Free to be Wild Sanctuary — Local services in Bulawayo Province

Overall we loved seeing the animals! That was the highlight. Why I will not give it 5 stars is not even because of the sanctuary, but how the staff that was on duty that time we came treated us. It was like they werent prepared for our arrival (of which they do state that first tour starts at 9am). They let us in at 9:30am, and did not even apologise for the delay but the lady who was collecting the money from us told us we came too early!! If you say you open at 9am surely we should be let in at 9 or even latest 10 minutes after is understandable. To make matters worse we were a small group of 2 families. We were not expecting to be let in before 9am at all.

Then the tour guide on duty that day seemed irritated by our presence, and it was just an unpleasant experience for us. The animals are what made it better for us! Had it not been for the other family that was present, we would have left within 5 minutes. Maybe I expected too much from this place but I suggest the staff be trained on customer care/relations.

This sanctuary is beautiful and would have been a better experience had the staff treated us differently. We travelled from far and it was like they didnt care we were there, or we were disturbing them. Especially the tour guide, who is the key person for the experience we were after.

I would still recommend people to visit, but please train all your staff. The staff will make or break this lovely establishment. I give the establishment 5 stars but the overall experience thanks to the two people that were on duty (the lady who collected the money and the male tour guide) it is minus 2 stars. All customers must be treated equally.

Thank you to the rest of the staff who assisted when we got lost, as well as the lovely lady who welcomed us outside and was confident we would be in good hands. A little education on the establishment and how the animals are fostered would also be nice.

I definitely will come back given the chance and would love to have a great overall experience at your...

You have one life - Do it! Really an opportunity of a lifetime to interact with amazing animals. I normally shy away from animal tourism as often it is not in the best interests of the animals. This is far from the truth here: as soon as we entered it was made clear these are wild animals and they have the choice to interact with you or not. You are entering their home and the animals must be respected at all times.

The interactions though are surprisingly frequent and I had some breathtaking moments with Baboons, giraffe and many other wild animals.

The handlers are really caring and knowledgeable, teaching you how to read the body language of the primates and how best to take care of them.

They made sure we always felt safe and welcome, from landing in the airport to sorting out incredible excursions for me (female travelling alone).

The accommodation had everything needed and was a very sociable experience especially at meal times. Food was exceptional!

The ultimate goal of the sanctuary is to get as many of these animals back out in the wild as possible in a way in which they will thrive. I learned a lot about the rehabilitation process and what hard work and time it takes to do this process well.

As breathtaking as the baboons and hoof stock are the resident animals (not fit for release in the wild) such as Katie the warthog, Finley the mongoose, Sheila the Ostrich and Terry the vulture were just as fun to interact with and care for and it was good knowing they had a lovely forever home in the sanctuary.

I couldn't recommend this experience enough - my only regret is not...

I visited Free to Be Wild Sanctuary four years ago. It felt meaningful, rooted in genuine animal welfare, and offered an educational experience that mattered. Returning now, I barely recognized the place, and not in a good way.

What used to be a sanctuary now feels like a glorified petting zoo where the only real goal is getting that perfect shot with a giraffe. If you’re expecting education, context, or any real insight into the animals' stories or the mission behind the sanctuary, you won’t find it here.

There’s no depth, no effort to engage visitors beyond surface-level photo ops. It’s painfully clear that commercialization has taken priority over conservation. What’s worse is the uncomfortable sense that the animals are now props, paraded out for clout in exchange for ticket sales.

I once rated it 5 stars for its heart and purpose. Today, 1 star feels generous.

If you truly care about animal welfare, spend your time and...