Zoological Wildlife Foundation in Miami, Florida is a zoo committed to educating the public about rare and endangered animal species. Zoological Wildlife Foundation was founded by Mario and Maria Tabraue, a husband and wife team, in 2001 on their 5-acre home in Redland, just southwest of Miami-Dade.

The foundation is a USDA and State licensed facility which is opened to the public by appointment only. Some of the animals that are residents at ZWF include alligators, leopards, Lemurs, camels, lynx, jaguars, tigers, ligers, lions, cougars, cockatoos, foxes, gibbons, vultures, macaws, mandrills, owls, servals, Bengal tigers, snow leopards, white lions, and capuchins, along with many more.

Visitors are given guided educational tours with photographic opportunities where they are able to get up close and personal with animals that most people would never dream of handling such as ligers, lions, chimpanzees, and more. ZWF goal is to educate visitors on the dangers that many of these animals face in the wild and what is being done to help through conservation efforts and captive breeding programs.

Today, Zoological Wildlife Foundation is home to nearly 200 animals, has partnered with many charitable foundations such as Make a Wish, St. Jude Research Hospital, and the Zoological Association of America, as well as many worldwide conservation programs.

All tours at Zoological Wildlife Foundation are by appointment only. The zoo is not open to the public for self-guided tours. Tours may be scheduled 7 days a week between the hours of 9am and 6pm however. Pricing information can be found on the ZWF website.

General Wildlife Experience Tour- A one hour full tour of the property and hands on interaction with multiple animal residents such as a monkey, birds, and some of the reptiles. Most popular tour and perfect for families with young children.

Photo Sessions- An add on experience to a tour, this is a once in a life time opportunity to have a photo session with a baby animal at ZWF. Each session is 2 minutes long and guests can interact with baby Chimpanzees, Lions, Ligers, and sloths.

Encounters- 5 Minutes of play time with a lion, ligers or chimpanzees for ages 3 and up or encounter a sloth or owl for ages 10 and up. Some restrictions to apply so call or email ZWF before booking. Maximum of 10 minutes of play time for groups of 5 or more.

Primate Experience- 1 hour tour offering a play session with 3 different types of baby primates. The experience will be divided into two parts, the first being a guided tour of the adult and juvenile habitats from afar and the second half being a 30-minute play time with the baby primates.

Special Wildlife Experience- This 3-hour tour is the most immersive the incorporates the General Wildlife Tour, Primate Experience, Feline Experience, Owl Encounter, and a photo session with a sloth.

All tours are walking tours that will include several stops where visitors will be educated on the animals and conservation efforts. Guests will have the opportunity to interact with various animals on the tours and see many of the felines such as Ligers, leopards, tigers, lions, and more as close as 6 feet away. Visitors will also have the chance to feed the camels, lemurs and toucans on their tours. Each tour ends in the amphitheater where there is full handling opportunities of reptiles, birds, primates and other small mammals. Private encounters will be available at this time as well or photo sessions.

Educational Opportunities

Other than guided tours, ZWF offers several programs that offer a unique opportunity for groups to learn about endangered and exotic animal species. Programs should be booked 2 weeks in advance at minimum. Field trips are available for schools, scout groups, youth groups and homeschool groups. Bus tours are also available for these groups.

Zoological Wildlife Foundation can also bring a live program to a classroom, assembly or other outdoor education site to present a 45-55 minute programs on a subject of the educators choosing from list of presentation topics including Habitats of the World, Reptiles: Myth-Misconceptions, Continental Critters, Endangerment, and others.

Conservation

Zoological Wildlife Foundation believes that conservation is about on the ground action and supports several conservation efforts worldwide as well as captive breeding programs that ensure a future for threatened and endangered species. Some of these efforts include saving white lions from canned hunting in South Africa, the Zambian Carnivore Programme, International Rhino Foundation, Niassa Carnivore Project, Cheetah Conservation Botswana, and their own Adopt Your Favorite Animal Program.

16225 SW 172 AVE, Miami, FL 33187, Phone: 305-969-3696

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