I'm really sorry to have to give this place a one star. I personally came about a month ago and had a BLAST. It was so much fun to play with a variety of adorable playful animals and the staff were very gentle and kind and didn't force the animals to do anything. They encouraged but didn't force them to interact with the visitors, and were very careful about hygiene. There was a baby wallaby that one staff member swaddled like a baby so lovingly.

However, this week, one of my good friends took her daughter there. Her daughter is a mature, adult woman, but was developmentally delayed growing up. Unfortunately, upon arrival, the staff told her that her daughter would not be allowed to enter the meerkat enclosure in the center because she is "disabled" and they were afraid she would yell, pull or squeeze the meerkats or harm them. They said she would be allowed to interact with all the other animals, just not the meerkats. My friend's daughter had been SOOOO excited and looking forward to this visit for many weeks because of the pictures and review I had sent them.

Can you imagine the pain and disappointment to be turned away because of how she looks? Her daughter is one of the kindest, sweetest, and most gentle young lady I've ever met.

I am also well familiar with the meerkat enclosure rules because I was just there, and I followed all of them myself. In fact, while I was there, one young man did not follow the rules - he kept his wallet in his pocket despite being told to remove everything from his pockets. He was kicked out of the enclosure and not allowed back in.

I would be more than happy to bet you $1 million US dollars my friend's daughter would respect and follow all the meerkat enclosure rules to a T. She is so much more mature than even many other adults I know. She is not a child. She is in control of her own body and mind. And she is beautiful inside and out.

I was really furious and disappointed when I heard my friend's report because the staff judged her daughter based on her looks alone. It was extremely humiliating for both of them, as they have not experienced such overt discrimination based on looks in many years.

I really hope that the staff of Meerkat Friends would reflect upon this situation (I am sure they will remember this incident) and consider how they judge other people based on their looks. I understand if you want to restrict little kids and babies from entering the meerkat enclosure, or people who have Asperger's or are prone to seizures or sudden jerky movements, etc, but perhaps you should not assume these things about people. Their caretaker will tell you if that is the case. But this young lady was none of the above, and I am sure the meerkats would have loved her more than many other visitors.

Please don't judge and discriminate people by their looks anymore, and I will change this rating to 5 stars.