First time back in almost 4-5 years and is just as special! Interesting seeing some of the animals I remember much bigger now. Well worth the $14 admission to support this sanctuary rescuing animals. read more

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Took my mom and nephew here not knowing what to expect. Cool little sanctuary with nice staff but you can see everything in less than 30 minutes if you just walk through lol. We were done in about 45 minutes but it was worth it. I'd highly recommend the individual experiences they sell for the full experience, and to get up close and personal. It's nice and shaded inside from all the trees so it's a great little getaway from summer heat while keeping kids entertained. Also cool that they bring out a different reptile on the hour, every hour, that you can see up close and touch. Highlight of my day? Izzy! Little white stray cat that calls the sanctuary home. Comes right up to you for scratches and scritches, rolling onto its back for belly rubs too . My nephew, couple months later, still asks about Izzy. They also have cool merch at decent prices too. Bought a hat with an eagle on it and get compliments. Btw, one of the eagle's there.... my mom said, "Spread your wings!" and it did! Not sure if it was a coincidence but seeing that wingspan in person was Beautiful!!!! with a capital 'B'. read more

Wildlife Learning Center - Izzy - Zoos Near Me - Sylmar, California

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Discovered this place on Facebook. I love animals so I thought it looked cool. It's pretty small but definitely was worth our drive from Orange County. We went on a Sunday and it was not super busy . It was easy to find , located directly off the freeway. The staff and biologist on site are very helpful . We did the sloth exhibit and giraffe private events. Super cool and totally worth it! If you like animals this is worth checking out for sure! read more

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I took my friends for a tour here, it's definitely still enjoyable for adults. However we were concerned about the condition of the giraffe - little shade or enrichment in its small enclosure. That left our visit feeling strange. read more

Nice little petting zoo the only thing is they didn't have the giraffe to see but other than that it was a wonderful little place.

This is another place I've had on my radar for years. I think I bookmarked when I was looking into places to volunteer in the times when I wasn't working at my job. Ah. My job. Good times. I'll get there soon enough I suppose. Anyhoo. I had a job interview nearby, and was on my way home when their sign caught my eye. I pulled into their tiny lil lot and looked around. The place didn't seem that big. But you know. I figured it's local and a good cause, so I walked into the trailer/office and paid the twelve dollars to get in. The girls behind the register were nice and friendly and helpful. They said it was a big loop, so there was no way I was getting lost if I meandered. I photographed the lil map of the animals so I wouldn't accidentally walk out with it, and struck out into the park. I walked around for a lil bit and made it about twenty feet before a girl shouted out to me. "Hey! We're gonna have an animal talk in a lil bit if your interested?!" Well. I like animals. And I like talking. So yes. Yes. I am interested. I followed her directions and ended up in the spot where the animal talk would be. Another girl came out with a snake writhing on her hand. She then proceeded to discuss the snake, caress the snake, and tell me the story of the snake. After a few minutes, she asked if anybody had questions, and we returned to our meandering. This is a really cute lil place. And all of the animals have a story that made me a lil bit sad in my heart. Most of them were pets that people bought and then they grew up and people realized maybe they shouldn't have bought them. Some were abandoned lab-specimens that somehow got rescued before they were experimented upon. Some of them were there due to injuries that made them not able to survive in the wild. But I was happier knowing that all of the animals that weren't in the best of situations were now under the care and supervision of people who were actually knowledgeable and cared for their well beings. I meandered around the place and saw lots of animals. It's not a big place. I was through the place thrice in about thirty minutes. But they've got some impressive animals here. Foxes, eagles, lil monkeys, even a Giraffe and an Alligator! After taking photos with my phone of cages, I decided that I'd be back at some point with my camera to take better photographs of them all. But for now, I was really happy with my visit. I guess that Abby chick from NCIS has donated a bit of money and time here. Her picture is up in several places. So thank you Abby Chick from NCIS for helping this place out. Most definitely I'll be back. Especially if I get that job! read more

Wildlife Learning Center - Turtles don't move quickly to avoid photos. - Zoos Near Me - Sylmar, California

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Did the full tour and had the BEST time. Such an amazing place. Forest was our tour guide and he was incredibly nice, and had such extensive and impressive knowledge about all the animals. His passion for the animals was contagious. Couldn't say enough great things. 11/10 experience, hope to come back again soon! read more

We did the adventure tour on a Saturday afternoon. Our tour guide was Wendy and while the this tour was on the pricier side it was worth every penny. Wendy was so hospitable and had immense knowledge of every single animal there, my husband and I agreed that we learned more than we ever have. I took my family and my one year old daughter and it was a hit with every one. I recommend this tour and will definitely be back. read more

It's like a little hidden treasure in the valley! Everyone is super friendly & you can see the animals are well cared for. It's small but it adds to the charm read more

My boyfriend surprised me to the visit of the wildlife learning center and I absolutely loved it! It was a hidden gem in Sylmar area located in a residential area. While we were coming off from the 210 freeway, I saw a Giraffe in the middle of the residential area and then I got really excited, since that was the place that we're heading to. The admission was a reasonable price for $12 for adults and you can see different wildlife animals from sloths, giraffe, bald eagle, foxes, owl, lemurs, and so much more. It's a little small but was decent for the price that it was. I really like how they have Tiny the Giraffe there but we didn't get a chance to feed him since he cost $75 for a group of 1-4 people. He looks really cute and friendly, hopefully we will be able to feed him during our next visit. They also have different add-on & private events that they host at an additional cost. A big tip is to wear shoes that you don't mind getting dirty because it will be covered in all sand and dirt after you leave. Overall, it was a great experience and we will definitely be back! read more

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Came here for a kids birthday party and it's a great idea!!! They give a presentation of 11 animals and the kids are able to pet the animals. The kids loved it! They were able to get up close and ask questions. The animals are here because they're injured. It's a wonderful place and I'd suggest it to anyone! read more

Wildlife Learning Center - Zoos Near Me - Sylmar, California

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This isn't the LA Zoo. It's much smaller and more intimate. I came here with my 5 year old daughter, who is obsessed with animals. She had MANY questions to ask of the staff and they were always glad to oblige her curiosity. She had an absolute blast. The best way to experience this place is to bring a lunch and plan to hang out for 1.5-2 hours. Even though there aren't that many animals on display, the staff is always doing something of interest on the grounds. We were there towards the end of the day (a little after 4) and we saw a lot of the animals being moved indoors overnight (i.e., out of their cages for the move). Very cool! read more

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Finally got a chance to bring my son here. VERY SMALL, but pretty cute for a neighborhood mini zoo experience. Somewhat oddly located next to a residential area right off the fwy, but easy to get to. A handful of parking spots within the fenced area, but there's street parking and plenty of neighborhood parking on the next street if needed. You pay for admissions in the bungalow office and walk freely like any other zoo. You can casually walk through and see all the animals in about half an hour. There's a handful of personalized experiences you can pay extra for. A bit expensive, but when other families pay for the giraffe experience, it gives everyone a chance to watch pretty closely. (The 30 min i was there, 2 families paid to feed the giraffe so it offered everyone a lively experience in that area.) Workers were friendly. Area was clean. You can see the animals pretty closely. Overall, very cute if you're in the area. Not quite a destination trip, but worth a visit. read more

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Always something new at this place.We love the hikes here. Frank is amazing to give information and very friendly

We just had a private tour today! Such an awesome place to understand more about different animals and the interactions are precious memories! Even though the wildlife learning center is not big, it's cozy and friendly to kids/adults of all ages. Recommend booking a private tour with them! It's the best experience ever read more

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Such a great little place. The staff are very knowledgable and eager to share what they know. It is clear that this place cares about their animals. I took my kids here years ago and just went again for Father's Day. Had a great time on both occasions. read more

I'm a fan as this intimate learning center specializes in studying and taking special care of a small number of exotic animal species such as fennec foxes, sloths, and lemurs. It is also a great education center that aims to teach children and families about the animals they house and treat within their facility. As a librarian, the Wildlife Learning Center have worked with many of our LA County libraries to offer educational and fun animal programs so it great to finally visit their facility in person. Parking isn't an issue as it is a fairly small facility and you can easily find street parking. I appreciate how the Wildlife Learning Center offer individual animal experiences which ranges from $30 - 125 per group of 1-4 individuals, depending on what animal you would like to pet and/or feed in person. For my birthday, since I'm a huge fan of sloths, my boyfriend and I paid $125 for the sloth animal experience. We got to meet the famous Lola the Sloth who has met many celebrities such as Kristen Bell. After having a class visit, Lola was having the craziest itch when I met her. She was super active. Surprisingly, I actually love her boyfriend Sid the Sloth a lot more and found him to be super endearing as he hung around lazily and yawned when we petted him. Since my boyfriend's favorite animal is the giraffe, we also tried out the giraffe animal experience which was $75. We met and fed Tiny the Giraffe who LOVED carrots and corn. It was amazing petting him while we fed him. I loved how he breathed on me whenever I fed him. They had a line for where we needed to stand behind in case Tiny headbutted us. Yes, safety first! read more

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What an amazing experience I want to say Susan was exceptional ..we got the whole experience what an amazing sanctuary it was clean everyone around us moving feeding cleaning attending to the animals every one was so nice thank you read more

What a wonderful place to visit if you and family are animal lovers! WE had a private tour with Isabella who was personable and knowledgeable, full of anecdotes about each animal. Seeing animals in this small, well-kept animal learning center was a treat for our family. I highly recommend the Adventure Tour which allows very personal contact with the animals (feeding the porcupines, interacting and touching the giant tortoises, seeing the Serval being fed). Visiting is fun and educational for all. Sondra G. read more

Sometimes you find a hidden gem! We've been LANatives for many years and have missed this little jewel. Maybe the pandemic, maybe being home all the time, I don't know, but all I do know it was a memorable Halloween 2020, thanks to this place. We booked it two weeks before, being the planners we are. We booked 11:30am thinking perfect time for us and the. Grab lunch afterwards nearby. Well we didn't expect it to be 96 degrees and many fires in CA! With that being said, we still managed to have a great experience. We saw interesting animals and critters. My new favorite animals are sloths and the armadillo! My son had a great time and he loves all animals. Paying for feeding the animals is the highlight of the event! We fed porcupines and a giraffe. Our tour guide was nice and friendly and knowledgeable! Susie gave us a great tour experience! I want to go back with a different group and hopefully they can translate into other languages. The place is small in comparison to the LA zoo, but kids and elderly can only do so much in one day. Our 1.5 hour timeframe was perfect. Forgot to mention that everyone including us wore our masks and they will need some donations for hand sanitizers! Each time we saw a pet up close we used safety precautions. Thank you for spacing us out. Keep doing your mission of saving these wild creatures read more

I purchased a groupon deal for a family of 4 a couple months ago. It was simple process not many restrictions and you dont need to schedule in advance. Additional tickets can be purchased on site. Make sure you use your YELP check in for a small discount.. After some Yelping around I knew it was going to be small which I didn't mind. My children love all animals, reptiles and basically anything that crawls or slithers. I enjoy bringing my kids to places like this. We were given a map. Started our tour, walked extremely slow. It took us 1 hour 15 minutes. They do free 10 minute presentation with a reptile. Check office for times.. We touched 2 snakes:)~~~ For an extra charge you can have a close encounter with certain animals. The Sloths were my favorite We watched Lola get fed!! It was the coolest thing ever. I LOVED IT!!! The Monkeys were cute. The cages do seem small but animals were active.. The Eagles were fierce! Porta potties available. Extremely clean!! seriously!! We enjoyed our visit. Yelp review challenge 46/100 read more

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I'm a HUGE animal lover. To the point that I enjoy them more than I like people. With that being said, I am not always the biggest fan of zoos because of the way the animals are treated and the lack of proper habitats. Luckily, there are some organizations whom rehabilitate animals or home abandoned critters. One of these places is close by in Sylmar: the Wildlife Learning Center. The Wildlife Learning Center is located directly off the 210 freeway in a residential area. This means that it feels more like you are going to someone's backyard then a big, commercialized lot. So much so, that there isn't even a parking lot and visitors have to park on the streets in the neighborhood (check for parking restrictions and street cleanings!). Upon entering the facility through a large fence; a trailer is available on the right-hand side to pay admission ($7/person, cash or credit). It's all quite laid back and fuss-free. The fun begins immediately as a large Macaw is outside chirping 'Hello' to guests and Zeus, the internet-famous blind owl hangs out in the office. Now, I need to side track for a moment and explain that my reason for visiting the WLC was for the 'Animal Experiences'. The WCL offers packages ($34/up to 4 people) in which visitors can have one-on-one time with certain animals. My reason for wanting an Animal Experience? One of the packages includes holding an owl and I am obsessed with owls (I mean OBSESSED as in I own 350+ owl items and have an owl tattoo). In my world, this means the best day of my life. I called ahead of time to inquire about the package as my boyfriend and I planned to have the owl outing on Valentine's Day and I know that can be busy at any business. The girl who answered the phone assured me all would be well and approximately what time to arrive on VDay. Upon arrival, the girl at the desk said they could NOT fit us in due to the crazy Vday busyness! I was about to cry and was ready to rip her head off! I mentioned having called days ago and was told to come at this time. Luckily, she was the one that I spoke to on the phone and she worked to fit us in. Thank god for her customer service and ability to do so or I would have set the place on fire. Okay, not really of course but perhaps in my mind. While we waited to hold an owl, we traversed the property. Truth be told: the place is tiny. Yes, they have some cool animals: foxes, monkeys, large cats, a sloth, eagles, hawks, tortoises, parrots, and a reptile building (snakes, frogs, bugs, and lizards); it is still small and takes no more than 30-40 minutes, tops. The animals aren't even active (except for the mating tortoises) and are in small enclosed wire- fenced pens which don't look large enough for their happiness. There are also other animals (giraffes and llamas) which you can see in an area which is blocked off to guests. It is all quite disappointing. Plus, don't expect food stands or gift shops: this isn't a zoo/theme park. Despite some of the pitfalls, the highlight and reason for visiting was upon us. THIS part of WLC is amazing. I was let into the owl pen and was able to hold Newton the owl on a gloved arm. The experience was beyond HEAVEN for an owl lover such as myself. The female employee never rushed me and simply rifled off owl facts (which I of course knew already) while I held the owl and my boyfriend snapped hundreds of photos. It was divine. My boyfriend and I then swapped gloves as it was his turn. Overall, the experience was bliss and worth every penny. These packages are definitely recommended for those wanting to get up-close-and-personal with animals. In summary, the WLC is a great place in terms of housing animals who may have not had a strong chance of survival but in terms of a fun place to visit; it is slightly 'meh'. However, the animal packages are well-worth it if they have an animal you are in love with. Basically, WLC is suggested for the packages but not really for a regular 'ole visit. Not bad if in the area (or again, purchasing the animal encounter package) but not worth going out of your way. NOTE IN RESPONSE TO EMPLOYEE/OWNER COMMENT: Paul has commented my review claiming that animal experiences only cost $25. This has been cleared up as the OTHER packages start at $25 but the owl one which I chose is correct at $34. Paul also makes a comment that he is happy Brittany took "time out of her busy job" to fit us in for the owl experience. Um... that is her job. She was NOT doing us a favor as we were told DAYS before to come at 2PM NOT 11am LIKE PAUL IS SAYING and she is paid to do her job. He was NOT involved in this transaction and wants to act like I came at the wrong time. I did not. I came WHEN I WAS TOLD! These comments (along with Paul's private message to me and now he has BLOCKED me when he is the one trying to harass) have left a sour taste in my mouth; lowering the 3 star rating to 1. read more

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Our visit to the Wildlife Learning Center was honestly one of the best things we've done during lockdown! I was so happy to have been referred to this place by a friend. The private tour is WELL worth the money as the guide was so friendly and knowledgable and we got amazing access to the animals. It was such a surprise that such a small zoo could have such an amazing collection of animals and the work they do to assist these animals is fantastic. We were able to have up close encounters with an armadillo, porcupines, a giraffe, and two sloths! Book this tour, you will not be disappointed :-) read more

Wildlife Learning Center - Zoos Near Me - Sylmar, California

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Definitely a must-have experience! For $7 bucks you get to enjoy a mini-wildlife zoo experience.It's better than the zoo not only due to the price but also, it's not packed. Many people still don't know about this place so you wont find it to be a chaotic experience at all. You let yourself in, and literally all that divides you and the animals in a standard fence, thus making it feel much more personal- it really enriches the experience. These people running the place put a lot of faith into your good judgement- that you can be trusted on your own so close to the animals and you won't attempt to touch them- and if that's not incentive enough for you to have a great experience- you can pay $25 bucks to have a one on one experience with a selection of their wild animals! I have a love for owls- like no other! and I didn't know a casual day out would result in me being able to HOLD AN OWL! - Definitely one of the best and most enriching experiences of my life!!! Did you know they have the adaptability to turn their heads in those crazy 360% angles because their eyes cannot move in their sockets, and also under their feathers they have huge ears that can hear tiny movement of their prey within 12 feet, and their wings are adaptable in that they make virtually no sound- making them exquisite predators- I learned a lot! I will be going back. I hope it stays as remote as it is (as I'm writing a public review lol) Do it. This is on the bucket list. Some other options for the animal experience are petting a fox, holding a snake, and there are other options too. The people who work here are professionals who went to school and specially trained in working with wildlife. They are very friendly and casual with the animals. Nothing like a zoo at all. You must go!!! ps- $7 bucks is cheap! But we even used a groupon which cut that in half! Awesome. read more

Wildlife Learning Center - An enchanting experience! - Zoos Near Me - Sylmar, California

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Solid 5 stars for this place. If I could give more stars I would. I am not going to lie, I was attracted to this place because where else can you interact with one of natures most awesome animals - The SLOTH! I ended up getting the Zoofari Tour, which is, I believe the most bang for your buck. It was an hour and a half tour, filled with facts and interaction with so many cuties! We were met by our very own amazing Biologist, Danielle. She was absolutely fantastic to us. Really gave us so much insight to the behaviors and so many facts about all the animals we were able to interact with. It was so heart warming to see how much she TRULY loves EVERY SINGLE animal there. Knowing each one by name and believe it or not when they hear her voice or felt her presence, they were so happy to see her! Here are the interactions that came with the tour: - Serval Cats: We got to go into the enclosure where we saw 3 serval cats in very close proximity. Danielle fed one of them while we were able to get super close and hear amazing facts about them. - Porcupines: I have to say, I have never thought that I would fall in love with porcupines, but they definitely stole my heart. We were able to feed them some lettuce and learn some fun facts about them. We definitely didn't get to touch them, but we got a lot of picture ops as well. - Tawny Owl: This little diva was amazing. We got to hold it and admire how beautiful and absolutely light these creatures are. I call her a diva because she literally would turn her head every time we would try and snap a picture, but we are picture-a-holics so we got some good shots. Our eyes locked a few times and I felt like she was looking into my soul. - Fennec Fox: these little cuties with the pointed ears are smaller than I expected! And very vocal! The sound that comes out of them is crazy hehe... We got to pet and of course learn more great facts about them. - Sloth: With the anticipation built up we got to meet Sid the Sloth!!! We didn't know what to expect... As Danielle opened the door, he literally was right there hanging, just happily while we ducked right under him to get in the room. We got to pet him, hear about how much of a character he is and feed him some carrots. We went to Costa Rica to see some sloths in their natural habitat, but this was something that we would have never imagined. At the end of our tour, their other sloth Lola, was just getting back from a birthday party :) so we were lucky enough to get a glimpse of her as well. - Monkeys: We got to see Danielle interact with Kingston the monkey. Literally made me so happy to see how much he loves her and we could hear him laughing as she swung him around with her arms. One of the most adorable things I have ever seen. - Reptiles, insects and rodents: From touching a snake, to holding a huge Madagascar cockroach, feeling a chinchilla.... Our experience came to an end. This is an experience that I definitely recommend. I would do it over and over and over again... And am planning to come back soon to bring my cousin to experience the same tour. Thank you Wildlife Learning Center for such an amazing experience and Danielle for being so informative and one of the best if not the only legit Biologist we know. :) read more

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YES, do it! It's a complete value, it's educational and your support is definitely needed to help care for the animals who've all come with various backstories​, usually bad​ stories of ignorant people trying to raise​ wild animals ​because it's cool, then they tire of it and also lack the basic knowledge to care for the specific breeds. Stupid humans. The staff is highly qualified, truly care and invest a lot of heart into their work and making sure to share​ their knowledge with those that visit. WLC also has several celebrity supporters which help​ create adequate sized enclosures​ so that the animals aren't cramped an unhappy, as you may find at a lesser location just looking to profit off the animals. WLC truly cares for not only their animals​ but spreading the​ knowledge to the​ public at large. Please support them by visiting or just donating via their website. read more

Great place to take kids to see a small animal zoo that tends to house animals that have been abandoned by their owners who foolishly buy baby animals that become too hard to handle or too big as they mature. Little do they think about the consequences of their unwise decisions & so irresponsibly unload their charge so they wander without care to die. Other animals are trapped or shot in the wild and are maimed so they can not take care of themselves. There is an eagle kept at the WLC since one of its wings was damaged. You can wander around the compound with cages & into the rooms with glass cases full of reptiles & amphibians. Every hour on the hour, a docent will bring out a featured animal & talk about its traits and natural habitat while letting you stroke the animal with "3 fingers". The time we were there, two different large, docile lizards were exhibited. As an aside, I was intrigued by a little bright green, emerald tree frog that was stuck onto the side of a glass terrarium like a suction cup with all of its legs scrunched under a carapace-like back. It's the closest thing to a turtle that I have observed in an amphibian. My only wish is that the terrariums in the rooms be labeled with more information & explanation about the animal it holds. I feel that the educational aspect should also be emphasized more in order to add to the WLC experience. For an extra surcharge, it is possible to feed or pet an animal. Inquire ahead as to what kinds of animal are available, and if there is a need to make a previous appointment in order to facilitate this service. There is nothing that will "wow" you, but most importantly, it is a good space for taking care of abandoned or injured animals at the same time being a money making proposition to sustain the viability of this care center as well as having a level of educational value for those who visit. It seems like a win-win situation. read more

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Wow!! What an experience! Carolyn was our amazing guide for a 90 minute private tour that included in-depth insights and facts coupled with several up close animal encounters. Yes, we pet Sid the sloth, fed porcupines and tortoises, and went behind the scenes with a serval!! This is a 10 out of 5 star experience that we will never forget!! read more

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BF bought me the groupon for a fun date. It was only a few bucks for admission, drinks, and a snack for both of us. This place is pretty small (maybe 10-15 different animals). My BF decided to take our time and learn a little about each animal and still managed to finish in an hour. The tortoises were super active the day we went and it was really fun to watch them run laps around their enclosure. One of the monkeys was enjoying the attention my bf and I were giving him and posed for lots of pictures for us. I was also really excited that Lola the sloth was there. This is the sloth that Kristen Bell freaked out over on Ellen! My favorite thing about this place was how intimate it was. My BF and I were able to have a great conversation with one of the trainers and it seemed like all the staff were really there to help give everybody a great experience. The center closed early for the public that day because they were having a benefit. I wish that we didn't already have other plans because I would have loved to feed and hold the animals! read more

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The smallest zoo I've been to but the COOLEST! I've lived in the SFV for years and I had no idea of a zoo in the valley until recently. I'm an animal lover so I went. It takes about 30-45 min. to go through it. That's if you go ahead and read the animal description plaques. Many shaded areas to sit down and relax or bring a picnic with you. I had a blast talking to the macaws. They are hella fun to watch. Great for kids or any animal lover like myself. I actually liked this zoo better than LA Zoo. Well maintained, friendly staff, and I'm happy to see most of them are rescue animals. read more

Wildlife Learning Center - Zoos Near Me - Sylmar, California

Affordable small and great for animal lovers! And kids too. Plenty of street parking is available. Once you Slide the gate open and enter there are maps located on the back which you'll see when you close the gate. There's funny little cutouts to take pics. You register in the admission trailer. Very sweet employee they have drinks and snacks for sale. Bottled water 1$. A picnic are is located between the lemurs and I think monkeys? Brought my nephew here on a Sunday and he LOVED It! The reason we looked into it is because my sister noticed that you could see a giraffe and she looked into it and discovered the learning center thinking they housed the giraffe but noooooo their neighbors who work with movies and TV shows own the animals. Which is still cool we were able to see a few ostrich, a zebra, and a giraffe so that was neat but not a good view. My nephew is 1 & a half so he's still pretty young and kept calling the foxes dogs but he was amazed by the different animals. & how amazing they have 2 bald eagles so beautiful & I'm not a bird person whatsoever! But wow. They have a variety from sloths, fennec fox, to alligators & tortoise. So neat they also have Their trailer with the amphibians, reptiles and anthropoids. All the animals are in outdoor habitats each one unique for the animal. Very cool saw a couple of the animals being fed. They also have set times of when a trainer brings out a specific animal so that was neat too. read more

Wildlife Learning Center - The map - Zoos Near Me - Sylmar, California

One of the best ways to enjoy this fine little "zoo" is to plan ahead and figure out which animal you'd like to meet. I did this for my boyfriend - as a surprise - and he just about wept with joy. We had a great visit with Newton, their tawny owl, followed by a sweet session with Savannah, one of their many fennec foxes. Each individual handling the animals seemed compassionate towards their ward and eminently knowledgeable. I pride myself on being pretty quick with animal facts, but the biologists here put my knowledge to shame! They never rushed us, letting us take our time and admire these awesome creatures up close and personal-like. Not to mention everyone was great about keeping the meeting a secret right up to the point where my boyfriend was holding Newton on his wrist. Pretty darn accommodating. Everyone here is so friendly and well-informed, and the enclosures are so close that you can really admire each animal and get some great shots of them to boot. It's really a joy to visit. read more

Wildlife Learning Center - A boy and his owl. - Zoos Near Me - Sylmar, California

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My friends and I (4 of us) went on the Zoofari Tour for my 25th birthday. It was absolutely amazing! Erik, our tour guide, did an excellent job showing and telling us about all the animals. We were able to hold an owl, be up close with an armadillo, serval, and sloth and feed adorable porcupines. The tour never felt rushed and we were given ample time to experience the animals and take pictures. We also got a tour of the rest the animals that came with fun facts. I 100% recommend doing the tour. While we came primarily to see the sloth, we found ourselves loving the porcupines. They were so cute to see and feed! All the staff members are super friendly and it's obvious they love the animals they care for. I can't wait to go back in the future! read more

We bought the 'yelp deal' for 4 people = $14, pretty sweet deal as that's 50% off admission fees per adult. I pretty much ordered this deal right before we showed up, so our tickets were only $3.5 per person! Our group wandered onto the premises and spent about 30-40 minutes walking through the wildlife center. It was pretty small, smaller than I had imagined! There were large tortoises, bob cat, lynx, porcupine, monkeys, bald eagle, gophers, crocodile, reptiles, snakes, macaws, pythons and more. It was an interesting way to pass some time on a Sunday. Most of the other visitors in the area were all families with kids of all ages. Probably wouldn't come again...as we're 4 adults just passing by and checking this place out! haha :) Glad to know that this organization protects and rehabilitates the animals, so they have a place to stay and live! read more

Wildlife Learning Center - Tortoise, crocodile, porcupine, monkey, lynx - Zoos Near Me - Sylmar, California

Finally made it here, after months of attempting to come. Some friends recommended it and their description was spot on. Very small but cool. It won't take all day to visit. You can get in & out in an hour, while providing education and entertainment for your kids. Plus you get a coupon for tickets by checking in on Yelp. Walkways are dirt paths, so plan accordingly. Staff is great. They are incredibly knowledgeable about animals. They offered an up close & personal presentation of one of the animals at one point while we were there. The staff member walked through the center gathering people to come to the presentation. It was cool. They also offer a variety of shows that cost a bit extra, if you wanna pay a little more out of pocket. My favorite animals were the bald eagles. I was so amazed at them. They were huge and appeared so regal to me. They are a very impressive creature to see up close. The pictures don't do them justice. Bring your kids here. They will love it! read more

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Great staff and cool animals not easy to find. The Eagles and alligator were favorites. Relaxed vibe and knowledgeable staff.

We spent the afternoon doing a private experience with Jen. She was lovely, so knowledgeable, and really made it an incredible day for us. Would definitely come back again. Thanks again, Jen (and the whole team at Wildlife Learning Center)!! read more

Super fun and exciting center. On the smaller scale. Definitely worth looking into Groupon for a discount. They have really cute photo opportunities in the entrance. read more

I was so excited to visit this place and let me tell you, it did not disappoint! I didn't know what to expect or how the set up would look like, so I had no expectations. It was such an amazing experience for me and my kids! We did the 90 min private adventure tour, and it was worth every penny! The memories and education was priceless. Our tour guide Lia was outstanding and was patient with all the kiddos questions. She was very professional and knowledgeable. We were able to pet a sloth, feed some porcupines, touch a tortoise and the best finale was feeding and petting a giraffe! This truly is a hidden gem away from the crowded zoos! Good for kids, dates, families, everyone! I highly recommend the private adventure tour! read more

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Went here today with some friends. We opted for the General Admission tickets which were $10.00 each for 90 minute access to walk around on your own. The staff are very friendly. We saw bald eagles, tortoises, lemurs, Squirrel Monkeys, Bobcats, Foxes, Sloths, Prairie Dogs, Red Tailed Hawk, Snakes, and a Servel. It was worth the $10.00 but I thought we would have the ability to at least view the Giraffe, but that would have been an extra charge ($75.00 for 4 people). read more