We love going here. We try to go at least once a year, minimum. The tours are about 2 hrs long. Its a lot of walking, but worth it. Ask lots of questions The tour guides are also the care givers for these beautiful animals. So they can tell you a lot about each ones personalities. Photography is allowed as long as you keep the proper distance from the enclosures. Its an awesome place to go. We will continue to support this amazing sanctuary for years to come.
Personal tour. Good information; they tell you about each animal, they take you to the kitchen and share how they feed the animals and what they feed. The animal keepers and ground keepers live on site. They take very good care of the animals. Tour is just long enough, about and hr and 15 min tour. 3rd graders enjoyed it and I really enjoyed it. We will be going back as a family!
This place was amazing. I didnt know what to expect but the tour was so fun and informative. It is about 2 hours or so. They show you the animals and their environments as well as where and how they prepare food and medical care. Everyone is so knowledgeable, not just about the types of animals in general but about each specific animal and their names, background, and personality. This is NOT a zoo. They put the safety and care of the animals first. You cant get too close to the fencing and if there is an animal that is too stressed or anxious they will skip them on the tour so as not to stress the animal further. That is why I loved this place. It is truly about the health and safety of the wildlife and not about putting on a show to gouge you for money. Entrance is even by donation. I suggest spending a bit more and donating a healthy amount, it is well worth it.
What a amazing tour and great staff. Only 10-20 people per tour makes this an educational and intimate experience with the animals. The tour was about 2 hours and it is a good walk around the 84 acre faulicity. This animal rescue runs on donations so please dont forget to give a little extra.
Great visit. They are taking so good care about the animals
Its been a few years since I have been here so I took the younger son, who has never been, and we enjoyed the tour for water weekend. Misha was our guide and he was very patient with all the questions from our group as well as very knowledgeable about the facility. A great place to take the family to learn about the crisis of the wild animals who are taken from their homes as well as ways that you can help.
Amazing experience and facility. lots of rescued animals that have found their forever home. Their knowledgeable staff will take you on a tour and share each animal’s unique story. Please get out and support them.
Its a wonderful thing to see people care for animals in the way this facility does. The animals are treated so well and with such respect. I love visiting and seeing how kind the staff is both to animals and visitors alike. The animals really seem happy and its obvious how much love the people who work there have for each animal. I always look forward to my visits! This place is truly incredible.
What a monumental task and achievement for humankind and the planet that places and people like this exist. It might not seem that way some times, but facilities like this may be the differences that keep hope and the animals alive.
This place is amazing. There is so much room for the animals to play, live, and enjoy. They are all well cared for and looked after. It is evident the care takers have the best interests of the animals at heart. Most of these animals were rescued from horrible living conditions or were former pets. The tour is very informative and will give you a background on the animals and their history. It is a $20 dollar per person suggested donation and tours are Sunday and Saturday. Wear comfortable walking shoes and clothes. It is well worth the visit and the donation.
Absolutely fantastic place. The tour was about 90 minutes long and the tour guide was able to give very in depth information about all of the animals making the tour extremely interesting. It was also good to hear the stories behind why all of the animals were there and though many of the stories were sad due to this being a sanctuary it was great to hear that these animals so have a forever home where thier needs are taken care of by a staff that truly cares for them. A wonderful place with a wonderful cause and it is definently worth stopping by and checking it out.
Love this place! Very informative tour. These people really care for and about these animals. Keep up the good work!
We really did not know what to expect and if you did not know you were going there, you may just pass it. We were very impressed with the care they take of these animals that have struggled with abuse and neglect. I was extremely impressed by our guide and her attention to ensuring that the animals were comfortable with us being there which is the reason for only 2 tours a day. They are dedicated to making this stop in the lives of all these animals the absolute best that they can. My son who is 13 now wants to donate his time and food to help care for them. Thank you IEAS for doing all you do.
Great experience visiting the sanctuary today. Put tour guide/intern Jess did a fabulous job describing all the animals as well as the sanctuary. You can really tell the animals are very well taken care of.
Not exactly what you would expect for an animal sanctuary. I went expecting a pleasant walk through acres of wildlife rescue habitats, but instead we rarely saw any animals because they were hiding and did not want to be seen. The tour guide was quite unpleasant and cut the tour short because she was hot. I will not be going back and I wouldnt recommend it unless you just want to see trees and animal enclosures.
Educated and caring people. Had an informative tour ,saw bears, tigers, wolves, and others up close but Odin, the lion, didnt put in an appearance. Was a bit disappointed not to see anyone interacting with an animal as saw that online. An interesting part of the tour is the nutrition room.
I needed to photograph a bear for a photomontage series I was working on and found this sanctuary. This is a beautiful, wide ranging haven for these animals. The caretakers are very loving and knowledgeable, and treat the animals with the utmost respect. A great place for adults and kids to spend an afternoon on a guided tour.
We finally visited IEAS after supporting them for years.The sanctuary covers 80 acres of woodland of which 50 are in use with the remainder being kept for future expansion needs. The trails wind between the various habitats allowing visitors to view the animals from all sides. The animals are well cared for and socialized and are a credit to the staff and volunteers.Our guide filled gaps in our knowledge and clearly had a love of the animals and her job.We were a little disappointed that the ocelot and cheetah declined our invitation to come out and show themselves, but that was their prerogative.We visited the kitchen and were impressed by the care taken to tailor the needs of the individual animals to their ages and conditions.Odin is truly the king of all he surveys, in magnificent condition and seemingly unconcerned by the groups in relatively close proximity.Thank you IEAS for all you are doing to give these animals a home.
We had an amazing experience at IEAS today! Our guide Lauren (Laura?) was exceptional! You could tell she loved her job, and was extremely knowledgeable about each animal, including names, and how they came to be at IEAS. I loved hearing those stories. (So sad how some ended up there) Our group included, a 40 yr old , a 69 yr old, and 3 boys ages 7, 10 & 10. We all loved our tour and talked about how awesome it was over lunch and all the way home (& surely for years to come). The only improvement I could see is they need to advertise more. I’ve lived in FW all my live and never heard of it, so glad I found IEAS on Google. We will be back for sure! Please go support this great sanctuary!
Take the time to visit and support this 501(c)(3) in Rhome, Texas. They are doing amazing work in humanely housing lions, tigers, AND bears... Oh my.They usually do 1 to 2 tours per day and the suggested donation is $20. It a walking tour on some varying terrain, so keep that in mind.
IEAS is an amazing facility that really cares for the wildlife and protects them. They are a nonprofit organization that holds up to a very high standard of care. If you have a day off or some free time, take a drive out there and you will not be disappointed by the result.
Visit was amazing. Animals are well cared for by the staff like they were family pets. Staff is knowledgable about the animals regardless of their length of experience with the sanctuary. 100% recommend to all ages.
Went about a year ago with my daughters school class. I did not know what to expect but I was impressed. These people do great things here, so much that I donate through Amazon smile. If you use Amazon use the smile option and donate to this cause. 😍
This place was really fun they have 5 white tigers and one of them was named Karen
An incredible little jewel in Boyd, TX these folks are really doing great things to provide safe habitats for animals without homes. Lose exotic animal laws in Texas has resulted in the state being the number 1 location of animals like the tiger world wide! But really not a positive as most have NO IDEA how to care for a tiger or many of the other exotic animals who find their way to call the IEAS home. Consider donating or visiting to this amazing home of these amazing animals.
The animals were beautiful you learned so much as you do the tour
This place is awesome! If there is a cause you want to contribute to, I highly suggest this one. The animals are well taken care of, their habitats were clean and efficient, and the staff were knowledgeable and friendly.
It is much better than a zoo because you can see all the animals close up. But go in the summer on an afternoon because all the animals are asleep in the morning. Since its outside, on winter days, it tends to be cold outside.
It was a nice and sad place. They give you a lot of Information and do well taking care of the animals. However I wish the living conditions could be better for some but they do all they can for the animals and really care for them. All the more reason to donate and tell others about it.
Really cool to see places like this. Non profit, great minded, goal oriented people who are making a difference with the animals. Be sure to donate when you do visit. By doing so youre making a difference as well.
Great tour. I learned a lot from our tour guide. They have a lot more animals than I expected. I highly recommend it.
Is this a zoo or a sanctuary? I feel so bad these animals are kept enclosed!! will they be going back to the wild ? they only get to wal within that certain area thats enclosed right? throughout their lives? thats really sad.. what kind of activities do thse animals have besides just being inside the enclosed area sleeping..
Fascinating!!! Tour guide was amazing with the kiddos we brought. The entire experience was educational and interesting.
We had the tour guide Sarah, and she was an amazing tour guide! But we had a great time, and I suggest you go there and take the tour!
This place was so amazing but i saw something no one should have seen!
Its a bit rough. Not like a zoo. Bring hiking shoes and get a very personal tour from those who actually take care of the animals.
Fantastic views of big cats, bears and other exotic animals. Amazingly knowledgeable staff who do great work with the animals.
Very informative tour guides, lots of good photo opportunities with the animals; very worthy of your time and support
I dreamed of being a wild animal doctor with my wildlife and fisheries management degree in the future to care for the animals there.
Great place to visit. Such an awesome place for exotic animals needing forever homes.
An amazing experience. our guide Mishka was highly intelligent and you could tell he loved what he did.
IEAS is a wonderful asset. The animals are well cared-for in safe and comfortable enclosures.
It was awesome. I had fun and the animals were really adorable. 10/10 skating lion.
If you love animals, this is a must visit! They rescue exotic animals from all over the US.
The tour was great and the guide was knowledgeable. The only downside was it was a bit rushed.
I like Derek he is funny and I love the Tigers and my favorite are the Luka jokes I love them
Great place for a fun family day my family really enjoyed all the animals.
Amazing place. One must understand that it is NOT a zoo. it is a sactuary.
Knowledgeable staff, large enclosures for the animals, and a very affordable experience!
Amazing experience!! The animals are very well cared for.
Very informative and interactive. Despite the season we did get to see some 🐻 up and at em.
They cut out the community from coming in unless we pay them monthly. Lame. I bet y’all go under.
Great place to visit if youre interested in getting an exotic pet
The place was reasonable but the guy who walked us through was extremely rude, and he was yelling at us to hurry up when we were using the bathroom.
Its an awesome place with Majestic Cats!!
I love this place. Its good to see rescues that take care of their animals
Amazing experience!!
Great and caring facility. Worth visiting.
Great place for learning.
Beautiful animals were in good shape and healthy.
Awesome tour and wonderful sanctuary!
Wonderfully knowledgeable guides, and exotic animals.. Whats not to love??!
Its was GREAT! TOUR GUIDE WAS VERY INFORMATIVE
An awesome organization and very educational tour.
Sanctuary was great, staff was knowledgeable and passionate.
Beautiful animals, and very informing!!
Love this place. Great outing!
Loved our tour!
Awesome.
One plank at a time dot com
Really fun place
Awesome beautiful exotic
Way cool place
Was a great time!!!
This place is great
Awesome staff
There was nothing an hour driving and there was nothing
Great experience, i love the tour
Total reviews rating 4.7
88 Reviews for The Wild Animal Sanctuary-TEXAS - FKA -International Exotic Animal Sanctuary 2023:
Review №1
2021-04-12We had a wonderful tour of the sanctuary and the staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. They really care for the animals and seem to put a lot of effort into providing a comfortable environment for them.
Review №2
2020-01-03Such an interesting place. Tours are about 2 1/2 hours long. The tour guide is a volunteer and she was so very informative. We really enjoyed it and will be back. Such a beautiful thing how well taken care of the animals are.
Review №3
2018-10-03This facility truly cares about their animals! Lisa, our tour guide, was so passionate and knowledgeable about the animals, it made the experience so much better! There was just 2 of us, so she let us spend a little more time with the cheetah which I really appreciated since cheetahs are my favorite animal. 2 hour tour for a 0.6 mile walk and they are donation based. Bring some water or buy one for $1 and good walking shoes. They have 31 bears here as well! All the animals seemed content and well cared for. I cannot say enough good things about this place so just come and visit!!
Review №4
2020-02-17It an amazing place filled with rescued animal and great people working there. They have dozens of tigers, lions, bears and pack of about a dozen wolves a long with many other animals. The great thing is I live close so Evey night I hear the tigers and lions roar and the wolves howling.
Review №5
2018-10-19There is an emphasis on sanctuary here. I loved hearing about the animals, where they came from, and how they are cared for. There is a good chance you will not see that many animals as it is their place to live, not yours to visit and see them on display. Come to learn about the animals, do not expect it to be a zoo!Can be hot during the summer so bring water, hats, and sunscreen!
Review №6
2018-03-14This is a great way to spend a couple of hours! The tour is very well organized, the tour guide (Misha) was extremely knowledgeable and friendly with kids, and the animals all look happy. It’s larger and more professional than I thought would be in our own backyard of DFW!
Review №7
2017-11-22This place was really cool. The tour is donation based and when we went it was a suggested $20 each. They have a cute gift shop that sells water, stuffed animals, and photos. The tour is 2 hours long and you get to see tons of big cats and bears. We rrally enjoyed seeing the animals relatively closely (6 ft away), and learning about their feeding habits. A tip for parents: This place is good for well behaved kids, but not really young kids (you often have to walk single file past an animal or remain a certain number of feet from an enclosure). Its super educational, and the kids on our tour really enjoyed themselves.
Review №8
2017-01-24We visited on a Friday 11am tour before Christmas. It was an awesome experience. I had learned about this through an tiger rescue mentioned on Animal Planets show The vet life. It is the best kept secret in the DFW area. We frequently are at Texas Motor Speedway and it was only 15 minutes from there. It is donation only experience with recommendation of $20/adult. The tour was as described. It was a lot of walking but great experience to learn more about the bears, cats, and other animals that have been rescued. I have changed my Amazon Smile over to support them.
Review №9
2020-02-26Great place, with great intentions. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit, and our kiddo absolutely loved it. They dont charge admission, but ask that everyone that comes for a tour make a small donation. With most of the animals that are there, they will give you some insight as to how they wound up taking them in. You can tell the animals are well cared for, and they all seem quite content. Being able to get as close as you do, you cant get that at a zoo. Definitely recommend going, and seeing these beautiful animals.
Review №10
2019-03-13Awesome. Remember this a sanctuary, not a zoo. They are there to give these animals as best a remaining life as they can have in captivity. While they also give tours, the tour is secondary. Having said that, the tours are also great. Our tour guide we had was great. You can tell she really is there for the animals. Highly recommend her but can’t remember her name :) It’s 2+ hours so make sure you can walk that long and pick a nice day.