to be a few feet away from these majestic wild animals. They do no allow pictures to be taken during the tour. I would go back there very often but it’s over a 3 hour ride. Plus if I lived closer I would be a volunteer there. Can’t say enough about this place. It’s a definite must go if you are in St Augustine Florida.

This outing was a nice surprise. The staff was super friendly and very informative. We were able to get close to the caged animals and learn about them. You can tell the volunteers adore the animals and the animals love the staff. They have a special bond. It’s nice to see so much compassion from the staff.

We learned quite a bit from the guided tour. The animals are well taken care and it was a learning experience.

I loved every second of the tour I went on. Very informative, the animals were so beautiful and I loved hearing their stories. I loved learning about the organization and everything it does and stands for. Thank you for your hard work. Might consider doing a private tour sometime

This place is fantastic. There is a vast collection of friendly and amazing cats and animals, that can be seen as close as 3 feet!! You won't find this experience at your typical zoo. Unless you can name another place that has a peppermint loving bear, a hyena who lives their teeth brushed, or a slew of playful big cats who eat chicken legs for snacks.

Just came back from our first trip to the reserve, beautiful place with well taken care of animals. The trainers seem to be very hands on, knowledgeable and very caring with each and every animal. Deffinitly a must visit while in St. John’s county. The group of 4 adults loved the tour, we appreciated all the stories of each animal they have on the premise and loved watching them get their snacks.

We visited the reserve today and absolutely loved it! The staff were incredible, sharing personal stories about every animal, as well showing which animal loved which staff member or which staff members they weren't to crazy about. It was great how close you are to each animal. You can absolutely see how well kept and loved each and every animal is.
Also, you get to see which animals like to play it up for the tours. This is a must stop if you are visiting St. Augustine..

We did the Friday noon tour. We really enjoyed seeing the animals -- about 40 in total -- mostly big cats. The white lions were beautiful, as were the golden tiger and the white one with chocolate stripes. It was kind of sad to see them in cages, but they seem to be well loved and cared for and the alternative would be for them to be euthanized. The animals are all rescue animals. Most of the animals were lured with treats for up-close views. Wish we could have taken pictures, but understood their reasoning.

The guide yesterday was the best. So easy and entertaining to listen to. She had our attention. The love and care that all the volunteers that were there had for the animals was touching to us. You could tell that these beautiful majestic animals were respected and loved. It was a gift to go there.

Great experience. Knowledgeable staff and dedicated staff to animal conservation and preservation of these beautiful animals. Strongly suggest the VIP tour. Being in the presence of these majestic animals reminds you of the true beauty of this planet. Our family will definitely be returning in the future.

The exotic wild animal tour was an excellent experience. We enthusiastically recommend it. The animals are exquisite and their stories are fascinating. Highest praise to the staff for their care of the animals and hospitality to guests.

What a great experience. The walking tour which enabled a close-up view of the animals added to the experience. The animals were well cared for and very spoiled!
The staff were very knowledgeable and showed great love for the animals in the Reserve. Our children had special experience when they got to howl back at the wolves!! The children had a great time, but so did the adults!

This was an amazing experience!!!! My family of 6 and I had an incredible time. From 9 year olds, to younger and older teens to adults. This kept everybody not just interested but fascinated. How truly amazing to be able to experience this...to see the big cats up close. What a privilege!! These incredible animals would all have been euthanized without this non profit rescue to save them. They all looked very healthy and happy.
This tour lasted about an hour and a half. it was a walking tour, but you do not actually walk a long distance, and there is a "limousine" golf cart to rest or even ride in if needed. Cold water is also kindly supplied. As stated in other reviews and on the website, please wear close-toed shoes. This sanctuary, as a non profit, heavily relies on money from donations and tours to continue to be able to provide food and care for the animals. We have been coming to St. Augustine for years and never heard of this place - thankfully, I saw it on Tripadvisor and I am so glad we went!! Please go, you will not regret it!!

Very informative 2 hour walking tour. The staff was very knowledgeable about the animals . How they got reserve. Mostly by over stock breeding & Ceased animals .

This was a lot of fun, you got to get so close to all the animals. And they had a liger and a tigon, which I never though Id' get to see in person!

Tours are only offered three days a week and we were fortunate enough to be there on the right day. The quality of the tour guide was excellent; she was knowledgeable, cared for the animals and managed her time well. The animals were mainly big cats with some other animals such as wolves. The animals looked well fed and cared for. You cannot take photos, that's the only downside but they will sell you a flash drive with photos (not the same).

I had visited here before about 12 years ago, and it has expanded and is much improved. What comes across then and now is that the staff truly love these animals and take excellent care of them. These are rescue tigers, jaguars, lions, panthers, bobcats etc. They take animals that would be euthanized and give them loving homes. I love what they do, and the animals are gorgeous. The tour was very educational and fun. I'm a cat fanatic and I know much about big cats, and learned more from this tour. As said below, it's not a zoo, so no pretty fountains etc. But the cats- wolves- porcupines etc are happy and safe. I truly appreciate that. My only complaint is that photos are no longer allowed. Used to be, and as a group we love taking a group photo. I hope they reconsider this in the future and perhaps just have very strict rules. Otherwise this was a delightful tour and I do recommend it.

This reserve is a hidden gem where unwanted and abused exotic animals have been given a place to live out their lives with the utmost care and love from the mostly volunteer staff. The tour brings you up close and personal with these beautiful creatures while getting educated about them and also learning the circumstances that brought them there. One of the best animal attractions that was highly enjoyable to our whole group of five especially our 6 year old nephew who found a new appreciation for wildlife.

This is a must-see location when I'm in Florida. I've been there at least 6 times. The reserve houses rescued large cats (my personal fave are the tigers), a black bear who loves peppermint, two adorable spotted hyenas who love their chins scratched, lions and more. They are lovingly taken care of. Tours run around and hour and a half on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday by reservation. Those are the feeding days, so you are treated to seeing the staff hand feed the big cats snacks of chicken legs and other treats. Some of the animals like homemade blueberry muffins. The tigers love bubble baths. It is an entertaining and informative activity. The staff are all volunteers. It is privately run through generous and small donations. I recommend highly a visit to the Reserve. It contains very lucky rescued animals that can live out their days in comfort and love, which they return.

Loved it!! Everyone was kind and very knowledgeable, you can tell they really love the animals. We went on a Friday tour, so it was a small group, it was very nice and you can really get up close and see the animals in ways you don't at a zoo. Plus these people are really helping animals, like I said you can tell they really care about them. I would highly recommend you go, it's wonderful! The only negative thing I can say is that I didnt want it to end....lol.

This was a family outing to celebrate my husband’s 90th birthday, and it was a great way to do it. The tour was 1 1/2 hours long, on a cold day, after a big rain the night before.
It was well worth the effort, and a bunch of others must have thought the same, because we had a nice crowd.
The animals were glad to see us, and we were glad to see them. The cars, especially, were beautiful.
The tour was narrated and the woman who did most of the talking used a mic, which meant everyone could hear her. Big plus right there!
I was provided a golf cart and driver as I am mobility challenged, and was quite comfortable. Another big plus, as the tour winds around past all of the animals.
All in all, I heartily recommend the St Augustine Wild Reserve for people of all ages and physical ability.

What a pleasant surprise. The tour was great and our tour guide Sam was fabulous.
It is obvious the animals are very well cared for, ignore any review that says otherwise. This is not a zoo, they are basically rescue animals that aren't suited to be released back to the wild. The animals are beautiful and are in a great habitat. The tour is interesting and informative. I highly recommend you visit this special place.

Knowledgeable staff, very familiar with the animals. Great way to spend 2 hours with family taking in the animals and learning a few things as well. The animals are magnificent.

We visited about a year ago with friends, and this time we took our family members from "up north". Marti and Steve, assisted by Kathy and Bill, gave our group a marvelous tour. Even though I had been there before, I still learned new things about the beautiful big cats, bears, wolves, coyotes, and even birds during the walk around the grounds. Marti adds a personal touch by addressing members of the group by name, plus talking about her own experiences with each fo the animals she descibes. It's worth every minute and dollar.

We had a wonderful experience here. Staff were friendly and engaging and the animals were awe inspiring to be around. Would definitely come again and left feeling very happy to support this place.

Take this epic tour and you will be so happy you did ! Lions , tigers ,even a liger and a bear named teddy . As well as many others , my hubby loved the peacocks and even got some feathers to take home . The staff were incredible! The whole team were friendly, caring , knowledgeable and happy to answer any questions
I absolutely recommend this tour to anyone in st.Augustine. Plus the proceeds go right back into running the reserve. Had a fantastic experience being up close with beautiful wildlife and so thankful for our amazing tour guide, who truly has a passion for what she does every day.
Can’t wait to come back! 💯

Took my family yesterday (we have been there before) 13 people including my 5 grandchildren and the experience was outstanding!! Far more personal and informative of visiting a zoo. The animals were awesome and such an up close and personal experience with them. The team at the Reserve were awesome. Knowledgeable, informative and it was VERY obvious how personally attached they are to these animals! We especially loved Vince B (one of the multiple tour guides) !!! We will definitely be going back again!!

A great place to visit! You get to see many exotic animals that were rescued from bad situations. Impressed by the workers knowledge and care of the animals. It is definitely worth visiting.

I took my three 6 year old grandchildren and we had a great time. Absolutely all beautiful animals and interesting to hear their stories of rescue. The volunteers were amazing, such dedication. Also nice not to take photos, I could enjoy my time and we bought the book instead. Kids got hot and rode in the golf cart at times but enjoyed their time with Mimi.

Beautiful reserve well taken care of with Amazing animals!! Would highly recommend ,educational and we LoVED it as a couple but would be great for families as well.

Went today with my parents and it was amazing! Animals are beautiful and clearly taken care of. Staff is friendly and extremely knowledgeable. 10/10 for sure!

Our family really enjoyed visiting. The staff were very friendly and very knowledgeable about all the animals. They also kept you refreshed with free bottled water and if you got tired of walking they had a golf limo you could ride on. You felt like the animals were in arms reach of you. It was so cool to all the tigers, lions, and other animals up close. Our family will definitely be back.

The entire family had such an amazing time. The tour was extremely informative and you can tell they have so much love for their animals.

Thank you, Wild Reserve, for raising awareness, rescuing, and caring for all of these amazing animals. You can donate to the organization in many different ways, including Amazon. Recommended!

The group was too large to hear the tour guide even with the small PA system. Because of the size of the group, many could not see what the guide was pointing out.

What a great tour for all ages. Contained a lot of information for animal lovers. Staff, mostly volunteers (43), are all very knowledgeable. There is a story behind each rescue. They are quick to be sure everyone stays hydrated. Golf carts are available for handicapped or elderly patrons.

I moved to St Augustine in 2004 and am embarrassed to say this was my first visit. It won’t be my last.

Vince, Shelly, Alex, and Margaret were all fantastic! The tour was incredibly informative and you could tell how much the animals love their care takers! I’m so happy there’s a place like this that can give those animals sanctuary. Watching Indigo chase the vultures and the playful lion was a hoot! The send off of the wolves howling was also amazing! These animals really get the best of the best and this place deserves nothing but five star reviews and as many donations as you can give! I will be telling everyone to come give you guys a visit!
And I think it’s great they don’t allow photography because it lets you spend more genuine time with the animals and learning about them. They offer a beautiful flash drive of a ton of pictures of the animals! They also have magnets and coasters, I highly recommend getting one and the flash drive!

Great to be able see the animals this close, and knowing that they are being taken care of so well after being rescued. Staff clearly cares a lot about these animals and a lot of effort is put into their well being. Fun way for a family to visit with animals

This is a super awesome place to visit. The animals are so well cared for & have obvious bonds with the staff. You need to go

Second time attending. The encounter with the animals was priceless. The staff is friendly, no nonsense and inform you what each animal went through to arrive at the Reserve. During our stay we visited Typhoon Lagoon and Magic Kingdom. My daughter and 9 year old grandson thought the Reserve was the highlight of our trip. Hopefully with the dedicated people working at the Reserve it will continue for many years. Also, Mr. King, I bought your book, The Connection: Forging Steel. Very good!!

Our tour guide, Sam, the “limo” driver and all the helpers were amazing. The animals are healthy and well loved and they explain how they got them, what brought them there, and all about the species and the personality of the particular animal in front of us! You gain an incredible understanding of each animal and the endangered and rare cats, wolves and more, are riveting to watch and enjoy. It is true reserve and I highly recommend visiting!

This experience was exceptional. Although led by a single, very well informed volunteer, she was accompanied by 3 other exceptionally competent and caring individuals who assisted with meeting the needs of the animals, respecting the animals and enhancing our experience observing the animal behaviors. So grateful fr the opportunity to visit the St. Augustine Wild Reserve.

Awesome wildlife reserve hands on tour! Got to interact a little with the animals which was great! The animals are well cared for and everyone that works there is very nice! Britt is a great tour guide and is very knowledgeable! Highly recommend to visit if you are an animal lover, like myself.

Outstanding experience to be in the presence of these majestic creatures so close by. Great teaching explanations about the well cared for animals in clean facilities.

This place was so amazing. We had a large family reunion here and just enjoyed ourselves so much. You can tell the volunteers love the animals and love their jobs. You really get an up close view of these beautiful animals and they are interactive with the guides. I would do this again and again just to stare at the awesome animals.

We just loved this experience despite the drizzling rain, the animals were absolutely beautiful and well cared for. I loved knowing that they were rescued and now were in their FOREVER HOME! I was disappointed that I couldn’t take pictures but appreciated the liabilities involved for the sanctuary and respect for the animals.

The St. Augustine Wildlife Reserve is truly a hidden gem. Being able to see animals like tigers, lions, and bears in such close proximity was an incredible experience. Knowing that these animals are rescues makes the visit even more meaningful.

One of the highlights was hearing the wolves howl — absolutely unforgettable. Our guide, Bev, did a fantastic job explaining where each animal came from, their individual temperaments, and what they eat. Her knowledge and passion really brought the experience to life.

This is definitely a must-see when visiting St. Augustine. Highly recommended!

This place is amazing! I would give them more stars if I could. The animals are so well taken care of. Tammy took such pleasure in telling us the stories of each animal and how they ended up living at the sanctuary. The entire team is just amazing! I've never been so thrilled with an experience like this ever! I will be recommending this to everyone!! We will go back!!

The Wild Preserve is a wonderful jewel of a wild life habitat to visit for local family and tourists to St. Augustine area. A wonderful variety of wildlife can you can see close up. The tour is wonderfully narrated by the entire staff.

Went to the little out of the way Wildlife Refuge not sure what to expect. Boy were we surprised. Lots of big cats another big carnivores. The closest we've ever been to these animals. Tour guide was easy to hear and always had three or four other people feeding and showing the animals. The biggest surprise was how clean it was. It smelled better than our campsite and most of the rest of Florida! The animals seemed active and happy and the cages seemed clean. The only downside was the vultures constantly perched overhead. Would definitely recommend.

Instead of more toys or stuff that will get lost in the bins of more stuff, I gifted my grandchildren a private tour of the reserve . It is pricey , however , there are 4 grandchildren and I would have spent this amount if not more . It was a wonderful experience . Older was 9 , youngest was4 and they all loved it . Great variety of big cats, wolves and other exotic animals. Excellent educational information was given on all the animals and interesting facts. The children LOVED feeding and petting the bear, lion, and wolf. The presenter Sam (? I’m horrible remembering names ) was attention grabbing with delivering the information to us. A great tour guide truly makes a difference . The children all told me it was the best thing they did during the visit with me. Consider touring and supporting this wonderful sanctuary for animals that need a place to call their own . As a retired teacher who has experience museums , historic tours and boring monotoned guides, this place has won me over!!

My friend and I arrived about 10:45 for am 11AM tour of the wildlife reserve. My friend had been twice over the past decade I guess but I, even though a Florida born and raised resident, had never been before. I love wild animals and have a favorite painting in my living room of an African lion. The tour was awesome. The guide was very professional, knowledgeable and spoke clearly and using a microphone was easily able to be heard as the tour was booked full which appeared to be 75 or 80 people. Quite a large crowd but it was Easter weekend. Weather was gorgeous. We had a 1 1/2 hour guided tour which was done beautifully. A young man came along that would bring a snack to the fence to offer to each animal as we approached their areas which brought most of the animals out front to be seen and appreciated for their magnificent beauty. The property is wonderful and very well maintained. Every volunteer during our tour was knowledgeable and helped to draw the animals out from enclosures for the visitors to be able to see them quite close up. No picture taking is allowed. I must admit that was disappointing. The tour guide said they used to allow photographs but some guests ruined that for everyone. Not surprised with that at all. The animals are very well cared for and seem quite at ease with the volunteers that do the tours and all of their helpers. The ones that offer the snacks at that time of day when we were there who also did a backscratcher on an African mail lion who thoroughly enjoyed it. One of the female tigers was very playful and rolled onto her side and back as if asking to be petted. Wish we could have obliged. I can't say how much I really enjoyed this tour of the St. Augustine Wild Reserve. It was so amazing and well worth the money which all goes toward caring for these majestic animals. Some of the most beautiful of God's creatures.

My wife and I took a tour here recently while vacationing in the area. We have visited wildlife reserves all over the world and this place did not disappoint. The staff and volunteers were very friendly and informative. The animals appear to be well fed and not stressed at all. The backgrounds and histories of the various animals were shared and they have carts for those that have difficulties walking. Making a reservation via their website is highly recommended as they have limited hours/days for their tours (they are a small operation with only four full-time staff and several volunteers). I highly recommend this place for a visit and deem it worth your contributions to save and protect these beautiful animals.

Great place! Caring, knowledgeable staff. Beautiful animals. Saw some animals I have not seen before. Highly recommend!

We took the VIP tour and it was well worth it. Not only did we get to see all the animals up close, but we got to speak with a lot of the staff and volunteers who work at the Reserve. The animals -- mostly big cats -- are beautiful and healthy. Most of all, you can see the passion and enthusiasm the staff and volunteers have for the animals.

An amazing day out. The guides were very knowledgeable, genuinely interested and cared for each animal. The information was delivered in an upbeat manner with humour. My son particularly enjoyed the wolf call at the end of the tour.
Thoroughly recommend a visit to this reserve who are ‘privately’ making a difference to so many animals and could do with as much support as possible to sustain their work! 💞

I absolutely loved taking a tour at St. Augustine Wild Reserve! I have never seen these type of large animals so up close. I got to see multiple lions and lionesses, many tigers(one of them was MASSIVE!!!), a couple ligers, a jaguar, a mountain lion, a lynx, an African serval cat, wolves, a bear, and a porcupine. There were also peacocks and vultures that roam the grounds, but are not part of the tour.

The staff were very knowledgeable about the animals and enticed them with chicken or other treats so that we could view them better. The animals really seem to care for all the animals and have formed bonds with them, which was cool to see.

I will definitely be planning another trip to visit in the future because it was just so cool to see such majestic, dangerous creatures so up close. I will also be recommending the tour to my friends and family. This place is so cool!

(p.s. you can't take photos while on the tour, but we were so engaged with watching the animals, that we all forgot about our phones after the first few minutes)

Great experience. Tour was very educational in just the right amount. Tour guide and staff were outstanding. Amazing to see the animals that close.

We've been coming to St. Augustine for years and always wanted to go to the Reserve, so we decided this time was it.

The only issues I had, which was totally of their control was the heat, it was BRUTAL that particular day-97-98 with matching humidity. They did provide water and cold. wet towels since it was so hot and that was a respite, but bring your own water as you will be outside in the heat and sun for at least 1.5 hours. There is shade from stop to stop, but not always, so be prepared.

The animals are incredible. I can' pick out a favorite as they were all very beautiful and amazing to observe. They are almost without exception born in captivity and most everyone of them are essentially rescues, some with pretty incredible stories.

This was definitely the flip side of what a lot of people saw on Netflix, as these folks genuinely seem to be there for the animals and not the personal exploitation of it. You can tell their genuine concern and love for them and the animal's affection back to them.

One thing to remember for those people who will complain that they are locked inside smaller confines than a zoo or obviously nature is that although they are in very large cages, that this is all they have known or either far worse, so their lives are pretty good since almost exclusively, these animals, having not lived in the true wild, likely wouldn't do so well out in there on their own. So the Reserve is doing a good job of fixing what people have already screwed up beyond repair as best they can.

The Reserve is definitely worth the money and the car trip out to their compound. You will enjoy it and don't forget to grab their pre-prepared memory stick full of pictures on a show, it is well worth the price.

No pictures since we went on a regular tour where you could not use your cameras.

I was very impressed! the reserve was very well kept and clean. The animals are gorgeous happy animals -- especially telling was the way lions and other big cats snugged right up to caretakers (outside their enclosure) -- there are bonds made between "man and beast" ..awesome to see. This is not a huge reserve, but an important one as is any rescue of maltreated animals. Staff was friendly, knowledgable and kept our unusually large group together and moving excellently. Our tour guide was very much aware of the animals' comfort as well -- several times we moved on because the group was making one of the animals nervous. Great experience to visit this Reserve!!

This is our third trip to this amazing Wild Reserve. Everyone is so helpful and kind and knowledgeable. We are so lucky to have this in our town.

Fantastic experience, animals are well taken care of and staff is so knowledgeable. We all really enjoyed this tour and the facilities.

We treasured our tour of the reserve. The staff did an excellent job discussing the animals, who clearly loved the staff. I would highly recommend this tour to adults and children alike.

Absolutely beautiful. Wild exotic cats and other animals so close to guest trail so you can really see their beauty. Loved watching the staff feed them treats. Much better than any Zoo. Great narration by our guide. Learned so much. I highly recommend.

Tour guide was wonderfully informative. Animals are very well cared for and well loved. I definitely will come back and do the private tour so I can be closer to the annimals and feed them. It’s a “Must Do” if you’re in the area.

Indescribable to see these majestic animals up close and hear their stories. Tour guides are knowledgeable and kind. A must see in St. Augustine.

This is hands-down one of the best wildlife encounters I have ever experienced. The love and care that goes into giving these animals their best chance at a healthy and happy life is apparent in the efforts of every volunteer. The tour is just shy of two hours long and you WILL get up close and personal with some rare and very beautiful animals. We learned so much! From howling with the wolves to chuffing with the tigers to watching tortoises trot, there is something for every fan of wildlife.

My boyfriend and I went here for his birthday and had so much fun!! Staff made the experience very enjoyable and entertaining! We were fully engaged the whole time and were in awe of these beautiful animals! You can definitely tell these animals are well loved and have a connection with the staff. Although I was a little bummed to not be able to take pictures during the tour, we did purchase their flash drive with pictures for only $10 and there isn’t a cage in the way ruining the pictures. 11/10 would recommend to anyone in St. Augustine I will definitely be coming here again next visit!

This was an amazing experience! The animals were stunning, interactive and healthy. So well taken care of. And the staff were wonderful as well. Can’t wait to go back!

We came from New York to visit family in St Augustine, and the Wildlife Tour was the hit of the week. Vince B. and staff were very informative on all the animals, and told great stories on how they came to be there. I’ve visited the Bronx Zoo a few times, and this tour was 10 times better than any attraction they have there. You are literally 3 feet away from 500 pound tigers and lions! Watch them play, eat and prowl as the crowd gathers in front of the cage. I highly recommend spending the afternoon with the big cats here!!

Knowledgeable, kind staff and a wonderfully kept sanctuary - all the animals are very happy and healthy looking, which was wonderful to see after learning about each of their stories.

This is the BEST animal rescue center with LOTS of beautiful big cats and other cool animal species. The volunteer tour guides love the animals and put their heart into what they do to give a 1.5 hr tours in 90 degrees. The animals are treated so well and are very happy. This is the second time I’ve been and I will come visit every time our family vacations in St Augustine because we have fallen in love with all the big cats they’ve rescued! On our tour you could not take photos inside the facility where the animals are kept. Next time I want to do the private tour where you can take a few photos inside where the cats are kept. 10/10 recommend a must visit.

This visit was great! The tour led by Tammy was informative, and the animals at the reserve were just beautiful. It was remarkable to see such large animals up close. As an animal lover, it was heartwarming to know these animals were saved and are now in great care.

what a wonderful visit to such a unique place. The staff was knowledgeable and answered all of our question about the animals, their origins of being there as well as their daily care. It is a non profit and I feel that by just paying the admission price I had helped support these wild animals in need of a safe place. While it is a 1.5 hour walking tour they did provide transportation via golf cart for those of us with mobility issues. Don’t miss this truly delightful gem

I’m glad they are rescuing animals, but I found this tour depressing. Despite staff/volunteers frequently mentioning their enclosures are larger than FL requires, animals are in small metal fenced enclosures. Cages don’t resemble natural habitats & animals don’t have much room to roam. Too many people on each tour also takes away from the experience. Skip this & go to an accredited zoo.

The St Augustine Wild Animal Reserve is a lovely enclave housing mostly animals from the cat family. These are animals who arrive at the reserve for a myriad of reasons but the preserve becomes “their forever home.” The tour was so interesting and the animals responded well to the mostly volunteer staff. It was so obvious that the animals love their caregivers. We took our grandchildren who are 5 and 8 and they along with my husband and I so enjoyed the tour. Admission fees go directly to the care of the animals. This is a “definite see” if you are in the St Augustine area.

Oh my goodness! I wasn't sure what to expect when we arrived, but it was worth each and every minute. Marti -or was it Marj's passion for these animals is so infectious, it seeps into your bones and makes you want to protect them also. Right up close to all the animals! Not like a regular zoo, when you walk around and look at animals sleeping. This is an active and amazing experience! Loved the wolves howling and the lions roaring. Our group was small, so it felt even more personal. The time flew by, and it was over way too soon for me.

We visited today and lucked out! The 2pm tour was small so we had great access to seeing the animals and hearing our guide. Very informative tour. Very glad we went and happy to support their efforts in caring for these wild animals.

I had a very unique experience (at least for me) on my visit to the reserve. I'm 73 now and ever since I was a little girl I've had a penchant for the big cats. Before visiting the reserve I did not read any of the advertising or marketing information about the facility. I only knew of its existence, that there were big cats there, and I wanted to see them. I was thoroughly delighted beyond my expectations. The big cats (their visible power and majesty, how well they are cared for, the cleanliness of their enclosures, their visible relationships with their care givers, and the stories about how they came to be located at the reserve) left me thoroughly enthralled. I'll be back. Andrea from Ohio

This is an interesting place with a great mission. It was an up-close experience with the big cats that you don’t get in a zoo. It was also fun to see the staff interacting with the animals. I highly recommend a visit here if you’re in the area.

Me and my husband went. It was very enjoyable. I love the big cats. I would go again. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and his helpers were a joy. Loved how the cats interacted with the staff. I even talked to one of the trainers and had a great conversation. The golf car driver was very nice also.
A must see for all ages.

Fantastic experience! Staff was very knowledgeable and thrilled to educate us and share their passion for the animals. All the Animals were in impeccably clean enclosures with enrichment materials. The animals were all happy to interact with their caretakers and had zero signs of distress. I can not recommend this experience enough! The no pic rule was abit of a bummer for me but I completely understand the reasoning and once I was there, I didnt care at all. I was too busy being awed and amazed by the beautiful creatures 5 ft away me.

We arrived a little before our tour time of noon and that was good since it’s a little of the beaten track and the cell service is very spotty in the area.
There were only 10 of us on this particular tour, which was nice.
Marti our tour guide was fabulous and answered any questions we asked.
She gave us all the information on all the animals at the sanctuary including the not so good stories of how some of them arrived at the sanctuary.
The tour lasted approximately over an hour and was so cool to get up close and personal with these amazing animals.
Lions , tigers and bears oh my.
So many different big cats including one very feisty tiger who did not take a liking to me. lol.
Hearing the male lions roar a few times while we walking around was so amazing
What was a little surprising is that no pictures are allowed but after Marti explained that people are mostly idiots and don’t follow rules , I totally get it. lol
Just be able to stand no less than 2/3 feet away from these incredible creatures was awe inspiring
At the end of the tour there is an opportunity to purchase a few keep sakes for a very reasonable price. Just wish they had tank tops as all four of us would have bought one. Missed opportunity I think. We live here in Florida and don’t wear T-shirts. lol.
I would definitely go back and this hidden gem is a must do if you are in the St Augustine area.

One of the best attractions in St. Augustine! Be sure not to miss this hidden gem! We have been here twice and i would do it again. Whenever family comes to town the request a stop at the Wild Reserve. If you love animals you cannot miss this. And if you don't love animals you will , after visiting the Reserve . The women who run this place are amazing! I cant recommend it enough!

Beautiful exotic animals, mostly feline, that we can observe from very close!
Clear, dynamics and very interesting explanations from the guide about the story of each one. All volunteers look devoted to take care of these beautiful animals.

This experience was totally worth the money (which goes to helping the animals) and the 40 min drive away from the beach! Wear your walking shoes (and they might get a little dirty). Complimentary bottles of water were available, so no need to bring one. Tammy was our tour guide and told us all about each animal, their story, and various facts. Each animal got fed treats so we were able to see each one up close! They really looked healthy and well cared for! They do not allow picture taking (which was a little disappointing to me because I am an artist and wanted my own photos to paint), but I totally understand and respect that they are thinking of what’s best for the animals!! It might not be the right activity for young children, but maybe 10 years and up, if they enjoy learning about animals and are good at listening and following rules. I would totally go again sometime!

My great grandchildren (ages 5 and 2) were really too young to appreciate the place. They did love the rocks and sand😝
The tour guide was very informative and the animals looked well taken care of. There was no foul odor and kennels were clean. It is not an exciting adventure, so if that is what you are looking for it’s not for you . If you have a true interest in beautiful animals and giving them a chance to live…GO! ENJOY! Make a donation
Wish they allowed photos

This is a hidden gem! The animals are well taken care of and look very happy and content. Amazing volunteers who keep the place running like a well established non-profit. Don't miss this when you're in town!

beautiful animals and looked very well cared for
guide was very knowledgeable and the staff seemed to really care for the animals

Accurate website, and fully satisfied with the experience. Good tour and explanation of the purpose and success of the Reserve. Impressive viewing of animals and an understanding of how they became part of the Reserve.

Our guide and her assistants were wonderful. You will leave with a greater understanding of wild animals and their proper care. Rare and endangered Big cats, wolves and more, each with an unforgettable history. It's not a zoo. Visit and enjoy. Highly recommended!

Friendly staff and the reserve/animals look super well taken care of. We were bummed we couldn't take photos but it's all to protect the animals. You can tell the animals feel loved and nurtured.

What an amazing place to go to. You are very close to the animals with just a fence between you. The guide, Vince, was very knowledgeable and did a great job. The feeders were good too, and you could see they loved the animals and had built a rapor with them. We went in July on the early 11am tour on a Saturday, and boy was it hot. They give out water bottles, but take your own too, and a fan if you have, and a hat. We sweated our "you know whats" off, but it was worth it. The volunteers were all very nice and if I am ever in the vicinity again, I will make a trip out here again. This is such a worthwhile cause to support that I did not mind paying the ticket prices or purchasing the goodies after the tour as I know where all the monies go to, caring for the animals. Photography is not allowed but I did purchase the hard drive at the end of the tour which has over 140 pages of pictures on it.

I booked the 11am tour on a Saturday. The tour was very interesting and well worth doing if you like animals. It lasted 1 hour and 40 minutes, a little longer than advertised. People asked lots of questions. The animals seem to be well cared for and were fed various treats on the tour. Be prepared to stand for the duration of the tour because there are no benches. There is a golf cart that a small group of physically challenged people could ride. I would go in nice weather as you are out in the open. Also, arrive a little early to get a decent parking spot.

What an amazing experience me and my fiancé went today and let me just say I will absolutely go back with everyone I know!!! The staff is so kind and knowledgeable, and seeing these majestic animals so close is amazing. We absolutely loved it!!!

Awesome experience! The guides and volunteers did an incredible job! Very knowledgeable and informative! Highly recommend it!

I loved that the tour group was small and intimate allowing everyone to get close up views of every animal. The guides/ volunteers were very friendly and down to earth, moved at a very non-rushed pace with lots of knowledge, as well as obvious love for all the animals. We are excited to return with our family and friends.

What a wonderful experience! We opted for the Friday tour on December 1st and enjoyed ourselves immensely - Marti and Vince were both extremely informative on many levels, especially when telling us about each animal's history. The whole experience is very educational and the love the caregivers feel and give to these animals is heartwarming. A must see destination if you are visiting St. Augustine!

A great way to spend an afternoon (about 1 hour, 30 minutes) seeing Lions, Tigers, Jaguars, Wolves and a couple of other wildlife animals up close. The staff is extremely knowledgable, friendly and make the tour well worth the time and money. They know exactly how to get the animals to interact with them so everyone gets a chance to see the animals moving around.
You get a much closer view of them then at a zoo.
Well worth yout time !!!

We have lived across the street for years and never been here. So glad we did today. The staff is so extremely nice, the animals are well kept and it was a great experience. We will be going again. We might even volunteer.

Absolutely loved our adventure here! We were fortunate to have a smaller group and great weather. Such An amazing place with a variety of animals.. lions, tigers, bears, wolves. Well cared for animals and excellent information on all of them. Will definately come back again! Got to speak with the wolves and the entire park howled their thanks at the end - felt like you were in Africa. Gave me goosebumps and an experience we'll never forget! Thank you ❤️

The animals here are well taken care of. It's heartbreaking to hear of the reasons why a lot of them ended up here. The staff was very knowledgeable and friendly. If you are a lover of all creatures, great and small. We highly recommend taking this tour.

Had the most amazing adventure today at the St Augustine Wildlife Reserve. We saw lions and tigers and bears oh my AND ligers and jaguars and wolves and hyenas and the most adorable young Siberian lynx and still more! All up close and with a wildlife guide who told us stories about each rescued animal and astounding facts such as lions can roar but they can’t purr! Great rescue organization and you can tell they love their animals by the way the big cats and others respond to their caretakers. Highly recommend visiting!

We went as a school group with 30 high school students and 8 chaperones. They were wonderful and had everything so well organized for us. We really enjoyed being able to see all the animals so closely! They answered all of the questions we had and were so kind. 10/10 recommend!

We had a great time on our visit. We were overwhelmed with the care and love the animals received. As we approached each animal most came running up to greet the caregiver. It was amazing to be just feet away from these majestic beasts. We also learned the story of how each animal came to be there. Many of them wouldn't be alive if not for St Augustine Wild Reserve. I encourage you to go and help support their cause.

My daughter picked all our St. Augustine excursions and found this one online. I was dubious, especially since we drove and drove away from St. A to get there, but it was 100% worth the trip. It was the perfect palate cleanser to two days of history history history. The animals were gorgeous, healthy, and well-cared for. We never got that sad "zoo" feeling, but rather felt awe and admiration for the beauty of the cats and other animals on the reserve. The staff was welcoming, professional, funny, and informative. We highly recommend visiting the Wild Reserve!

Great experience meeting the many animals living at this reserve. I've never had an experience quite like this before. We were able to get close up views of tigers, bears, lions, jaguars, wolves and several other animals. Staff were amazing. They did everything they could to make the experience memorable.

I would recommend this experience to everyone. Well worth the time and expense. It's also nice to know that the tour fee goes directly to the care and feeding of the magnificent animals.

We had a fun day at the reserve.
Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly.
We loved seeing and learning about all the animals the reserve has.
We definitely would go back again and highly recommend it.

Great tour. All the animals seem so happy here. Great to see the love the staff have for the animals! Would highly recommend.

This is a very special experience. This is a non-profit that rescues lions, tigers, wolves, hyenas and yes, ligers in need of a permanent home. The level of commitment and care the volunteers here give to the animals is amazing.
You’ll be walking from enclosure to enclosure on graveled paths, then standing to hear each animal’s rescue story and learn about their habits, eating preferences, etc. A golf cart accompanies the tour to provide a seat for anyone tired of standing, or anyone who just prefers to ride.
The volunteers kindly offered waters and cool washcloths on a hot afternoon.
The sanctuary is easily accessed from I95 and is good for all ages.

This place was incredible, I grew up not too far from there, and it is amazing how well the animals are taken care of. At the end the group was able to do a wolf call and they answered back. This place is a must see.

What an amazing experience. The volunteers and staff shared so many stories. It is tragic that someday this is the only way the world may experience the wild animals you visit at the Preserve. Def a must see!

We had an amazing time touring the St Augustine Wild Reserve and their 40+ residents. The team provided great informative details and stories about each animal and the similarities and differences between the species. We cannot wait to return!

I try to visit this wonderful animal sanctuary every few years-it is always a wonderful experience. We had two tremendous tour guides yesterday. Marti knows all of the animals exceptionally well, having been a volunteer here for 18 years. And Victor(?) was wonderful with an intimate knowledge of big cats that goes all the way back to his youth in South Africa. The 90 minute tour is fun, entertaining and educational. The passion and sincere dedication of the volunteer staff is very admirable! 5-stars!

Beautiful place the animals well take care, good information about each animal , how the behavior , temperament, etc...

Wow. What an absolute treat this was. I am lucky to have grown up in Florida and have had access to great opportunities to see exotic animals: Busch Gardens, Animal Kingdom, Miami Metro Zoo, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, Lion Country Safari… Florida has plenty of options all over the state for seeing exotic animals and I have experienced most of them.

This was without a doubt, one of the most unique experiences I have had the pleasure of enjoying. It is not a zoo by any means but more of a guided tour. And the tour itself is an intimate, close up look at some of the largest, exotic and beautiful animals you could ever imagine. You will be, within mere feet, of multiple 400-700 pound lions and tigers. You will be close enough to count their spots and stripes, and lock eyes with them. You will see just how large their paws are, what color their eyes are, how quick they move or how loud they roar. I have never been this close to exotic animals like this, but also, felt completely safe.

As for your guides: their passion and love for these animals is tangible and inspiring. It is clear that to the workers and volunteers here it is truly a family affair: They speak in great detail about these animals and their emotions, like/dislikes, quirks, personality traits and personal histories. They will answer all of your questions and will love doing so. The tour lasts about 1.5 hours but goes very quickly.

I am lucky to call St. Augustine my home and I will absolutely be back.

I do believe this tour, in my opinion, is not ideal for toddlers or young children. Most of the tour is standing and listening for periods of time outside. I believe this tour is ideal for kids 8+ to adults. They do have accommodations for individuals whom have difficulty walking and do try to make all guests feel as comfortable as possible.
Overall this is 10 out of 10. A very unique and fascinating experience.

I also want to say, RIP to Serabi. It was a pleasure to meet you before you crossed over and hope you are eating as much chicken as you can in heaven.

Wonderful tour of this wildlife reserve with beautiful big cats, lions and other exotics well care for and loved. Guide was knowing and engaging while sharing animal stories and characteristics. Most were rescued or confiscated from illegal ownership. Great attention is given to guest comfort. It’s clear staff and volunteers are passionate about their mission. Visit ended with invitation to howl thanks and goodbye to the wolves. They answered in harmony setting off a choral conversation with roaring lions and quacking ducks.

They do a great job with these animals. You can tell they are well loved by the volunteers who work there. All are very knowledgeable. Plus, they are saving the animals’ lives.

Fun and educational adventure, visiting here for the first time. The mostly voluntary staff are knowledgeable and obviously care a lot for their animal inhabitants. It really made our Saturday!

The place is great! This is NOT a zoo. All animals in this facility were rescued. They were either abandoned or maltreated by owners. Seeing strong beautiful clean animals - lions, tigers, jaguars, wolves, etc. - in spacious enclosures, pretty close (but safe!) and knowing that these happy animals could be dead was a great experience. The staff is very friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Photographing animals is not allowed (there are some reasons for that) but you can buy a flash drive with photos. I strongly recommend this place and I am definitely planning to visit it again.

There were beautiful animals in small cages. I know they feel they are helping these animals but it still was not enjoyable to see.

Great seeing these majestic animals up close. What a wonderful mission St. Augustine Wildlife Reserve is doing by saving these animals from uncertain fates.

Wonderful experience for the entire family. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and the animals are simply beautiful and enchanting. Would highly recommend!

The reserve was amazing. I went with my parents (68 & 70 yrs old) and my three kids (13, 11, and 9), and we had an awesome experience. Getting so close to the animals was thrilling--especially compared to, say, the zoo, where you're a long way away (if you see the animals at all!) And the guides were very knowledgeable--learning about each animal's backstory, as well as more general facts about the species, helped create a great connection.

In the past couple of years we've been to the St. Augustine Aligator Park and the Jacksonville Zoo, and the Reserve was hands-down our favourite. Add in that the fees support a deserving charity and it's an easy five-star review.

We visited for our son's birthday. We had a great time seeing and learning about all the animals. You can tell everyone who volunteers and works here really cares about what they do.

My family recently visited St. Augustine Wild Reserve, and it was absolutely one of the most meaningful and memorable experiences we’ve had. I came while 8 months pregnant, and brought along our toddler — and the staff couldn’t have been more accommodating, caring, and welcoming.

What I loved most was how personal and educational the tour was. Our guide was passionate, knowledgeable, and so generous with his time and stories. We learned not just about the animals, but their journeys — how they came to the sanctuary, what rescue means, and why this place matters so much.

Despite being in enclosures (for safety, of course), the animals felt so close. We got within just a few feet of lions, tigers, and wolves as they were being fed. It was truly awe-inspiring — something you don’t get at a typical zoo.

The path was walkable but a little bumpy in spots, and having a toddler made me especially grateful that they offered a golf-cart option for people who need it. The volunteers kept an eye on all of us, made sure everyone was safe, and even made little accommodations for our toddler.

As a parent, I loved watching my child watch the animals — wide-eyed, curious, and clearly moved. And as someone expecting, being there felt deeply calming and profound: seeing these wild creatures cared for with so much respect, compassion, and dignity.

The whole experience left me with a stronger sense of wildlife conservation. I walked away inspired to protect animals and support sanctuaries like this one. I would wholeheartedly recommend the Reserve to anyone — families, nature lovers, or anyone who wants a gentle but powerful reminder of our responsibility to these beautiful beings.

Thank you to everyone at St. Augustine Wild Reserve for creating such a warm, authentic, and educational space. We will cherish this memory for a long time — and we can’t wait to come back.

It was a very nice tour. We walked and enjoyed the stories shared during the tour. Reserve is doing a valuable job and animals seem to be doing very well there. We highly recommend visiring the reserve.

This place is an amazing experience.
The animals are so beautiful and clearly deeply cared for The staff are fabulous full of knowledge and so interesting we learnt so much about the animals and how they all got to the reserve.
There is no photography allowed and I totally understand why, no one is pushing cameras at the animals and they are relaxed and freely walk over to the front of the cage to see who’s come to visit them. I really hope we get back to st Augustine at some point because I would love to visit again Thanks to the staff for making this experience so memorable.

What a terrific place for these 'rejected' animals! They are there for a reason. Either over breeding or they have literally outgrown their usefulness or some other reason. I wonder what would happen to these animals if there weren't a St. Augustine Wild Reserve. The staff was terrific --knowledgeable and caring animal lovers. What a wonderful tour learning about these beautiful creatures. Make it a stop on your list when you are in the area. You'll thank yourself!

What an amazing place! This is a must see while visiting St Augustine. Some of God's most beautiful creatures who have been saved from horrible circumstances. You will be closer to the animals that you ever thought possible. The staff of volunteers are very knowledgeable.

I highly recommend this tour!! I love the mission of the St Augustine Wild Reserve. The workers are passionate about what they do and you can hear it in their stories. The animals are beautiful and I absolutely loved seeing the lions and tigers up close. I also learned a lot of fun facts about the different species. If you’re an animal lover, book this tour!!

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our tour. This is not just a "walk through and see". This is a guided tour with people who really know and love these animals. They have raised these animals, know their history, and know facts about each species. This wonderful group provides enrichment activities for all animals staying with them. They care not only for the physical, but also the mental health of the animals. This is definitely a tour that I would do over and over again. I promise - you will learn something each time you go.

Learned about and saw close-up, many animals: tigers, lions, wolves, hyenas, etc. They tell you about the animals and how they acquired them. You are only a couple of feet away from the-they are caged...you really get a feel of how big and magnificent they are. They are a non-profit and all proceeds go to the upkeep of the animals. Do yourself a favor and go! You won't regret it!

This was an amazing experience. The animals seem to be extremely well cared for, and the volunteers seem to genuinely love taking care of them and being there.
So much interesting information about the animals. I highly recommend this experience, so wonderful to see the beautiful animals up close.

What an afternoon! My younger children and my teen were completely absorbed by the animals and our wonderful guide. The claims that you’ve never seen animals this closely is absolutely true. My kids were educated and entertained and have already asked to come back. I was so impressed with the work they do! We will definitely return!

I took 3 of my grandchildren here mid-day on a late summer afternoon. We thought it would be a fun for the kids to see the animals in their natural habitats.

While the staff can't control the weather, it seemed as though they could've done more so that the animals would be more comfortable in the heat! The day ended up being miserably uncomfortable for us, as well as the animals. Some were impatiently pacing in their cages. Some were just lying around in the dirt. Two were recovering from surgeries.

All of the animals looked well cared for and some were enjoying some snacks while we were there. Our "walking tour" included a walk around the facility to each animal's habitat and the guide discussing multiple facts about the animals lives and journey to the Reserve. Start to finish, it took about an hour and included a bottled water. I'd recommend strollers for your kids. It's an unsafe place to allow young children to wander around.

The "public" restroom is a port-o-let outside the gated entrance to the reserve. It was just as clean as the ones at a football game/concert! There is no gift shop but they do ask for donations and give you a t-shirt in return.

In movie terms, the reserve is the equivalent of a low-budget film. It's saving grace is the effort to keep these animals alive, but as they all grow, I feel like this "low-budget film will not be able to keep up with the demand! Too few employees for so many demanding large animals.

My husband and I went to the reserve on a Monday. What a wonderful experience. There were only six people on the tour so it was like getting VIP treatment. The entire staff was amazing. Sam our tour guide was very pleasant and incredibly knowledgeable. She told us the story of how each animal came to be a member of the reserve family. Incredible. Sam, Kathy, Margaret, another Kathy, and 3 others (names escape me) were with us the entire time. They made sure everyone stayed safe, followed the rules and had an enjoyable experience, looking and learning about these majestic animals. The animals are obviously loved and well cared for. I would highly recommend this experience. We will definitely be going back.

PS The reserve is a non-profit so please consider bringing some donation items. We brought bleach and bubble bath and they were truly grateful.

This was an excellent experience!! You can see how much the caretakers enjoy their jobs, either paid or volunteer, and how much the incredible cats trust and are doing quite well in this environment. This is where you come to se incredibly beautiful creatures. It was a joy to start the day with a tour here.

Really cool to see these rare animals up close. Would like it if we could take photos but aren’t going to knock them for it since it was still a great experience.

If you love animals, this is the place for you! Beautiful lions, tigers, bears, wolves, lynx, cougars, deer, turtles, ducks. The staff was so friendly and gave a very informative tour. 100% recommend visiting.

Amazing sanctuary, lots of beautiful wild cats, a few bears, porcupine, wolves and hyenas. Staff was friendly and informative. The enclosures were incredibly clean and the entire facility was well maintained. The only negative is that we felt there was a bit too much information being shared during the tour. If you have small kids be aware that there is a lot of talking. Overall, it was a great experience.

My favorite place to take friends and family that come for a visit. The care and love that is shown to these animals is off the charts. I’ve been there 3 times this year and always learn something new.

This was an incredible experience! We learned so much about the animals, and the opportunity to be so close to such beautiful creatures was unforgettable. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and we appreciate their efforts to educate people on conservation. Highly recommended!

WOW, we just moved to Florida two years ago and I love big cats and animals in general. We got to see, a large variety of cats, a couple darling playful bears and much more. Just found out about this place. Its fantastic. ESPECIALLY SEEING THE FACE OF A BEAR CLOSE ENOUGH I COULD SEE HIS EYES. THEN HEARING THE THUNDEROUS ROARING OF A LION. Feeling the breeze as the multitude of birds fly overhead. Each animal here looked so happy and playful. The staff were very observant, friendly and knowledgeable. So fun watching them interact with the animals too. They do a great job in creating a safe and healthy environment for the animals and the visitors. Can't wait to come back again.

We had an amazing tour with Vince and was upclose and personal with some magnificent animals. The volunteers are so dedicated and passionate about their work. Would highly recommend the tour.

The experience of viewing the beautiful animals was great. The personnel and guides were very welcoming when we arrived and did an awesome job showing us around. The animals all looked in beautiful condition and contented. The reserve grounds and the cages were clean and neat.
We were very impressed with all the hard work that is done every day to give the animals a good home and life in the reserve.
Thanks for an amazing day.

We loved the Wild Preserve!
We learned so much about all their amazing & beautiful recued animals (which include lions tigers kodiak bears wolfs lynx hyenas jaguars leopards etc ).
The enclosures are spacious and clean and we were able to get surprisingly close to them. The whole team was so well informed & shared many interesting stories and information about each of the animals like they were family.. You can tell each of the volunteers truly loves the animals and that the animals love them back. 🥰

We went on a Wednesday afternoon. It was awesome. Not a long tour but left time for other things. The employees/volunteers were friendly and informative. The animals are beautiful and you are close but safe. The animals all look happy and well cared for unlike other places we've been. My 9 year old enjoyed this more than zoos we've been too in the past. She especially enjoyed the wolf howl at the end when they howled back. They don't allow photography but I was more than willing to buy a book or flash drive, which were both reasonably priced. Actually found I was more in the moment. Will definitely recommend to family or anyone visiting the area. Next time we will bring something they need off the list, because we will be back.

Our family of 7 (with 5 kids) visited the St Augustine Wild Reserve and cannot speak more highly of it! The animals were well cared for and their enclosures and the grounds were well maintained. Our tour guide and accompanying staff were very friendly, knowledgeable, and committed to caring for the animals. They answered all questions and shared the stories of each animal and how they found their way to the reserve, mostly unwanted or abused exotic animals. These neglected animals certainly found a loving home!

The kids favorite part was the end of the tour when the tour guide and staff asked those on the tour to howl and the wolves returned howls and the tigers and lions joined in! We would highly recommend visiting and supporting the St Augustine Wild Reserve as they run solely off donations and money raised via tours.

This was a Mothers Day gift from my son. It was such a great experience. All the wild life was very active and entertaining at times. The tour guides were very educated on the subject matter. They were happy to answer all our questions. I felt very safe as well. I highly recommend this experience. The only thing that I did not like was no photos were allowed to be taken.

Love this place...saving animals ❤️ everyone was so nice..... cant wait to go back.....everything was fantastic..thank you

This is a really special place as it not only provides sanctuary for these animals but is also provides an opportunity for us to "meet" and learn about each of these amazing creatures.

We were not sure what to expect when we booked the tickets. However, we were extremely excited about the experience when it was completed. The animals are well taken care of and the tour guide was knowledgeable about the animal and good at educating everyone about each animal and how it came to the reserve. You see the animals up close. Some of them are simply beautiful and magistic. You were made to feel important and welcomed. Definitely an enjoyable family experience.

My family and I have lived in Northeast Florida for well over 30 years, the past 10 years in St Augustine, yet had never heard of the St Augustine Wild Reserve before moving into Trailmark.

You could wake up in the early morning, go outside and listen to lions and tigers roaring in the early mornings because we are so close, yet never thought to visit the Reserve.

We finally had an opportunity to do just that on March 20th when our neighborhood activities director set up a private tour for Trailmark residents. What an absolute incredible experience it was.

While it’s not a zoo by any means, the tour was amazing and educational to such an extent that it was actually better than any zoo I have ever been to. You simply cannot get that close to lions, tigers, bears, hyenas, wolves, ligers, and more, and the back stories on these beautiful animals was truly enlightening.

The entire staff was great and very knowledgeable about each animal they are caring for, animals that would likely not be with us anymore if not for this amazing facility. They have saved countless lives of animals that simply had no other options left for them and they truly seem grateful to the people who were kind enough to rescue them and provide them a forever home.

Every dime you spend there for admission or purchases of items they have available in remembrance of your visit go straight to housing, feeding, and caring for these beautiful creatures. It is a visit that provides more than you would expect, and my family and I felt truly blessed to have finally taken the opportunity to visit.

Do yourself a favor, and do the reserve a favor, by visiting these animals and helping them continue to care for them, feed them, house them, take care of any medical costs, and show the animals the love they deserve. If my recollection is accurate, I believe the guide (Vince) mentioned that it costs $2000.00+ per week just to feed them.

One of the best parts of the reserve is that it’s not located in a busy area of St Augustine and not in a typically area that tourists would think to visit, but it’s definitely a place that tourists and St Augustine residents alike would enjoy and you would be helping the facility and animals continue to thrive and take in more rescues when needed. It’s a truly magical place to see and does not disappoint at all, so take the time to give them a visit. You will be glad you did.