Newport Discovery Zoo

"Cages were not cleaned. Cages were not locked. One of the birds has seemingly ripped its own feathers out from stress. The chinchillas are kept in a hot and tiny container. There were a half dozen ferrets sharing a single tiny cage. There were turtles just walking around that could get stepped on. The animals that are roaming fight each other regularly. The animals bite visitors. There's feces everywhere. It honestly seems like animal abuse."

"The staff were very friendly, and I absolutely stand behind what they do for the animals that they take in. Every animal is some type of rescue. Our experience was fun and adventurous, and we got to see and touch and pet all kinds of different animals which was really great. The downside for us is the cost is a bit high and when you have a large family like mine, seven kids and my wife and I, it comes very expensive. They gave us a group discount which they didn’t have to and we were very grateful for however, on a normal basis I don’t know if I would come back just because of the cost versus the experience. Awesome place awesome people really cool animals that you can be a close and personal with."

"Visited today and did the all inclusive experience. It was so worth it. I think people who see "zoo" get confused when in reality they are an animal shelter. They have lots of animals, most you can pet and feed fresh vegetables to that you get when you check in. The inclusive experience was worth it for private one on one time with select animals. I can see where some people become negative about the place if they think they're going to a zoo and don't do their research to see what this place is really about. The animals are pretty friendly and you can tell they're looked after (they love people!), the animals look pretty healthy and I like I said get fed fresh veggies and also hay/pellets/etc so they're definitely eating. Yeah it can get a little messy (they're animals come on) but the staff were raking and trying to keep in as clean as possible. My only criticism is the crowd. It gets crowded fast! I'd recommend doing timed entry slots for everyone not just the experiences as it would give the animals a bit more room and help it stay cleaner, plus a little less chaos with less people. Other than that, the staff cares. They're super knowledgeable about the animals too which is pretty cool."

"Great little stop in the Aquarium Village. Staff was helpful and friendly. If you're looking a unique little experience in Newport, this is it! My fiance fell in love with the Patagonian Maras"

"I’ve gone here multiple times, and every time I’m on the verge of tears. This place is so unclean, unsafe, and just all around horrible. In their “reptile room” they have venomous snakes in simple basic tanks sitting on the ground…. They have turtles and tortoises just walking around, and one was stuck under a shelf that I had to help and remove. The alligator and turtle tanks were so green you couldn’t see through it, and half the animals looked dead. I don’t see how this place is still open, and do not recommend it to anyone."