Sharkarosa Zoo — Attraction in Pilot Point

A Hidden Gem –

Last Saturday we decided to take a drive up to Sharkarosa Zoo to, ostensibly, just see capybaras. But we left really appreciating the entire experience. So, here’s my review:

1 – The location – It’s in Pilot Point, Texas which is really not near anything. Essentially, you take the North Dallas Parkway north until there is no more parkway, then keep driving. It is really a pretty drive, and the area near the zoo is horse country.

2 – The price – It was $15 per person for adult admission.

3 – The staff and facilities – Both really great. My initial thought was one that may people have when seeing animals in cages – and, yes, all the animals are in wire enclosures. However, I quickly realized that the facility is not a money-making operation, but is a place for rescued animals. All of the facilities – both for animals and humans – were well cared for and clean. Moreover, the staff was very helpful and very friendly.

5 – The animals – First, on their website, they have a list of all of the animals they have. As noted, we came for the capybaras, but that ended up being the end of our visit, not the beginning. This is in large part because we did not realize that the capys are actually right BEFORE you actually enter the ticketed area of the park. It was also because we spent time walking the entirety of the park. Because of the way they get their animals, there is a bit of a random feeling about their placement, but not a big issue. After seeing the may different small primates they have, we went to the hyena, because it was time for her feeding. She is beautiful, and the staff member taught us a lot about the animal as she fed her large chunks of meat and scratched her sides through the cage (explaining all the while about why she was doing what she was doing). We had a similar experience when we next went to the lions and white tiger. We also saw the bears (2 of them) as they lazed around there living space (large as was that for the tiger and lions). We then went to feed some of the animals. When we had entered the park, the ticket person gave us a bag of feed. There is a way to feed the zebras through a tube, and you can hand-feed small cows, goats, camels, and llamas. Again, all of the animals appear well cared for. I know there are issues about zoos, and how animals are kept and the like. I myself am an animal rights advocate. However, there is the reality that sometimes people get animals not realizing that they should not (i.e. the alligator), and sometimes animals need to have a place to grow old (the tiger that came from a circus, and the lions that had medical issues).

6 – Feeding time – I left the capybara part of the review until last because it also explains why capys ended up being at the end of the experience and not the beginning. The zoo posts feeding times for most of the animals, scheduled about 30 minutes apart. As such, while you could go through the entirety of the park in 90 minutes, it really is worth going to see the animals get fed, as the staff is really good about being informative and answering questions. The last feeding of the day was the porcupine and capybaras, so that’s what we saw last. And the staff person who fed them was more than happy to hang around as they ate, answering all of our questions.

Overall experience – It is a great park, especially for kids as they really get to be close to the animals (though the facility really has a lot of safety measures so nobody can get too close), and the entirety of the zoo can be experienced in an afternoon. Again, it is as much a place for animal rescue as it is for being a for-profit zoo (which it is not). Keeping that in mind, it is an excellent experience for both humans...

Friendly and knowledgeable staff, prices for food is reasonable, but many of animals are stuffed in small cages with little to no plants or grass in many cages, mostly just dirt/mid. But I want to highlight the great staff and acknowledge they do seem to truly care about the animals.

The owner mentions in a response to another review regarding the cages that they are up to code, but they seem to be offering the bare minimum to meet code. Almost like they wanted to focus on quantity vs quality when it came to animals.

The bobcats, for example, are in a tiny cage with just dirt and raised cement (foundation wise, they otherwise do have a dog house for a den and some foliage and a bed).

Not sure why the alligator’s cage has concrete at all.

The beautiful white tiger is just in dirt as well with an exposed bed (no privacy) that looks uncomfortable and worn, and I am not exactly sure what to call it, a watering hole that barely fits the tiger in it and it’s dirty. On top of that, it has a wound/missing fur on its arms/elbows probably because it doesn’t have proper foliage/landscaping and a comfortable bed to rest on..

I understand this zoo likely doesn’t have the costs to properly upkeep the animals in every regard and the staff seem to genuinely care for them, but the living conditions for many of the animals are concerning.

Funding is tight I am sure, I only hope that renovations are made to many of these cages whether it be more more foliage, healthy grass installed, privacy for the animals, cage size increased, or something else to improve living conditions. Of course health and food are top priority, but a proper living environment surely contributes to their health. I am sure just adding (healthier) grass to these cages will make a difference for...

We visited Sharkarosa Zoo last weekend and had a fantastic experience, especially for families with young kids.

💙Tickets & savings: Entry is $17 for adults, kids under 2 are free, and for those above 2 years it’s about $10. I highly recommend checking Groupon – I got tickets there for $14 per adult, which helped save a bit.

🩵Opening & parking: They open at 9 am. Parking costs $5, which is reasonable.

❤️ Feeding & interaction: For $10, we got 4 feed cups which let us feed camels, llamas, ponies, ostriches, horses, zebras, goats, pigs, and even reptiles like lizards (lizard feeding had a separate charge). One highlight was getting to pose for a photo with a snake draped on our shoulders – totally safe and guided by staff.

💞Shows & animal care: They have scheduled feeding shows where you can watch the staff feed the tigers, lions, hyenas, alligators, and bears. It’s so interesting to see the animals calmly respond to their names. The feeding times are posted on a board, so plan around them!

The zoo is quite small, but it’s very clean, and you can see they really care for the animals. The staff are incredibly friendly, kind, and welcoming to everyone regardless of background or nationality.

🎊💥 Extra fun for kids: There’s a splash pad which is perfect for hot days, and also parks and swings to keep little ones happy after lunch.

💝Memorable moments: I personally loved watching the squirrel monkeys – they were so lively and mesmerizing that I could’ve spent all day there!

💡 Tip: Even if your budget is tight, supporting places like this really makes a difference – the care and love they show to the animals is worth it.

Overall: It’s a small zoo, but it offers a big-hearted experience. Great for a day out with kids or family. Definitely...