
Wander through the enclosed vivarium and watch as butterflies light on local plants, and caterpillars munch away preparing for their transformations into winged insects. The Panhandle Butterfly House in Navarre offers animal encounters of the insect variety.Veterinarian and Director’s tours cost $100 for up to four people. If you have a budding veterinarian on your hands, take advantage of the Veterinarian or the Director’s Tour, in which participants can learn medical requirements the refuge encounters with their animals and what it takes to run a refuge zoo. Cost is $75 for lion encounter, $50 for sloth encounter and $35 for lemur encounter. Currently available are encounters with Levi the lion, in which guests can participate in conditioning training or you can feed and pet lemurs and sloths. Because of this, the animal encounters are more intimate. Every animal in the refuge has been rescued from an abusive or dangerous living situation and has found a home at this refuge in Crestview. Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge is not just a zoo, but an animal sanctuary.Behind-the-scenes encounters must be booked one week in advance.

Hippo tour includes train ride ticket as well. The tour is 30 minutes long, and the price includes all-day admission to the zoo. Participants get the opportunity to feed and water the animals and learn about how each lives and breeds. Cost is $75 per person with a minimum of two guests. Led by a zoo keeper, each tour includes a behind-the-scenes look at the animal’s habitats.

The Gulf Breeze Zoo offers two exclusive animal adventures with wild animals of Africa - the giraffe and the hippo.

Have you ever wanted to swim with dolphins? How about pet some lemurs? There are several places on the Emerald Coast where you can meet and greet, pet and play with zoo and marine animals of all sorts.
