Zootastic Park

OMG! What an amazing adventure today at Zootastic. We went for my niece’s 8^th birthday party and had a private animal encounter. We held a baby kangaroo, a cincajoo, lemurs and 2 baby tigers! I’m officially in love with the tigers and kangaroo. The handler, Bailey, was fantastic and so great with the kids. My son is only 3 and loved holding all the animals. After the encounter we walked around, fed several other animals including giraffes and camels. I felt all the animals were cared for very well and had plenty of room to roam around. I would highly recommend this park and definitely have an up close and personal animal encounter.

I have mixed feelings about this place– on one hand they offer up close and personal experiences with the animals, the other zoos dont offer. On the other hand, I’m not sure if this is what’s best for the animals.
For $ 75 your family can have a private interaction with a tiger cub. Ours was only about 4 weeks old and just learning to walk. He very much wanted to just cuddle with a stuffed animal and go to sleep. However he was brought out for us to interact with. Cuteness in overload– but how healthy is it for him, to be petted by dozens of people who bring in germs? We were not instructed to wash our hands, we were nor gowned. The zoo person who supervised us, was not engaging, nor did she seem to be professionally trained. At other zoos the keepers are professionally trained scientists, these seem more like amateur hobbyists. Baby animals are their cash cow. They make most of their money on private interactions– $ 200 lets you interact with 4 baby animals
Most enclosures are small and dilapidated. But they however are reasonably clean. The place has the feeling of a badly run roadside attraction. There is broken equipment all over the property, and the zoo itself is a series of unpainted, unfinished shed type buildings. Signage about the animals is lacking.
A small juvenile white tiger (6 months to 1 year) was pacing in 8×10 enclose. He was very agitated and showing stress behaviors. There was nothing for him to play with or chew on. And alligator was in a plywood box. Other animals (fennec fox, ferrets) that were housed in a series of sheds, lacked fresh air and the odor was over powering.
There was a 7′ tall giraffe on a caged in porch, and after purchasing a $ 3 feed cup, you push your cup to the chin link and could feed him some zoo chow. Most zoos worry about caloric intake and a balanced diet, but there seemed to be no limit as to how many people could feed animals. Maybe there aren’t enough visitors to matter, or the animals stop eating when full, but again is that whats best for the animals?
If they are truly caring for the animals, then I’d like to see more a more professionally run operation– give the animals more pleasing engaging environments, clean up the junk that is laying around, paint the buildings. Add more info about their mission, what is their purpose– is it saving animals?, taking in overflow from other zoos? What?
Most importantly, Show us that you put the safety of the animals first– e.g. make people wash their hands before handling the babies.

Pretty dreadful place. I don’t understand the positive reviews. This place consists of animals in chain-​link fence cages sitting in mud. It’s sad. We hardly saw anyone working here when we first came in, but an employee appeared when it was our time to go into a small room and touch the animals (that is, to collect an additional $ 200). The drive up to the «zoo» is lined with broken equipment, garbage, and dilapidated barns. The whole place is pretty sketchy. I’m so sorry this place exists.

We went on our way back from our Warrior Dash Wedding and used this as a mini honeymoon stop. lol. it was fun. they made it special for us once they found out we had just gotten married. We got to be Mufasa (Young Lion) first human encounter in months which was AMAZING. He is rough so we understood but we are both Veterans and can handle deployments so we can handle this. lol, the people were nice, they have a nice establishment that is being renovated, it is nice. We are hoping to go back and maybe take the kids. Some of the guys who work there didn’t know much about the animals but that’s ok they are teenagers so maybe be more mindful who is hired. For the most part they were extremely good people nice people and great place to go, like I said they made a mini honeymoon one we will never forget. We love lions and to be able to be with one in a room and playing was AMAZING

We had the best experience at Zootastic. Wish we would have went years ago but we didn’t know there was such a place. All of the animals were so friendly. The staff explains all of your options to make sure all experience the full park activities. Feeding the tiger and the giraffe were the most exciting and unexpected experiences. Thank you Mr. Scott and staff for making sure we had a great time at Zootastic.

This was my second time coming here I always stop by when I visit my cousins in Statesville. There’s something new and my daughter loves all the animals. She got to ride a wagon this time. They had baby giraffe that you could pet and play with. Not to mention the tiger and lion cubs. Word to the wise, if you want to do an animal encounter book early! They fill up fast!

Good place for the kids, just small. Price okay, nice shop. Will try at Christmas time.

So I went back to zootastic only because a friend of mine had passes and she invited me and my kids to come along. I reluctantly said ok and met her there expecting to see the same atrocity that I did the last time I was there 2 years ago.
When we paid and got the animal food, I was expecting the worst, but when we started walking around; I saw a huge change from the last time I was there to now. This zoo was actually clean! Even the dirty smelly urine smelling barn had no smell and the enclosures were clean! I thought wow! They have turned the place around! They are really doing a great job! The enclosures were clean, the animals had water and seemed happier and healthier. We actually enjoyed our visit!
What’s more, they are expanding even more and adding nice enclosures one of which is for the Tigers who are in a temporary enclosure for the time being. The enclosure will have a waterfall and water for the tigers. I’m looking forward to seeing it finished. With that said, feeding the Tigers was a whole lot of fun! I recommend doing it if you go.
Moreover, the goat enclosure has been 100% improved where the goats don’t have bars on their horns anymore. Also, the giraffes were so so cool and their enclosures were nice and clean. It’s great!
Also, we took the tractor ride and learned a lot of stuff and enjoyed seeing the free range animals. All of the animals looked happy and healthy and it was fantastic to see!
Lastly, I am giving zootastic 4 stars instead of 5 because there is a tad bit more of improvement such as the odor within the confines of the enclosures where they keep the baby animals, foxes, ferrets etc… Those enclosures were a bit small and musky and outside some areas could use more shady spots for the animals, but seeing all of what this zoo has done and is doing; I am confident they will change my mind to a 5 star review.
Keep up the great work zootastic! I am thoroughly impressed!

Lots of animals and opportunities to get close up. I thought the wire cages most of the exotic animals were kept in were not adequate.

Certainly the most unique zoo experience I’ve ever had. Got a Groupon deal for the Animal Encounter and what a deal that was! Getting to hold, learn about, and play with a tiger cub, baby kangaroo, wolf pup and baby giraffe was an absolutely unforgettable experience. The zoo staff were all very friendly and outgoing. The grounds are spread out nicely and contain all sorts of animals that I had never seen up close before.
The zoo is located around the Lake Norman area, just about 30 minutes north of Uptown Charlotte. It is absolutely worth sitting in the lake traffic for anyone who loves animals.

A once in a lifetime experience! Cuddling a baby tiger is something my daughter will remember for the rest of her life. The staff were friendly and judging by the pounds of fresh fruits and veggies I saw, those animals eat better than most people! The enclosures were simple, it’s more like a farm than city or state zoo, but they were clean and had plenty of space, toys and climbing options appropriate to the species. My 7 year old said «Mommy, isn’t this FANTASTIC?!» And, yup, it was.

Truly an unbelievable experience that was worth every penny. We did the baby animal encounter with the baby giraffe, Jigsaw, as well as a baby wolf, tiger, lemur, and kinkajou. These encounters give you up close and personal time with these animals along with the ability to roam the rest of the park when you are finished. My six year old daughter even got to stand on a chair and feed the baby giraffe a bottle. We absolutely loved it and it was something we will never forget. Thank you to the staff (Bailey was awesome) and to the owner Scottie for spending time with us and for having such a remarkable place. We will definitely be back!

Had a ball! Check out the baby Watusi pic on Twitter. Love this place!!! Spent more on animal food than entry fee and had a blast feeding all the animals. The baby giraffe was great and the wagon ride was great as usual! See you in the fall!

We visited Zootastic with our children hoping for an unique and educational experience. We met the owner in the store and he said this was his dream to have a zoo and that it provided more education than any facility in NORTH AMERICA! My son, 9 years, said he knew a lot about wild cats. The owner then started drilling my son with questions as if to show off as opposed to educate. Very condescending. We then went off for our cub encounter (which was supposed to be 30 minutes — we got 20). At no point during the encounter was there anything informative shared. We tried to engage the keeper with some questions but were not successful. Whilst yes it is cool to pet a tiger cub and hold a baby roo… for a facility making the claim above I would home for information.
We then went to walk around the «zoo» and were very dismayed at the habitats. It was really quite heartbreaking. There were five full grown tigers in a fenced in area, which measured maybe 50×30, with no grass, no shrubbery — just mud and a concrete shelter. At none of the habitats was there any information regarding the types of animals kept within.
Very disappointing. Very sad. And definitely not educational.
It seems this is someone living their dream at the expense of the animals.

This is a FANTASTIC place to visit, a must do for anyone within a 5 hour radius. Not sure I’ve ever had a better time! I went with my adult son for my 55^th birthday and got a great deal on Groupon for the Safari Encounter which was a one hour session of petting, interacting with, and down right enjoying a baby kangaroo, kingachu, a couple of lemurs, and a baby lion OR tiger, whichever is behaving. In our visit, we played with both. Best money I ever spent on entertainment!
Then we went on the wagon ride, stocked with 3 qts of sweet feed each — 2 each would have been enough — and got to hand feed, pet, and enjoy being in up close contact with zebra, a camel, a large selection of unique bovine, wildebeest, donkey, etc. The camel was MOST friendly, hungry, and eager to be fed and petted.
Walking around we got to hand feed the baby giraffe and unloaded at least a quart on him alone. Spent around 20 minutes petting and feeding him by hand, he never once touched his teeth to our palms. We got to feed a couple of very full kangaroos, a deer — like creature that spent more time licking our skin than eating out of our hands. It was all so awesome!
All these animals were well attended to, no sign of abuse or ill treatment. The owner was our guide during the Safari Encounter and told us they’re in the middle of a million dollar renovation and pen enlargement. I can’t recommend this place more highly and it’s NOT just for kids either. Please don’t miss this once in a lifetime experience to pet some most amazing animals. We got at least 500 awesome photos to prove it too!

Best zoo I’ve ever been to for petting. I’m not sure what everybody’s talking about with the neglect of animals here. I’ve been to literally 50 zoos in my life is one of the best zoos I’ve ever visited. We got a great Groupon deal for a safari encounter and we got to pet baby kangaroos, kingachu, Lemurs, a lion and a tiger. The Groupon costs us 125 for two people for an hour and every minute was great and covered entry into the park and wagon ride. The staff was professional and friendly. The animals were very well fed, not aggressive, and showed no signs of depression that many animals at zoos exhibit. The wagon ride was great and all the various different animals came up to you.
Some of the cages were a little smaller than most zoos. However, there were massive expansions being built (totaling over 1 million) for the giraffes, Lemurs and other animals. Actually many of the animals had more free range than nearly any zoo I’ve been to. Also many of the animals are transitioned to other zoos after they grow older and less friendly to humans. Because of this, most of the critters were less than 2 years old.
As a lifelong vegetarian and animal rights supporter, and I wish more places took as good care of infant animals as zootastic. Forget the big zoos and do the private interaction experience, because this is where the memories are made!

I was hesitant to go for a field trip after reading some recent reviews. However, I found the experience to be overall worthwhile and enjoyable for the kids.
The educational talk in the beginning is rather funny, entertaining, and moves quickly. This was helpful for the pre-​k kids that can’t sit through anything too long. I do wish there would have been a bit more warning about some snakes, but the other animal choices were very fun to see and educational. The kids definitely enjoyed this part.
We followed up with a wagon ride which is apparently only 3 weeks into use. I think they have some things to work out with the wagon execution, but it’ll take time. It is always nice to see and feed animals up close, and I’m sure their growing pains will be worthwhile. I would say the most important thing is not to let the young tractor drivers play on their cell phones while driving. That was a bit unnerving.
I did understand what other reviewers meant about the smell in certain enclosure areas. It was overly potent. I’ve been to quite a few zoos, aquariums, barns, etc., and never quite smelled aromas so strong. But I don’t know that it has anything to do with cleanliness. I think it is something for the managers to address in the future since it is a bit off-​putting.
Overall, our kids seemed to leave with great impressions and learned a good bit. Zootastic created some learning memories and we appreciated the time spent there.

I can’t say enough good things about this place. The zoo is small, but the involvement and education that the staff gives to visitors is beyond anything I’ve experienced. We did the cub encounter first – a Groupon I had found online and purchased, which the owner posts every once in a while in the summer months [4 people for $ 200 for a one hour experience].
We were taken back by the owner into a room just for ourselves, where they first brought in GiGi, their baby zebra. She’s stubborn, but adorable, and let us feed her a bottle, take pictures with her, and even kiss her on the nose. We also spent time with lemurs [you might also get a wolf pup instead of lemurs], a baby kangaroo who spent almost the whole time in there with us with the other animals, the most adorable baby goat, and a five week old lion cub [if you have the chance, we found it better to go with the younger lion cub so we could cuddle him and bottle feed him in our laps. The 12 week old tiger or lion that we could choose is much bigger so the time is spent more playing with rather than being cuddly].
The owner was incredibly hands on, loved sharing stories with us, and even brought out a snake for my brother to hold when he mentioned that he really loves snakes and other reptiles. This place made this experience feel like so much more than a Groupon deal, and we appreciated the time spent that another staff member gave us a detailed tour of the facility. We will definitely be back, and I can’t wait to bring other friends & family back for another cub encounter. We absolutely love this zoo!

We have actually been to Zootastic twice, and neither time has been when they are typically open — it has only been for special events. That really does not take away from the experience (much), but it does mean that we cannot comment on what the place may be like in the light of day.
The first trip was for their Bootastic Halloween Spectactular (they actually only call it Bootastic, but that sounded so simple that I had to expand it). Naturally we went at night — and they may have only been open at night. A handful of animals were out for petting, the mad scientist had a show, there was pumpkin chucking and there was even a haunted hayride. Unfortunately, while the other animals were available, they were in their pens and there was not much lighting to be found.
The second trip was made was for their Christmas event (sorry, no fancy name), and it was mostly for the lights, strung up through the lower forty. While some light shows have fancy shapes and the like, at Zootastic, it looks like they just throw most of the lights up in the trees. It’s nice and all, but it is not particularly well done. Still, it is interesting. And they even have a stop where you can get s’more kits for the fire. The entrance fee also gets you into the park where you can see a handful of animals (also being dark, the other animals were again somewhat unavailable).
I’ll say that daytime might be a bit better for a trip — but since it’s so far out, it might be a while before we get up there.

Zootastic is another exotic animal park around the Charlotte area similar to Lazy 5 Ranch. In fact after speaking to the guide they are actually the same family that runs Lazy 5 they just opened this new location in Troutman.
We first found out about this place from the tiger cub and baby kangaroo they brought to Birkdale Village in Huntersville. We waited a couple weeks for a nice day and then drove down to check it out. For around $ 8.00 an adult, you get a guided walking tour of the zoo as they inform and introduce you to all the animals they have living there. What’s nice is that after the tour you can go throughout the farm on your own and choose to feed and spend time with whichever animals you enjoyed the most. Buckets of food are for sell at the front desk.
We got to hand feed kangaroos, goats, llamas, zebras, camels, and deer. They also have some adult tigers on site as well as a family of coatimundi (think raccoons from Mexico), a porcupine, and my wife’s favorite a de-​scented skunk named Flower. They pass her around and let you hold her and she just kinda snuggles into you since she’s nocturnal and half asleep. She was very soft and felt like a fat cat in your arms. They then take you to see the tiger cub and I believe outside the tour they offer some one on one experience with the tiger complete with photos for another fee. The next stop is the reptiles, but we skipped that part cause we don’t do cold blooded lifeforms.
Definitely a must see for animal lovers or families with kids. I also noticed they offer summer camps where the children can work on the farm learning and caring for all their exotic friends.