Animal Encounters
Get wildly connected at the Roger Williams Park Zoo with our fun animal encounters and experiences! Get hands on with our armadillo and tortoise friends at Connection Corner (open seasonally), or meet some of our incredible animals during a private encounter. See below for details!
Get in touch with your wild side! Book a Wild Connection
Join a zookeeper and an animal companion for a one-of-a-kind experience! Learn about our animal friends’ individual personalities, the world-class training and care provided by our dedicated keeper and veterinarian teams as well as what you can do help support animals like them in the wild. All while making a connection that will last a lifetime. All Wild Connection experiences last about 20-30 minutes unless otherwise noted.
Note: This add-on experience does not include admission to the Zoo. Guests must reserve Zoo admission tickets in advance to ensure entry prior to their scheduled experience. We suggest arriving at least 30 minutes early.
2025 Wild Connection Encounters:
Stay tuned – April through June dates open for registration on Monday, March 24th!
Available Encounters:
Have TONS of fun with one of our elephants and a behind-the-scenes experience! Enjoy a look into the elephant barn, get a more up-close and personal view of one of our girls, capture precious memories with a photo op, and chat with our expert keepers! It’s an extraordinary opportunity to connect with elephants in a truly special way.
- Maximum Capacity: 4
- Minimum Age: 12
- Accessibility: Please note that this experience is not wheelchair accessible. Participants have to climb a flight of stairs to access the encounter space. Please call to see what accommodations can be offered.
- Availability: Select Sundays at 12:30pm through the Fall
- Member Pricing: $253.00
- Non-member Pricing: $266.00
Join us in shell-abrating one of the longest-lived species on Earth. As part of this special experience, you will join a zookeeper in the all-new tortoise habitat where you will meet our Aldabra Tortoises! You might even be able to feed these ancient giants or provide some of their daily enrichment during your time together! (Did we mention they love shell and neck scratches? See for yourself here!) You are tort-aly going to love it!
- Maximum Capacity: 4
- Minimum Age: 5 – Children ages 5-11 must be accompanied by a paid adult. One adult must be present for every two children aged 5 – 11.
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Availability: Thursdays and Sundays at 2:00pm
- Member Pricing: $51/per person
- Non-member Pricing: $64/per person
Please note: Aldabra Wild Connections are not guaranteed to be private experiences unless you purchase all available tickets. Smaller groups may be combined with others. Aldabra Wild Connections have limited availability and are only available on Thursdays at 2:00pm. All Wild Connections require advanced reservations. NO EXCEPTIONS CAN BE MADE TO THE DAYS/TIMES OFFERED, AGE RESTRICTIONS, OR FOR WHAT SPECIES ARE AVAILABLE.
Come find out what is really inside of a Camel’s hump at our Dromedary Camel Wild Connection! See just how big these animals are by getting up close and personal and learning about their amazing adaptations from our knowledgeable camel keeper! Don’t worry, we did remind the camels that it is rude to spit in public!
- Maximum Capacity: 4
- Minimum Age: 12
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes. The area may include uneven surfaces. Please contact prior to booking to request accommodations.
- Availability: Select Wednesdays at 2:30 pm
- Member Pricing: $91/per person
- Non-member Pricing: $104/per person
Please note: Smaller groups may be combined with others.
Wild Connections have limited availability and are only available on the days and times listed above and require advanced reservations. NO EXCEPTIONS CAN BE MADE TO THE DAYS/TIMES OFFERED, AGE RESTRICTIONS, OR FOR WHAT SPECIES ARE AVAILABLE.
You may recognize our friend George from one of his enchanting social media posts, whether he was showing off his incredibly boop-able nose or giving us cutest munching noises while enjoying his snacks! Our professional staff will be on hand to answer questions and make sure that everyone, including George, has a wonderful visit!
- Maximum Capacity: 6
- Minimum Age: 5 – Children ages 5-11 must be accompanied by a paid adult. One adult must be present for every two children aged 5 – 11.
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Availability: Sundays at 10:30 am
- Member Pricing: $76/per person
- Non-member Pricing: $89/per person
Please note: Smaller groups may be combined with others. Wild Connections have limited availability and are only available on the days and times listed above and require advanced reservations. NO EXCEPTIONS CAN BE MADE TO THE DAYS/TIMES OFFERED, AGE RESTRICTIONS, OR FOR WHAT SPECIES ARE AVAILABLE.
Bears come in all shapes and sizes! Come meet our friend shaped Moon Bear and learn about their amazing adaptations during a training session behind the scenes of our Moon Bear habitat. Get a closer look on how Moon Bears got their name and learn from our professional and knowledgeable keepers!
- Maximum Capacity: 2
- Minimum Age: 16
- Accessibility: Please note that this experience is not wheelchair accessible. The space is not a large enough area. Please call to see what accommodations can be offered.
- Availability: Thursdays at 10:00 AM
- Member Pricing: $126/ per person
- Non-member Pricing: $139/ per person
Wild Connections have limited availability and are only available on the days and times listed above and require advanced reservations. NO EXCEPTIONS CAN BE MADE TO THE DAYS/TIMES OFFERED, AGE RESTRICTIONS, OR FOR WHAT SPECIES ARE AVAILABLE.
The Zoo is unable to make exceptions to the age restriction. The age restrictions were developed in tandem with Education, Animal Care staff and zoo leadership to ensure the safety of our staff, animals, and visitors. We are unable to make exceptions to these policies. Due to the nature and location of these experiences, we are also unable to offer a “child swap” option.
- Children ages 5-11 must be accompanied by a paid adult. One adult must be present for every two children aged 5 – 11.
- No open food or drink is allowed during the encounter.
- Participants may only feed the animals approved diet under the supervision, and at the discretion of animal care staff.
- Participants will remain with the group throughout the duration of the encounter.
- Footbaths or booties must be used for animal safety at the discretion of the vet team.
- No running or horseplay.
- If, for animal safety, guests need to wear masks, then all guests and staff will be masked for the duration of the experience there will be no exceptions or exemptions made for these.
Wild Connection timeslots are generally released on a quarterly schedule:
- January-March dates are released in December
- April-June dates are released in March
- July-September dates are released in June
- October-December dates are released in September
For other questions or more information you can give us a call at (401)-785-3510 ext. 358, or email us at programs@rwpzoo.org.
Encounters Coming Soon!
Who hasn’t looked at a Red Panda and immediately fell in love? Join one of our keepers as you venture directly into the Red Panda exhibit to meet one of our furry friends! Learn about their day-to-day care, training, and enrichment as you visit with these adorable Himalayan heartthrobs. (Note: Long pants are required for all participants)
- Maximum Capacity: 2
- Minimum Age: 10
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Availability: Fridays at 11:00 AM
- Member Pricing: $176/per person
- Non-member Pricing: $190/per person
CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE.
Please note: At this time, mask use is required during our Red Panda Wild Connection and will be provided by the Zoo. Smaller groups may be combined with others.
All Wild Connections require advanced reservations. Red Panda Wild Connections have limited availability and are only available on Fridays at 11 AM, NO EXCEPTIONS CAN BE MADE TO THE DAYS/TIMES OFFERED, AGE RESTRICTIONS, OR FOR WHAT SPECIES ARE AVAILABLE.
More WILD Encounters
Start your day with a hot breakfast and an unforgettable experience with our keeper staff behind-the-scenes!
OR get wildly connected with our fun virtual animal encounters and experiences! Surprise someone (or yourself!) with a one-of-a-kind virtual encounter.
Are you a homeschool parent or educator? Let the Zoo help support your teaching efforts through programming, resources and events. We design our programs to help families and classrooms explore, discover and observe the natural world. CLICK HERE for more information on these programs and offerings