Site Map
|
Where is the new Black Pine located? Is Black Pine Animal Sanctuary a zoo? Can I visit with my children under 10 years of age? What if I don't want to take a staff-guided tour? Why can't children under 10 years of age attend the Feeding Tours? What if my children under 10 years of age REALLY want to see animals eat? Does it cost anything to visit? What kinds of animals can I see? Can other zoo passes be used at Black Pine? Do you offer any food concessions?
Is Black Pine Animal Sanctuary a zoo? Black Pine is located at 1426 W. 300 N. in Albion, which is due west of the stoplight at the intersection of State Roads 8 and 9 about 1.5 miles. In town, the road is called West Main Street, and is an extension of State Road 8 (that technically ends at the stoplight). Google Maps is the best online resource for accurate driving direction assistance. For more information, visit our own Driving Directions page.
Is Black Pine Animal Sanctuary a zoo? No. Black Pine is similar to a zoo in that visitors can see many different kinds of animals in various outdoor exhibits. What makes Black Pine different from a traditional zoo is that the animals that reside here were not acquired for exhibition or breeding programs. Our residents are not allowed or encouraged to multiply. Most of our residents were born and raised in captivity either as pets or performers. In many cases the animals have experienced intimate relationships with their human caregivers, which enables visitors to Black Pine to observe them more intimately than most zoo animals. Most of our residents would not be accepted by zoos because they can not participate in breeding programs due to lack of records proving the quality of their genetics; or zoos simply do not want or "need" them so will not accept them. In many cases, Black Pine is an animal's "last chance". Our animal residents all have names and personal histories that our staff love to share with visitors. The animals enjoy relationships with the staff who care for them and will almost always come up close to see who is visiting. In some cases, there may be opportunities for safe and responsible interaction with llamas, goats, or small reptiles, but never with potentially dangerous animals. Our knowledgeable, caring volunteer staff are always on hand to answer visitor questions and ensure they can really see the animals! We also offer staff-guided tours each day of our regular summer season as well as field trips by appointment. We strive to provide excellent animal care above and beyond all else.
What is the sanctuary's mission? Black Pine Animal Sanctuary exists to give rescued and retired exotic animals a safe haven, and to educate people about exotic and endangered species and responsible pet ownership. We hope that our programs enable us to plant a seed of awareness in people to positively impact the conservation and preservation of exotic and endangered species and their natural habitats.
Black Pine was originally founded on a 12.5 acre site, but in December 2006 moved to a new 18 acre site. The current site features a beautiful pine forest and gently rolling hills. Here you will meet over 75 animals representing over 45 species from around the world, many of which are endangered. A typical family will spend at least one hour exploring the sanctuary, and our staff-guided tours (with question and answer opportunities at each exhibit) last from 90 minutes to two hours.
Black Pine is busy year-round with staff on hand every day of the year. To review visitor options by date, please use our online "Plan Your Visit" tools by clicking here. Otherwise, the following may help answer your questions...
Can I visit with children under 10 years of age? Yes. We recommend children under 10 years of age visit during a weekday between Memorial Day and Labor Day at 11:00 a.m. or 3:00 p.m., or on a weekend from May through October at 11:00 a.m. in order to attend a staff-guided tour of the entire sanctuary at no additional cost. However, the only "restricted" tours are the Feeding Tours offered twice a week, at 3:00 p.m. on weekends, during the summer season. School field trips are generally held in May and September, with program options described here. Children will be expected to behave appropriately at all times while visiting, which means no running, yelling, imitating animal behaviors, and other such rules to ensure the animals are not adversely affected.
What if I don't want to take a staff-guided tour? Staff-guided tours are not mandatory, however we do recommend them strongly for first-time visitors to ensure the best chance of seeing all of the animals and hearing their intriguing and informative personal histories. Much of our mission is aimed at educating our visitors about WHY Black Pine exists, so our guided tours are an important component. If you choose not to take a staff-guided tour we will provide a self-guided tour map, a brief orientation to rules and expectations, and you may enjoy exploring on your own while our staff monitors and assists as needed. Please be mindful that on weekends during the summer season self-guided tours will end at 3:00 p.m. when the staff-guided feeding tour begins, so plan to arrive before 2:00 p.m. to ensure plenty of time to see the entire sanctuary before the grounds become 'restricted' to only those attending the Feeding Tour.
Why can't children under 10 years of age attend the Feeding Tours? For a few reasons... first, the Feeding Tour is long, lasting up to two hours, which in our experience is sometimes a challenge for younger kids to remain engaged and not become disruptive. The animals are at their most 'volatile' awaiting their meals, delivered during this tour, and can become quite aggressive towards children as well, which is not a behavior we want to encourage or reward. The tour content can be graphic, animal carcasses are often fed out to the big cats. Often the tour content is geared to adults to share important facts about the exotic pet trade, how Black Pine operates, how the sanctuary is funded, and more - important elements of our non-profit mission. These kinds of topics are not typically of interest to young children. Feeding Tours are a 'reward', too, for many of Black Pine's long-time supporters who enjoy the opportunity to tour without interruption or distraction that younger children sometimes bring. Tours are restricted by age only two times a week, so there are 12 other opportunities each week during summer for families with all ages to enjoy a staff-guided (or self-guided) tour, so out intention is NOT to 'ban' kids!!
What if my children under 10 years of age REALLY want to see animals eat? We are more than happy to deliver meals, treats, or other interactive enrichment to the animals during your visit to Black Pine. All you need to do is ask any of our friendly and knowledgeable staff if they will help you see something special! Our volunteers are the most dedicated, caring, and compassionate crew of animal caregivers anyplace, and they will be delighted to help make your visit 'special'. Please feel free to call ahead if planning for a special occasion, or just advise at the front gate when you arrive, if there is anything special you hope to see during your visit. We will always do our very best to accommodate.
For the most current season, hours, and admission information, click here.
Does it cost anything to visit? Yes. As much as we wish we could allow everyone to visit for free or at a discount, it is our nominal program fees that make providing a forever home for our residents possible. We generate over 75% of our funding through tour fees and do not rely on any tax funding, or large annual grants for operating funds. Our annual fundraising events help supplement our income. We hope that once you've made a visit to the sanctuary and taken a tour you'll agree our admission fee is money well spent!
What kinds of animals can I see? We pride ourselves on being able to provide the opportunity to observe big cats, bears, canines, primates, reptiles, birds, grazing animals, and many more. Visitor favorites are the tigers, leopards, lions, wolves, monkeys, and Tarzan, Indiana's only resident chimpanzee! Click here to learn more about our animal residents, a family that is continually growing and changing!
From time to time we have animals that, when safe for both the animal and our visitors, we will allow you to touch and see up close but always with supervision and/or safety barriers in place. Do not expect, however, to touch large carnivores or other dangerous animals. With education being a very important part of our mission we try our best to provide an experience that is interactive and fun for all ages - and above all appropriate! Even if you cannot touch the big cats and bears, you will see them in a much more intimate setting than you may imagine.
Yes, and we have two that are available for use at no charge, first-come, first-served. The sanctuary's visitor paths are recycled asphalt. The staff can also provide tours via golf cart if requested. Motorized chairs are also welcomed. Please inquire upon admission if you need assistance.
Can other zoo passes be used at Black Pine? No, but we do offer our own Park Pal memberships, senior discounts, and a variety of specials throughout the summer. Black Pine is a not associated with any zoo. Consult our Events & News page for upcoming specials. You might also search the internet for various coupon offers that may be available.
Yes! But we do ask that none of the film or photos be used for commercial purposes without our expressed written consent!
It is important to understand that Black Pine is not set up specifically to entertain children, for the sake of filling time, or for burning off excess energy. Our field trip program is an educational one, not a recreational one. Our hope is that children will visit with their families and/or classrooms to learn respect for animals and how to be responsible pet owners when they grow up.
We do not provide a playground or food concessions. We frown upon bringing children to Black Pine if the goal is to let them burn off steam, and we do not allow running, noisemaking, or other such behavior that might disturb the animals or other guests. For those children who love animals, and parents who wish to instill in their children a respect for animals, we offer an unparalleled opportunity to observe them in a very intimate setting. Perhaps more importantly, we encourage children to ask questions of our keepers to learn about the animals and what it takes to keep them healthy, both in captivity and in the wild. We highly recommend bringing children for regular tours during our summer season, offered 12 times a week without any age restrictions! We also recommend our various field trip educational programs, offered for schools and other educators, typically booked by appointment in May and September.
We host over 2,500 children on field trips each year, and highly recommend group tours for classrooms and other youth groups. Click here for more information.
Do you offer any food concessions? At this time, Black Pine offers beverages (vending machine) and may occasionally have light snacks available. Visitors are welcomed to pack snacks or a full picnic and enjoy use of our covered picnic pavilion and tables at no charge. (Please, no alcohol, straws, or party balloons allowed.) If you are planning for a larger group to visit and picnic, please call ahead so we may help ensure the picnic facilities are not double-booked, or advise of other options if they are already being used.
|
Contact Us