Animal Encounters

Have you ever wanted to take your favorite zoo animal home with you? What if a zookeeper could answer all of your wild questions? Now you can! Choose from a variety of species to join you live in your home or classroom with our new Sofa Safaris, presented by Cardi's! With times to fit any schedule, now is your chance for a truly wild and personal encounter. Each Sofa Safari will be conducted live over Zoom with a zookeeper and your choice of animal. Get a whole new perspective on some of your favorite zoo residents with close views you can’t even get at the zoo!  Each encounter will last about 15 minutes and will give you a whole new perspective of some of your favorite zoo residents with close views you can’t even get at the zoo! Plus, each Sofa Safari you book gets you an entry into a monthly contest to win a $250 Cardi’s Furniture & Mattresses gift card!

Cost: 

• Non-members: $160 for up to 10 screens, $30 to add 5 additional screens
• Member’s: $150 for up to 10 screens, $25 to add 5 additional screens

Capacity: 20 screens This limit is to ensure that the experience remains interactive. For groups larger than 20, please reach out to us to help plan your experience.

Times: Please see below for full schedule.

Please note: At this time, we cannot add animals or exhibits that are not currently listed. See cancellation policy (below) before booking.

To book or for more information contact DJ Hill at djhill@rwpzoo.org or (401)-785-3510 ext. 352

Cancellation Policy: 

All animals have the choice to engage with us. While we do everything we can to ensure a scheduled encounter takes place at the time and exhibit discussed, we reserve the right to change the location, reschedule or cancel the encounter. If the event is cancelled by Roger Williams Park Zoo for any reason, we will attempt to reschedule your encounter. If the event is cancelled by you or your organization or because the necessary requirements are not met, the cancellation policy is as follows:

• At least 2 weeks notice: You will be eligible for a full refund.
• At least 1 week notice, but less than 2 weeks: 75% of your payment is eligible for a refund.
• Less than 1 week notice but more than 48 hours: 50% of your payment will be refunded.

Less than 48 hours notice: 0% of your payment will be refunded.

Attend a baby well check and interact with our sloth family.  Wrap up your experience with a tour of the rest of our Faces of the Rainforest exhibit. 

Please note, that other animals in the rainforest may not be visible and species availability can change daily depending on their needs and weather forecasts. All tours are rain or shine, except for instances of severe weather or lightning.

Tour groups will be limited to a single booking capped at 6 individuals and ages 5+. Other groups will not be combined with yours. Ample space will be provided for social distancing, which will be enforced between guests from separate households group and zoo staff. All participants will be required to wear a face mask during the entirety of the tour. Due to the nature of the encounter, there are no exceptions.  

Cost:  $250 for the first two participants and $50 for every additional person.

Duration:  45 minutes

Availability: Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 11:15 AM *SOLD OUT

Please note: The zoo is closed to general public on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The waitlist for this program is closed at this time. For questions, contact Beth Caporelli at bcaporelli@rwpzoo.org or (401)-785-3510 ext. 394

RWPZoo Sloth Premium Encounter FAQs:

• Can we purchase food or souvenirs? We are switching to new winter hours! The zoo will be closed to the public on Tuesday and Wednesday. Due to the zoo closure, The Discover the Wild Gift Shop and our other concessions will be closed for the day.
• What should we wear? Because this program is rain or shine, you should dress for the weather. Closed toe shoes are required, and comfortable walking shoes are strongly encouraged.
• Will we see the whole zoo? This premium encounter includes only our sloth family and the Faces of the Rainforest Exhibit. If you wish to visit the rest of the zoo on our closed days, please check out our Insider Tours!
• Do you need to provide contact information for every person in your party? When making the reservation we will collect contact info from that guest. When you arrive, we will collect basic contact information from at least one person in every household for the purpose of contact tracing. This information will not be used in any other way.
• What if I have a medical condition, do I still need to wear a mask? Due to the nature of this special experience, and for the safety of you, your guides, and our animals, we must require masks for all visitors over the age of 2.
• What age restrictions are in place for the Insider Tour? Guests ages 5 and up are able to come and be a part of our encounter and must be accompanied by an adult.  
• We have changed our minds; can we get a refund?
  • Cancellations of more than 2 weeks in advance of your booked tour are eligible for a full refund.
  • Cancellations with notice of at least one week, but less than 2 are eligible for a 75% refund.
  • Cancellations made with less than one week, but more than 48 hours are eligible for 50% refund.
  • Cancellations made with less than 48 hours notice are not eligible for any refund in whole or in part.
• Where do we check in? Please refer to your confirmation email for your specific check-in location and time! You can email bcaporelli@rwpzoo.org with further questions. Please be sure to include the name on the reservation as well as the date and time of your tour.
• Is the Rainforest building accessible? The Rainforest building is wheelchair accessible.
• What if I am feeling ill? We ask that any guests that feel unwell or have any symptoms of COVID-19 (including cough, fever, or shortness of breath), they kindly stay home.

Enjoy a special meet and greet with our animal keepers, and feed the star of the show, harbor seal Bubba.

Dates/Times: TBD
Price: $25 per participant; $20 for current RWP Zoo members

Please note: Guests must be age 5 or older to participate, and children ages 5-11 must be accompanied by a paying adult.  The seal feeding area is not wheelchair accessible. Registration required.