Connect to Wildlife
The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium is home to more than 8,000 animals representing over 600 species. This includes over 30 species of concern, which means their numbers are threatened, endangered, or even critically endangered. When you participate in a Wild Encounter, you not only get up close and personal with these amazing creatures, but you also help the Zoo support our animals. Go behind the scenes and learn about the personalities that make them unique, see how they live, and how we care for them.
An anteater’s amazing tongue is a wonder of nature! It stretches up to two feet long and is coated with sticky saliva. Take part in feeding and watch it in action and learn all about anteaters and their super snouts!
Days and Times: Mondays at 11:15 AM
Pricing: $80 Per Person
Restrictions: Children must be 8 years or older to participate in this encounter.
Book your encounter!Critter Craze: A family friendly expedition
From slithering snakes to adorable armadillos, this unforgettable, fun-filled adventure for the whole family. Furry, scaly, and fantastic friends await at every turn! Learn about their unique behaviors, habitats, and the importance of conservation efforts to protect these amazing creatures. (Animals will vary based on availability.)
Days and Times: Saturdays at 1:45 p.m.
Pricing: $75
Restrictions: Children must be 5 years or older to participate in this encounter.
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Go behind the scenes and meet our formal feathered friends – the Gentoo and Macaroni penguins! Learn all about these wonderful waddlers and their world.
Days and Times: Sundays/Thursdays at 12:45 PM
Pricing: $125 Per Person
Restrictions: Children must be 8 years or older to participate in this encounter.
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Meet our nine-banded armadillo and tamandua, talk to our expert Ambassador Animal care staff, and learn about rainforest habitats and biodiversity: the important interconnections between people, animals, and planet.
Days and Times: Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, or Thursday at 1:00 p.m.
Pricing: $100 per person
Restrictions: Children must be 8 years or older to participate in this encounter; participant limit of 6 guests.
Book your encounter!Looking for a Wild Encounter at the International Conservation Center in Somerset, PA?
Want a one-of-a-kind proposal experience sure to wow your partner?
Wild Encounter Rules and Participation Requirements
- All participants must follow the rules and restrictions outlined in each encounter, as well as agree to our Zoo Information and Policies.
- Wild Encounters do not include admission. Admission tickets or active Pittsburgh Zoo Membership is required for all participants. Tickets and Memberships may be purchased online in advance or at admission gates.
- Encounters at the Zoo have age requirements listed with the specific encounter.
- All participants under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.
- All participants should wear closed-toe shoes.
- All participants are recommended to have COVID-19 vaccinations and must have a face mask in case it is required.
- Extra health and safety measures, such as gloves and/or temperature checks, may be required during your encounter and will be provided by the Zoo if necessary.
- Touching the animals without explicit direction from a Zoo staff member is not permitted.
- Currently, we are unable to accommodate service animals during Wild Encounters.
- Tickets must be purchased online at least 48 hours in advance.
- If you or a group member have a special need or mobility need, please contact us in advance. Accommodations will be made wherever possible.
- All sales are final. First come, first served.
- Available Wild Encounters are subject to change.
- All Zoo groups will first meet the tour guide at the designated meeting area in the Village of the Zoo
The Zoological Society of Pittsburgh, doing business and hereafter referred to as the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, hosts a Wild Encounter program as a public service at both its Pittsburgh and International Conservation Center locations. While the Pittsburgh Zoo and the staff develop and conduct these encounters with everyone’s safety in mind, animal behaviors can be unpredictable. As such, the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium (the Zoo) is unable to accept liability should an accident occur and participation in its Wild Encounter program is at one’s own risk. It is necessary to have your consent for you and others who may be minors to participate in this program and to demonstrate agreement that the Zoo and its personnel will not be held liable in case of an accident.
The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium reserves the rights to use any and all photographs and videotapes for television, public relations, and/or marketing efforts of the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium.
When purchasing an encounter, you hereby release the Zoological Society of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, the International Conservation Center, its employees, staff, instructors, and other representatives, from any responsibility or liability whatsoever for any injury to persons or property and the consequences thereof, whether known or unknown and foreseen or unforeseen, incurred as a result of participation in this activity.
By purchasing tickets via online form, you agree that you are signing this form electronically and that your electronic signature is the legal equivalent to a manual signature on this form. By submitting the online form, you also agree that no certification authority or other third-party verification is necessary to validate your e-signature and that the lack of such certification or third-party verification will not in any way affect the enforceability of your e-signature.
