Exotic Animal World (Previously Butterfly World) — Attraction in Stellenbosch Local Municipality

I recently visited Exotic Animal World in Stellenbosch and wanted to share my experience. Overall, it was a mixed bag, with some positive aspects and areas where improvement is needed.

Exotic Animal World offers a wide variety of exotic animals, which is a definite highlight. 🐒🐠🦎🐇🐸🐢🐢🐹🦜🐦🐓🕷️🐌 Most of these animals have been surrendered. Getting to see them is a wondrous thing indeed. I'm positive that the owners have a love & passion for rescuing and showcasing these animals. However...

There are a few areas where Exotic Animal World could improve. Firstly, I found the pricing to be quite high. While I understand that exotic animals require specialised care, it would be beneficial to review the pricing structure to make it more accessible to a wider range of customers.

Secondly, the enclosures needs some serious attention! Mice running through the birds food 😮 - surely you can think of some way to keep them out? I understand that having rodents in an establishment like this is a given, but then you must think of ways to keep them away from the food! It's also not hygienic for people? The big Python 🐍 - give it clean water please! All the snakes can do with clean, fresh water. The fish tanks all need cleaning. This includes the axolotl's tanks. Some of the enclosures are too small for the animals you have in them. They all require a good scrub down & enrichment toys or activities for the animals. Your displays are covered in cobwebs - clean them! This includes the shelving behind glass.

Thirdly - this is just a suggestion. Have a staff member or volunteer on the floor to answer questions or to highlight some fun/interesting facts about the animals. Why don't you look at offering a volunteer program? This way you have people on the floor to interact with guests as well as helping hands to clean and maintain the enclosures.

I've been to the previews butterfly 🦋 world many times and I always enjoyed the outing. This time however, I left with a sad heart. The animals don't look happy at all! 💔

I don't recommend this place as it is now, but I do have faith that changes will be implemented. This could truly be such an amazing outing for families, but...

Such a pity about covid restrictions meaning they couldn't import their butterfly pupae from Indonesia I believe... We learned so much about the process from taking to the owner.

It is visible that they are struggling to recover from the financial loss as a result.

They have spent the money on upgrading their animals spaces and expanding their rescued animal selection. Including school critters that could no longer be looked after (because of covid) They also have a newly rescued Fennic fox, and a family of Lemurs, the cutest albino hedgehogs, and a ton of very excited guinipigs and parrots. They are currently building a bunny area, where you can go in and feed them (They are still just busy bunny-proofing all the fences apparently)

More money unfortunately needs to be spent on the existing structures maintenance. And the amphibian area felt like it needed more TlC. With the reduced foot traffic due to no butterflies, my concern is that this will be very difficult ( they even ran a 3 month special or so the last few months to entice people to go again) since December it was basically full price again (tourist season)

All in all, we had a fab family afternoon.

We sadly missed the ice-cream deli that there used to be in the back garden, an old favorite treat of ours for when we go there... But we made up for it with Slushies and milkshakes at the main cafe before we left.

We wish them all the best, such a treasure for the small kids, and the animals are loved. We will be back.

Please go and support Butterfly...

I was disappointed as there were no butterflies in sight - is that why the name changed?? Further the tortoise enclosure was a dismal prison with far too many animals in the small space and insufficient shade and a ground surface that looked like an unkempt building site. Ditto for the poor meerkat population with terrible earth covered in bits of brick stone and chunks of cement. Nowhere to burrow which is their natural wont. They were being fed on scraps of vegetation and that for animals whose diet consists of insects and other small vertebrates. The main enclosure had very little of interest and I feel that this place has deteriorated in the time since I was here last. Despite the many certificates etc on the entrance noticeboard I saw very little knowledge of habitat maintenance. The owl looked just as miserable. The toilet in the enclosure next to the owl needs some maintenance attention as no lights worked. The little restaurant provided fairly good chow and was the highlight...