catoctin wildlife preserve and zoo

While it doesn't have as much as the National Zoo nearby, Catoctin has a lot to offer. There are so many exhibits, and animals appear to have a good amount of space & are happy (except for the wolves, but I'm no animal expert). The monkeys are very interactive; I could watch them for hours! My niece's favorite part was probably the petting zoo, which is a great addition to keep little ones occupied & give them a more personal experience. A normal trip through the whole place will take you 2-4 hours, depending on how much you like to read & watch. The gift shop has a lot of really cute gifts for the kids & authentic collectable items. I was SO tempted to buy a koteka (think gourd for a male organ) for my boyfriend, but he wouldn't let me. I know I'll be back to Catoctin soon.

We visited the Preserve on the recommendation of a local friend. Went with son and granddaughter age 22 mons. Our visit was in mid November so some of the exhibits and animals where closed or in winter quarters, but still there was more than a full days worth! Great exhibit of venomous snakes. But the real surprise was the great array of some really wonderful and rare animals. There are very close and most of them seemed to actually enjoy interacting with people, but sadly, some of the big cats and especially the wolves showed extreme signs of stress. I wish their habitat could be enlarged and improved. Still, to be standing a few feet away from white tigers and Amur leopard was very humbling. And most of the animals seemed happy and well cared for. My granddaughter loved all the animals but was extra excited to be able to feed the goat, sheep, alpacas and deer. She really loved the goose that came up to eat out of her hand also. This is a great place to bring kids to foster an appreciation of wildlife. We plan to return in the spring during our next visit to the area

We were very surprised and pleased with this place. A local friend told us about it and I went with my son and granddaughter. It was in early November so some of the attractions were already closed, but there was so very much to see anyhow. Loved the snake house! Really nice collection of snakes. We also loved how close you are to the animals and most of them seem to really enjoy the attention. The down side is that some of the animals, especially the wolves and some of the big cats are showing real signs of stress. It would be wonderful for them if their habitat could be expanded and improved. However, we were just delighted by the wonderful selection of rare and beautiful animals that are there. To stand a few feet away from white tigers and Amur leopard was humbling. Such beautiful creatures. My granddaughter age 22 mons, absolutely loved feeding the goats and alpacas. We will return to the zoo the next time we are in the area, hopefully earlier in the season.

My husband and I very much enjoyed this zoo. We rode the camel and toured the zoo. We didn't have time for the safari, but I will say that we are definitely going back so that we can. The staff was fantastic and helpful especially the gentleman who took us around on the camel. It is a fantastic place that needs more attention to it. It's well deserved.

My husband and myself took our 2 grandsons. We were able to print $3 off coupons for each adult but for the 4 of us it was still $50. We realize this is a private zoo and this is how they take care of the animals. It is very walkable, no hills, great for small children and strollers. I didn't see any of the snack bars open but it was off season. Lots of picnic tables, so very easy to bring your own food and save a few dollars. Also, we made a day out of being in Thurmont by visiting the cool playgrounds they have in town and across the highway in the State Park.

This is lush little local park zoo which we visit every other year or so. This time there were lots of bird exhibits, which I love but are not what zoos are all about. It is nice to see the changes in the greenery and habitats that they expand and build each time we visit though. There is a great Koi pond which is interactive and a little boy there with his grandparents was squealing with delight as the fish jumped up to be fed by him. I noticed that the male white tiger was pacing up and down the same few feet of his fence and the white wolves were doing the same in small circles in their pen. The keepers may want to check these animals out. They do raise the prices each year but if you have AAA you get a couple of dollars off. I agree that this is an ideal place to spend a great day with little ones. The zoo would be a fantastic intro to animals for them. You can bring in a picnic here, there are benches and tables to sit at. There are also dispensers along the paths, that will give a small amount of pellets for two quarters.

I visited this zoo 2 years ago and at that time I would have agreed with most of the negative reviews.Sun Bear enclosure was too small,as was the lions and Patas monkeys.BUT,when I visited the zoo last Sunday,I was pleasantly surprised.The Sun Bears were in a way larger enclosure,the lions were replaced with an Andean Condor and the Patas monkeys were not only in a nicer enclosure,they had a baby.I was also pleased to see new exhibits being built.The Grey armed Macaques are due for a new exhibit,as are the Meerkats and the Wolves.It saddens me when I read reviews of places like this who don't realize their entrance fee is the only way these animals will continue to be given the best treatment and care the keepers,vets and owners can provide.I'm not any one of those things, so if I want to know something about the zoo or the animals-I ASK.Instead of getting on my soap-box or being an armchair-zoo-keeper,i try my best to remember that not every place can be the Bronx or San Diego.Another reason I love this zoo is babies.They have baby Foosa's,Grey Armed Macaques,Donkey and Patas monkey.That's a good sign the animals are comfortable.There's also not many places you can talk to the owner or even the keepers.Catoctin has a very bad reputation and 2 years ago I may have agreed,but after visiting Sunday and seeing the hard work and progress they are making,you should get out there and make up your own mind about what you think of this place.Instead of letting someone else give you wrong information.

Like hands on, little pricey, larger than expected, very nice staff, up close and personal with animals

We recently visited the zoo. It is nice to visit. They have many animals. Thereis a good bit of shade. It is a great way to spend the day with your spouse, children or grandchildren. If is not large like the National zoo, but it iscloser to home for us. You can leisurely take your time and enjoyeverything the zoo offers. Would definitely recommend to visit.

We took my three year old son to this zoo last week with my in laws. We were very disappointed. Our bad experience started right at the admission booth. My father in law had a coupon for a discounted admission along with a discounted safari ride. We discussed with the cashier that we also had AAA, as they also offer a discount and she said the coupon was the better deal. We then asked her if it would apply for all of us and she said yes. My father in law paid for his two tickets and when we went to pay for ours she said she couldn't use the coupon because my father in law already used it. It would have been extremely helpful if she had told this when she realized we were paying separately. As for the zoo itself it was ok for young children but given the lack of variety in the animals I wouldn't bring older children. The zoo and exhibits were not kept up and were very dirty. The turtle exhibit had food on trays that were covered with flies. It smelled and looked like it hadn't been changed all week. The safari was good but not worth the extra $10/person. The grounds in the safari looked desolate! I felt like I was on Mars! However, it was exciting that you were able to feed the animals by hand as they would come right up to the truck! One side note is that they give you a piece of bread for free to feed the bison but the rest of the feeding you need to pay $1 for popcorn. Why can't they just include the popcorn for the animals! I just paid $30 extra dollars to ride the safari!!Bathrooms were horrendous if you were lucky enough to find one. We were only able to find one regular bathroom with one stall for women and one for men. There were a few porta potties but they were so dirty and smelly!! We walked past one where the door was slightly ajar and we could barely breathe!Unfortunately, we will never visit this zoo again!

Spacious compared to most I've seen in many other states. Animals look well cared for. Grounds clean. Lots of interactive stuff to do and you can focus on what interests the kids. Kids enjoyed feeding the animals but were fascinated with feeding the big "gold fish", especially the ones that ate right out of their hands. I thought the price was ok. Not sure I would do a repeat visit unless the grandkids wanted to but I'm glad I stopped with my grandkids and made some memories.

I have been taking my Children and Grandchildren here for years. Don't expect the San Diego Wildlife park, but for a family owned park, it is great! The staff has always been very friendly and helpful. I took a few kids from our neighborhood that had never been there and they loved feeding the animals. A great way to spend a Saturday or Sunday and be able to help the park also!

Zoo was not very well kept, a lot of the exhibits were closed, and worst of all, a lot of the animals appeared to be in poor health. There were baboons which had what appeared to be massive tumors in their rear ends, birds with no feathers, etc. We felt very sorry for all the animals there, and left feeling a bit distressed by what we saw.

The first thing I noticed was the horrible smell of feces near each exhibit. Most animal housing resembles cages vs. a habitat. I felt sorry for the larger animals who paced (captive behavior). Smaller zoos really have a hard time keeping up with humane treatment of their animals.

I visited the zoo today with my two kids, ages 3 and 7. My kids love animals so we decided to visit Catoctin, based on the ability to get up close to and feed the animals. We paid the extra $10 per person for the safari ride. Unfortunately, the safari was canceled due to mechanical problems. Before our safari was cancelled, though, the staff handed us food to feed the animals we would encounter on the ride. We received English muffins for the bison and popcorn for the other animals. I am not an animal expert, but I am pretty sure that English muffins are not in the natural diet for bison. I thought perhaps they were special muffins baked with extra vitamins and minerals, but then I saw the shed where the zoo stored hundreds of boxes of Thomas English muffins. I then took notice of what the other animals were eating. The camels were fed cookies straight from a warehouse store sized box of animal crackers. The apes, monkeys, and lemurs were given boxed raisins; conceivably grapes and raisins are healthy foods for these animals, but I then saw the apes and monkeys eating the remaining raisin boxes that were littered around their cages. Several species of birds were given French baguette bread. I am very concerned about the welfare of these animals. Beyond the animal feeding, conditions at the zoo were not much better. There are no bathrooms after the front gate, only porta poties. The porta potty I used near the safari was overflowing with human excrement and looked like it had not been emptied in at least a day. It was disgusting. There is animal excrement all over the pathways of the zoo - not all of which can be attributed to the geese that wander freely through the park. Other animals must be led along the paths. At times it was difficult for us to dodge the excrement. The zoo is very rundown. The site map is very misleading, indicating exhibits and animals that are no longer at the zoo. My kids would run to find a certain animal, only to find the habitat completely empty. In its favor, the staff at the zoo was very kind and accommodating. We were refunded the money for our cancelled safari without incident. We will not visit again.