aloha safari zoo

This is an amazing place that helps rescue animals of all varieties. See everything from beavers, monkeys, water buffalo, a grizzly bear, lions, and many many more. You can feed all of the animals with food you can buy at the entrance. Pay to take ride to see many more animals such as camels and bison. They only take cash but it is very affordable. Have some extra dollar bills to feed the giraffe. All of these animals are rescues and are treated with the upmost respect and care. They have a large pig that roams the grounds freely. When they rescued her, she was kept tied up and the rope had to be surgically removed from her neck. They vowed that she will never be tied up again so she roams free. Everyone of all ages will love this place. For more information, visit http://www.alohasafarizoo.org

I'm always impressed with the staff and overall appearance of this wonderful refuge for rescued animals. It delightful to just relax and walk around the place taking in all the fun and atmosphere of being around these animals. I love the "feel" of the entire place. The staff are friendly and you feel they really are happy to be there. It's a great day trip and you feel a part of it. Couldn't be any more enjoyable! It also feels nice to know you're helping the animals with the small entrance fee. My small way of paying it forward for the animals !

Didn't know what to expect, but was truly impressed with the animals, the friendly owner, and the value. Absolutely worth the visit, and in my opinion, better than other larger zoos because of the level of interaction and proximity to the animals!

this is great fun to take kids and adults as well. small and personal. the trolley around the zoo is fun and some of the animals will walk over to you. can touch animals sometimes. people who work there are nice.

We got there when it opened to avoid heat and have the least number of people around us. Very good experience, lots of fun, loved the safari ride and feeding the animals. The giraffe was the whole groups favorite!

The Aloha Safari Zoo turned out to be the perfect venue for our seven year old grandson's birthday party yesterday. We found a couple picnic tables near the petting zoo, which entertained the kids while we were setting up. The "hayride" through the main park was educational and entertaining as we learned about a wide variety of larger animals cared for at the zoo. Walking through the small animal exhibits allowed the kids a closer view. The kids had a great time, and so did we. That all the animals were "rescues" added to our enjoyment, knowing that they were saved from life-threatening circumstances and now well cared for. We were totally impressed by what this privately funded organization has accomplished.

We took our 13 month old grandson to this zoo for his first zoo experience. It was an overcast, cooler day so the animals were active. The variety of species at this facility was surprising for the low budget operation it appeared to be. The admission fee was a little higher than I thought was necessary for the length of time it took us to see everything , but overall it was a pleasant experience . Be sure to take the tractor / wagon ride or you won't see a majority of the animals.

We visited the zoo on 10/3/2014. The weather was perfect and the zoo was excellent. Both of my girls age 9 and 24 had a great time at the zoo feeding the animals. I have some great pictures of my youngest daughter feeding stretch the giraffe as well as both of my girls holding a snake. I still like the Asheboro zoo but this zoo is close up and personal. The wagon ride was fun and entertaining as well as educational. The only compliant I have is that the gift shop could be better and it would also be nice to have a place to get food. However there a plenty of picnic tables if you want to bring your own food.This is a great day trip and only an hour ride from Raleigh.

We visited this zoo today with our son, his wife and our grand kids. It is a wonderful place with a very friendly staff. It's very hands in which makes it a great place to visit with young kids. The grand kids loved being able to feed the animals and just getting close enough to get the ultimate experience. Also, loved the story behind the place and the fact that it's a family thing. Will definitely be visiting again when we return to Ft. Bragg!!

Just an hour from Raleigh and it's worth the trip. Some 300 animals to view and some up close. I recommend that you go to website and learn about the animals before attending. Price is right too. Tractor ride guide was a hoot!

First off, the staff were extremely friendly and knowledgeable. They all really cared and you could tell they were part of a "family" created there. The owner was a sweet woman and very accommodating. We got there on the very last day that their baby Bengal Tiger cub was allowed to be petted by the public. So glad we did too. What a precious little cub and where on earth can you get that close to a tiger cub? For that matter, where on earth can you feed a giraffe from your hand? Here is where! Where on earth can you ask a bear named Bobo to sit for an apple? Here! That bear actually sat for me when asked and I threw him an apple. He even smiled upon command from the owner. We brought a bag of apples with us that we picked from our trees. Even though we brought the apples, we still bought a bag of feed for $5 and paid extra because they let us take so much time with the giraffe feeding him small apple pieces. Loved it. I want to go back in the fall when it is a bit cooler.

I finally got a chance to visit this place. It is so close to where I live, but I just never got around to going. I'm glad I did. I'm a real big wild animal lover and this is a great place to visit if you want a small taste of the big zoo in Asheboro, NC. I was impressed with the staff and variety of animals.

was a little sceptical about a private zoo in the middle of nowhere. The pictures I had seen were not all that convincing that this would be a good place to see. But I was pleasantly surprised as were my kids and wife. We are all very glad that we visited the Aloha and will be adding it as part of our excursions every time we come down to NC. Let's get one thing straight, if you want an "attraction" style zoo with rides and concessions this is not the zoo for you. The only ride you get at the Aloha is being pulled around by the tractor through a whack of different paddocks while the guide walks/runs along side telling you about the various animals you come across and the only concession is for a bag of stale popcorn to hand feed the animals. The stench inside the roofed part of the zoo is almost unbearable but adds to the charm for this place. As you walk around the staff come up and are more than happy to chat about the various animals you encounter. When we visited we were fortunate enough to see some brand new baby chicks being hatched, the kids got to hold a few in their hands (I know, not a big deal for you country folk but for us city folk it was a big deal! LOL). They also brought our Luna the baby tiger and we got to pet her and take pictures and they brought out Justin Beaver who is a star in his own right. One thing is for sure about the Aloha, the staff clearly are very passionate about the animals they care for. If you have an afternoon to spare and are around NC do not pass this little zoo with a big heart.

This is a wonderful place full of rescued animals with stories that will rip your heart out or amaze you how stupid people are to get these animals for pets or whatever and then not care for them and abuse them!! Thank God for people like Lee Crutchfield who has a dream and can live it everyday. His family, staff and volunteers all work as hard as he does to care for these special animals. The zoo is non-profit!!! They do this with no funding at all, just what they can make with the entrance fees and can get donated. It is a shame more places won't donate supplies, services and scrap food. They have a sign that says "To you it is table scraps, to them (the animals) it is dinner!!!! I love this place and the precious animals I have met there!!! Thank you, Mr. Crutchfield!!!!!!!

We recently took our 2 1/2 yr old grandson to our N.C. Zoo. While we are proud and pleased to have such a nice zoo in Asheboro, N.C., this is much better for younger kids. There is at least 1/3 less walking, real hands on with many animals just walking around (goats, peacocks, bunnies).While it looks like you are in the middle of nowhere, it has acres of land with all sorts of animals.Many of their animals are rescued including a giraffe and a bison whose horns are upside down because they were broken. Get there early, they open @ 11AM. We waited in line on a Saturday for about 20 minutes to pay the entry fee. You could save the $4 or $5 for bag of feed which is about the size of an overstuffed paper lunch bag with popcorn, bits of grain, stale bread but the kids love feeding it to all the animals but then, those food bags probably help with their overhead. I believe it strictly non-profit. I would suggest checking out the grassed area when you first enter to see the animals that are out with handlers. We saw a 7 week old tiger cub who was so cute, an infant beaver being fed a bottle, etc. Then rush over to the tractor pulled safari ride before the lines get long which gives you overview of most of the park and the only way to see the larger animals (buffalo, camel, ostrich, zebra, etc). Then walk around the park afterwards to see the balance of the park. Small gift shop, numerous hand sanitizer stations but no bathrooms (only porta potties). A few picnic tables but bring your own basket since all we saw were a shaved ice stand for refreshments unless they were in the gift shop. Well worth the trip, again, much more hands on and interesting for small children.