Aloha Safari Zoo

Let me start out by saying that based on its remote (ish) location I honestly expected this place to be really small with only a few types of animals to see. I could not have been more wrong. This place is awesome! It’s so much bigger and more beautiful than I anticipated! They have a ton of diverse animal species and a gorgeous facility! Where I thought my family and I would only be at Aloha Zoo for an hour tops, we were there for a few hours. Plus the whole staff was super friendly and really knowledgable. I will definitely be back!

It’s a fun place to take kids. Our favorite were the parrots. They were so funny and one even danced for us. He also talked and seemed to wave. A lot of fun. My only complaint is what I saw in one of the snake cages. I looked in and saw they had put a live rat in with him. It absolutely broke my heart. I cried and am sitting here tonight thinking of this poor rat that is likely still sitting there. That is not something I or anyone should have to have seen. I understand that the snake needs to be fed but there are certain things I just do not want to see. I thought I would offer to buy the rat but realize another would just take his place. Just be aware because a child seeing that could really upset them.

We brought our 15 month old, and our friends brought their 4 year old… Was a wonderful time! Only an hour drive from Raleigh and the kids loved it!!! Perfect trip for little ones :) we saw everything and had a picnic in under 3 hours.

Such a fun place and really clean and well maintained! You can pet and feed a lot of the animals like the giraffe, peacocks, pigs, and cows. There is a tractor ride that takes you to see camels and zebras and many other animals as well and they give everyone old bread to feed the animals. Our kids had so much fun here. The staff is great too. Definitely coming back!

One of my Favorite places to visit!!! Can’t wait to get out and see all the animals, this is such a fun afternoon would recommend to all!

Great place to take kids! $ 8 per person for entrance fee (children under 24 months-​free), $ 3 per person for hay ride. Definitely coming back again

We love this place I know how hard it is to rescue animals and these people truly love there rescue. Definitely will go again.

I have been to many zoos and this is by far my favorite. I was pleasantly surprised to see many exotic animals that you can feed and see up close and personal. It’s not super big but much bigger than what we expected.
When my family and I arrived, the owner was at the front ticket area and was super friendly and welcoming. As a matter of fact, most everyone who worked there would stop and educate us on the animals and made our visit even more enjoyable.
Definitely do the safari ride. It is an open tractor ride with seats facing each side of the landscape. They give you bags of bread to feed the animals as they tour you around the back side of the property. The ride took about 20 – 30 minutes. It was amazing to see the animals only a couple of feet in front of you anticipating the treats. They had llamas, ostriches, and all sorts of exotic animals. We fed Stretch, the giraffe, as the kids have never been that close to one before. We got to see and pet all sorts of animals from tigers, bears, horses, monkeys, etc. It is a rescue zoo so it is good to see that they are in a better home than before. I’m not sure why some people think the animals look sad as we never saw any of that. They were just happy to see many visitors and be in a safe environment and home, plus they were being fed. They looked completely happy to us.
The entrance fee is $ 8 and extra bags of bread were $ 3. For my family and I, it was every bit worth the trip and monies. We will be back. This place would be a fantastic place for a birthday party. There are plenty of picnic areas around. It makes you feel good to support a good cause.

First off, this isn’t your average city zoo. The zoo is full of animals that have been rescued and nursed back to health. You’ll get the chance to feed the animals on a tractor ride and see all sorts of animals together. I loved that the animals had a large amount of space to roam. After the ride you can check out the monkeys, tigers and bears. There’s plenty of snakes, too. The staff were so awesome to engage the kids in teaching about a specific snake while letting the kids touch and pet it. We will be back again!

Very good place. Kids have a lot of fun. Pack or bring your food. They have areas for you to eat. You can pay cash or card. Awsome place for the family and kids loved it

Reasonably priced, super friendly staff, and lots of fun for all ages! I was very impressed with the quantity of animals that were there, since the place is so small. I’ve been to many zoos and the animals are never as active as they were here. They truly seemed happy!

Very cool local Zoo they really do a great job and provide a home for some interesting animals. I felt like I was in the movie «We bought a Zoo!» The work they are doing deserves our support and the pay off is a rewarding fun family outing! STOP READING GO!!!

This was a great little day outing with my wife. We enjoyed the safari ride and feeding all the animals. The giraffe was so cute and hungry. We will be coming back.

It’s a great thing they are doing. We visited on a field trip with our daughter. The entire class had a great experience! The employees were great and helpful and kind. They warned you that the big cat may pee on you instead of standing back to watch it happen. They were very conscious about germs and spreading them around the park. Especially because the kids were allowed to feed the giraffe. I hope they can continue to help save animals and people remember they are a rescue zoo!

So I went on Sunday and I was a first time visitor. It was only a short drive from Fayetteville to get here. Honestly this place was so awesome! When you are first walking in there were pigs and goats you could feed. There was even a cute little piglet. Inside there were a lot of antelope, buffalo, llamas, and monkeys. There were also miniature ponies which we learned they show and have won many awards. My absolute favorite part was meeting and getting to feed stretch the giraffe. That was such a cool experience. Will definitely be back!

Not the prettiest or the biggest of zoos. Not too many to see but my kids had lots of fun seeing the animals and going on the safari ride. The animals followed us all around.
It was kind of sad when I saw only one kind of animal in a cage alone. They looked bored and sad almost.
I really like the snake and alligator show though. My kids had a blast touching them.
Oh yeah, yay to the shaved ice truck on site! It was perfect on that hot day.

My family and I loved it there! We had the best time ((: I’m so glad this place was created for animals that need a good caring home.

Come here! it’s fantastic! Very cheap admission, keepers are very knowledgeable and the whole zoo is very interactive. We did the tractor ride around the property feeding the animals from the truck. It was brilliant. The best part was hand feeding the giraffe «Stretch» some carrot’s…this costs $ 1.
The only downfalls are that its located in a rough area and we went in September and there were literally hundreds of bees or maybe wasps. they were everywhere and were making alot of children (and me) uncomfrtable.
So maybe go when it’s a bit cooler, but definately a great way to spend a day on a budget!

This place is awesome for young and old. I have been to many zoo’s but none like this paid a dollar and fed a giraffe my son loved it as well as my wife. The safari ride was well worth it they give you bread to feed the animals and they play RockNMusic absolutely will go back

My friends and I ventured down to Cameron, NC in search of Aloha Safari Zoo. Google maps got us there without issue (it’s about 50 minutes from Cary). I hadn’t heard of the place until yesterday. They are a family owned rescue zoo that opened to the public in 2010, but the owner Lee Crutchfield has been caring for animals for over 25 years. The entry fee per person is $ 5, and you can go on a safari ride (wagon ride behind a tractor) for $ 3, and you’ll be given bread to feed the animals along the way. You also have an option to feed carrots to a giraffe for $ 1. Can’t beat that!
There are about 300 animals at this zoo: tigers, a grizzly bear, zebras, camels, giraffe, emus, ostrich, kangaroos, reptiles, rodents, birds, porcupines, the list goes on. There are a bunch of peacocks roaming the property, and Maxwell the pig goes where he wants. Such a cutie!
So many of these animals have sad stories — the giraffe that was kept in a garage for 2 years, and due to lack or sunlight has stunted growth, the show tigers that were starved by their previous owner so they would appear younger, animals from bankrupt zoos, the list goes on. There are numerous volunteers that help keep the place going and donations are welcome. I saw that Carolina Ale House donates their scraps of food for the tigers. Pretty cool!
This zoo is definitely worth the drive. You get up close and person with the animals — I fed a giraffe, touched a python, held a hedgehog, pet a camel, and generally walked around the property with a huge grin on my face. The place can get pretty muddy, so best to wear old shoes or sneakers. Oh — and if you are hungry stop by Sanford and eat at El Molcajete Restaurant. Incredible Mexican food! This is the real deal.