Busch Wildlife Sanctuary — Attraction in Jupiter

I am deeply disappointed by the recent changes to the sanctuary. Having visited both the old and new versions, the stark contrast between the two experiences left me disheartened.

The old sanctuary was a haven for both animals and visitors alike. It boasted ample space for the animals to roam freely and enjoy a more natural habitat. The presence of abundant shade provided comfort to the animals during hot days, allowing them to seek refuge from the sun whenever they pleased. It felt like a true sanctuary, where the well-being of the animals and their connection to nature were paramount.

In contrast, the new sanctuary feels like nothing more than a caged zoo. The spaciousness that once defined the habitat has been drastically reduced, and the animals now seem confined to smaller enclosures. It's disheartening to witness these majestic creatures living in what appears to be cramped quarters.

The absence of shade in the new sanctuary is glaringly obvious. The animals no longer have the luxury of escaping the sun's harsh rays, which must be distressing for them. It's painful to see such a drastic change from the previous sanctuary, where shade was abundant and the animals had the freedom to move about comfortably.

The old sanctuary had a certain charm to it, with its natural wood chip paths and jungle-like atmosphere. Walking through the sanctuary, you truly felt like you were immersed in the heart of a tropical rainforest, with the sights and sounds of the wild all around you.

The transformation into the new sanctuary has not only diminished the quality of life for the animals but has also taken away the enchanting experience that visitors used to enjoy. It no longer captures that sense of being in a jungle, and the ambiance has been lost.

In conclusion, I cannot help but express my disappointment at the changes made to the sanctuary. It has shifted from being a place of serenity and natural beauty to feeling like a confined zoo. I sincerely hope that efforts will be made to restore some of the old sanctuary's features, providing the animals with more room and shade while recreating the enchanting atmosphere that once made it a truly special place for both animals...

Imagine advocating that you love, care and help animals, but then you do the complete opposite. Welcome to Busch Wildlife where they profit off of animals being stuck in a cage for their whole life. The whole point of rehabilitation is to set these animals free afterwards, nope. The poor animals stuck in cages will always be stuck in there. All the birds and owls have zero room to fly the cages are small and pathetic. The large mammals pant from the heat and pace the cages stressed. There’s no trees here, it’s all fake uncanny valley vibes. I live very close to them and over the past weekend we had a bobcat attack. Killed one of our beloved goats, and severely injured one of our emus. I drove as fast as I could to the “SANCTUARY” to get help as they have all the equipment and knowledge to help save our emu from dying. I walked into the rehabilitation center and was greeted by a grumpy old hag who told us “we can’t do anything for you, it’s not a native species, only thing we could possibly do is euthanize him for you” okay because my boyfriends family has donated thousands of dollars here and they even have a plaque somewhere and we’re literally neighbors, who cares if our emu isn’t native? We’re not asking you to take him?? We’re asking you as a neighbor to help us with our pet emu who is literally on the verge of death, after all my family has donated to you all you can say is, we can’t do anything for you??!?! The lack of empathy and compassion. Any REAL ANIMAL LOVER / DOCTOR would have helped save our emu. Pathetic. If I was an employee or doctor there I would have helped immediately. We would have paid for any medical help that isn’t the issue. Although all the money we’ve donated to you would have covered the cost times 20. Your place looks like a zoo. It’s embarrassing and disgraceful. Don’t associate yourself with Florida, we don’t want you. If you really cared about Florida wildlife you wouldn’t profit off of them being in cages. You’d treat and release all of them. And if you really cared about animals in general, you would have helped save your...

I rate Busch Wildlife Sanctuary 5 stars for the incredible work they do for animals. I don't mean to detract from that at all.

As far as being a tourist attraction, however, I have to give a significantly lower rating. I really wanted to give a higher rating. I absolutely loved Busch Wildlife Sanctuary's previous location and enjoyed going there and donating for many years. The old location was magical: you felt like you were exploring a secluded section of jungle within Florida's natural wilderness, because that's exactly what it was. The feeling of the old location perfectly fit the name "sanctuary". You felt like a visitor in the animals' natural habitats.

The new location is a stark contrast: while it is well-constructed, it feels like just that: a constructed zoo, not a natural, wild, habitat. It has lost the charm of the old location. The mature tree canopies, mulch paths, and unobtrusive enclosures of the old location have been replaced with unshaded, exposed concrete walkways between standalone enclosures.

I've visited the new location for the past two years in a row, and both times it was unbearably hot and sunny, even in February. Since my last visit, they put up some expansive umbrellas in strategic locations along the walkways to provide some shelter. These are very welcome, but sadly not enough to alleviate the problem that there simply isn't enough tree cover throughout the grounds.

I'm disappointed to write a critical review, because I love this place, its mission, and the wonderful work they do for injured animals. But it's simply not pleasant to visit, due to the lack of relief from the sun, even in the winter. Maybe in 20 years it will be better, when the young trees they planted will have matured and grown a nice canopy. In the meantime, I would encourage them to explore affordable ways to provide additional relief from the sun...