Waccatee Zoo

While you want to cry when you see the artic fox in a metal cage in 100 degree heat, you can’t help but love the place. Lots of animals close up, although half are chickens and goats, but still a good variety of animals living out of any natural environment for your viewing pleasure. Look out for spraying lions. more

I am dismayed at the condition that many of the animals here are kept in. It is my understading that Waccatee started out as a bunch of animals kept by a husband and wife and grew into the zoo it is today. Many of the animals are cramped and in totally inappropriate living conditions---like the Arctic Fox that is NOT in any kind of climate-controlled housing--he's in a refurbished rabbit hutch sitting in the middle of the park---and it's not like summers in the south can be called mild or temperate. The animal was just sitting there, panting himself to death in the 100F and higher weather. The gorilla that is their 'mascot' is just....ugh. Same with all the monkeys they house there--the monkeys are in metal cages, no open area for them to run and climb and interact with each other. Anyone who has even a cursory knowledge of simian behaviour would know that monkeys are very social creatures that need interaction with other monkeys as well as large areas to play and climb and call their own territory. All of the monkeys that are at this zoo are obviously suffering from psychological problems. They're anxiety ridden and quite sullen and unlike monkeys I've seen at any other zoo or nature preserve IN MY LIFE. I suppose Waccatee would be better if they just increased the space that they gave their animals. I do not believe a camel should be forced to live in a cage that barely gives him room to walk around. They have a very large open grazing area for the emu and ostriches---why not expand some of the living quarters for the other animals so that they, too, can sort of 'run free' instead of living a pathetic life of confinement. I find this place to be horribly cruel to their animals and I cannot understand why it has not been shut down by some state or federal agency. It is a shame to see animals treated in such an inhumane way, and even more of a shame that the owners of this horror show are profiting from it. SHAME ON YOU. Cannot reccomend this in any way, shape, or form. Only reccomendation is that the animals are liberated and sent to rehab facilities that understand their individual needs and requirements. more

Firstly--- if you are any kind of animal rights activits, PeTA member, vegan or vegetarian, please...please do not subject yourself to the horrors of Waccatee. Honestly. There are so many really horrid things about Waccatee--namley, the living habitats of several of the animals. But there are many wonderful things about Waccatee--namely, the animals themselves. Myrtle Beach, for those of you who don't know, gets very hot and humid in the summertime. When we were there recently, it was over 80 degrees outside. There, in a wood and wire crate with no temperature control (think home-made rabbit hutch) was an artic fox who looked like it was going to croak from heat stroke. It was really bad. THen there's the gorilla that is kept in the metal cage with the TV and broken chair. You're advised to not look at the gorilla, or even take pictures of it, because it's so ornery. The monkeys in general make me very sad. I think because they're so obviously sentient, and in just ratty shacks. No trees to climb on at all--everything here is wood and metal. They don't have large expanses to play in---every animal lives in a relatively small cage (considering their natural desire and to swing and play and move around in an area bigger than your living room) They're given cheap plastic truks to play with and they just look so sad and so unhappy. I don't think that the people who own Waccatee have the skills and facilities necessary to house monkeys. BUT--the rest of the animals look okay. They've got Clyde the camel, the lion that pees on everyone, and a bunch of on-the-loose peacocks that make a noise you'd not expect to come from a peacock. At the front counter, you can buy a big plastic "souvenir" cup full of animal feed for $3. It's not a bad deal. All of the animals, for the most part, love to be fed this mixture of catfood and sunflower seeds, so the zoo is very interactive in that regard. You can pet many of the animals--the baby goats are adorable (as baby goats are required to be). There's a possessive one-horned cattle of some sort in this open grazing area that battles with the emu's over who gets more of your attention. Watch out, though, because they will follow you. The entire way. Seriously. All in All, Waccatee offends some of my most basic thoughts about treating animals humanely. As fun as other parts of it is, I can't believe this place is allowed to stay open. When you go to Waccatee, ask yourself whether it's better that these animals live in squalid conditions and be alive, or to have died living their entire lives (even if short) in the jungle or their natural environment. Waccatee does very little to mimic any "natural" environent and you won't see displays here as much as metal and wire cages. There is no interaction between the animals, and they all live in the same "habitat" regardless of whether they're a South American monkey, or a Canadian Bear, or an African lion. They have no concern for different temperature, shade, sun, and water requirements for different animals. HOWEVER--if that stuff doesn't bother you, I fully reccomend going to Waccatee....you can interact with the animals and the minature horses are just a hoot. Especially when they follow you around. more