Safe Haven Wildlife Sanctuary

Eric Ruud

2024-04

The Safe Haven had been on my bucket list for years. We were driving by Imlay, saw the billboard and my wife called to see if they were open at 7:30 am. No,they were not open, but please come visit the facility they said. Incredible!!!The road to the facility had recently been paved so it is a great road. We turned in to see the buildings and they are well-maintained. It was feeding time for the animals and they were very excited. The Director gave my wife and I a wonderful tour. Some Incredible picture opportunities. These animals are well cared for and very healthy. We toured the gift shop, picked up gifts, and signed up to support this wonderful place. I highly recommend this group if you enjoy seeing animals well cared for.

Mariana Hill

2023-11

We have visited this sanctuary twice now both times were absolutely amazing staff is very nice and knowledgeable animals are in good care wonderful experience if you have the chance to go

Jay Smith

2023-05

Had the most amazing experience. Sam answered every question we had, had amazing vibes, and the tour was downright amazing. Beautiful animals and they are definitely well taken care of. We got to see Clarence be fed as well! Sadly some of the animals wanted to hide but that can’t be helped at all. But we couldn’t forget the souvenirs! We grabbed a hoodie, some bookmarks, and even for a plaster foot print of Ben, the black bear! Thank you for everything! :)

Jess A

2022-05

This place was on our bucket list to visit for a long time. Directions were easy to find, once you exit Hwy 80 take 400 South toward Mill City/Unionville and travel about 10 miles and you'll see a big sign to take a right. Our tour was at 1pm on a hot sunny day so if you decide to go during summer bring water, hat and sunscreen.Everyone we met at the sanctuary was friendly, our tour guide was super informative too. We definitely enjoyed our time there.

Steven Wanders

2022-05

Loved the tour ... girl was very knowledgeable and friendly. Got to see them feed one tiger that was cool seen most of the animals but I did not get to see the Bears or the two white tigers they were sleeping in their dens other than that great place an even greater place to help support must see must support

J.Kohl

2020-05

Great place run by a caring staff. The animals are well taken care of and are provided much much better lives by those who work there. Visiting is the most one on one experience with big animals that you could get compared to visiting a zoo. The animals are usually very lively and active from all the activities they are provided for enrichment. Overall a very pleasant place that’s worth the visit and if you’re lucky try to get there during feeding time!

Jody wheeler (toad)

2023-05

What a incredible place to visit. The caretakers obviously care about these magnificent animals. It's a little bit of a drive but well worth it if your in the Winnemucca area

Robin Lindahl

2020-05

Out in no man's land of the scenic northern Nevada desert. Group Tour is under $20 per person. It's wonderful to see an all women run a wildlife sanctuary who are committed to helping and caring for not just big cats but foxes, bears, parrots, tortoise and more. Some have had bad human experiences so can't get close even though they're fenced so as not to cause distress. This is a VERY expensive endeavor not for anything but satisfaction of caring for animals. Veterinary costs are extremely high due to the fact that only exotic veterinarians can treat the wild animals/cats. There are very few E.Vet's in the US so you can imagine expense. Animals have very large enclosed areas with air conditioning and heated dens as desert has extreme heat and cold.

Wandering Soul

2023-07

The BEST tour guide! He (I'm sorry I forgot your name) took an exceptional amount of time to help guide our tour. My elderly father would have struggled with the walking tour but they made sure he was able to fully enjoy each animal experience with me. Our tour guide was SO knowledgeable about each animal, the facility, and the crazy questions you may ask. It was worth the cost of the tour and every dollar you can spare. You will likely learn something new and have an experience unparalleled. Highly recommend!!

Sharman Lorimer

2023-08

We drove from Idaho specifically to see Safe Haven. I was worried since we were coming from such a distance with a 2 year old and a 1 year old so I made sure to call first and I was assured that they “Never Close.” I even discussed the heat and was told that the morning tours are more pleasant but they were “always open.” After driving 6 hours to get there and over 1O miles off the main road to arrive - we pulled into the guest parking lot and spent 15 minutes getting the kids out and into the wagon and THEN the SAME gentleman that assured me they were always open said they decided to close for the heat. I find it odd that lions who live in 100+ degrees temperatures can’t handle the heat, and I actually do understand that there can be things out of their control that could cause an unexpected closure, but I asked if that could happen and was told they “Never Close” and instead of posting this decision on their website or kindly putting a sign at the highway you exit or even at the entrance of the park they had us drive all the way in and get unloaded before telling us. The gentleman remembered me calling and radioed in to seemingly ask for an exception due to our circumstances but a very rude lady snapped back “don’t know what to tell them - they are all in crates”Don’t waste your time or money - this is a place of empty promises and uncaring! They simply could have told us when we called that they may need to close due to the heat instead of wasting $300 in gas and 12 hours total in the car.

Ben Guzman

2022-05

Had an awesome tour, very peaceful and informative I highly recommend visiting

Kristin Prostinak

2020-05

We loved Safe Haven! Took the tour for $15 and got to hear the story of every animal at the sanctuary. Staff were very friendly and knowledgable.

T.J. Hennig

2023-05

I’ll be honest, this place seemed a little sketchy from the outside, but once I arrived I was greeted by an intern, Elise, who took me on a very professional and engaging private tour around the sanctuary.This place is wonderful and the staff are great. The tour involved us maintaining a safe distance from the enclosures, but still allowed me to get close enough to experience a personal connection with many of the animals. I witnessed her feeding one of the tigers, Sundara, up close, which was a real treat.However, far and away the coolest moment was being able to see the playfulness of the young lioness, Rose, up close, who ran around the inside of her cage and loved the attention she was getting. Easily one of the most awesome experiences I’ve had this year.As I said, the staff were friendly and very knowledgeable, and fielded all of my questions. I know this place doesn’t seem like much from the road, or even when you drive up, but trust me, it is 100% worth the visit, and I thoroughly intend to go back.

Adam Ward

2023-05

The young guy who showed us around deserves a raise! Him and Sam both stayed very close by and made sure any questions we had were answered! We got to see a Bengal eat her dinner, met Clarence, witnessed a lion roar, and much more. The care for the animals is immaculate and they are loved!

Kim Karalus

2021-05

Great sanctuary and knowledgeable staff. Take water, it is hot. If you can plan your trip when its cooler the animals are more active.

Derek Jaynes

2023-10

Great people and orginization who really go above and beyond to love and care for these animals! Well worth the drive out there and well worth a donation in my opinion!

Karen Nelson

2023-05

So glad we finally made it to Safe Haven. What great work they do there. Our tour guide Trey, a delightful young man, was knowledegable and answered all of our questions. He also shared stories of how some of the animals came to live there.Hands down, Safe Haven was the highlight of our Winnemucca area trip!Being from California,we may not be able to visit regularly but do plan to donate often.

Kiley Danner

2023-05

We went for a 1pm tour and showed up 10 minutes early to find the tour had already started. No one came over to us and talked to us, so we left and tried again at 3pm. This time there was plenty of people working but no one bothered to come over to us. Very disappointed. We would have loved to donate and see all the animals.

Sandra Peregrina

2022-05

Great tour and knowledgeable guide. Rambunctious 3 and 5 year old boys gave this place a thumbs up!

Shelby McDermott

2021-05

This is an awesome place to visit. They love their animals dearly and it shows! Between the rules they've set in place for visitors and the policies they have regarding their animals' welfare, you can tell they really do have the animals' best interest at heart. Trey was our tour guide and he was incredible. Very knowledgeable and very friendly. Definitely stop by if you're passing through Nevada!

Tara Richardson

2022-05

It was awesome. The animal's are more active in the cool of the morning 🌄. The staff is super friendly and the sanctuary it self is taken ❤ care of really well. I definitely want everyone to understand more about these animals so please go visit and have a good time.

Anastasia Chapman

2023-05

Fantastic tour, the animals are very well cared for. The intern happily answered every question we had while we toured as well as giving a huge amount of information about the animals

TheCHIEF BIGFAITH

2022-05

Looks like an interesting place. I could see the fences from the main road & drove up the driveway but there was nobody around. I didn't really feel like knocking on doors to try to take a tour all by myself . doesn't seem like they are highly motivated to welcome visitors like a zoo, but will tolerate you if you insist. That's cool. It is what is. They're not pretending to be otherwise.

Amyrose Messina

2020-05

While driving through Imlay, Nevada we saw a sign for the Safe Haven Wildlife Sanctuary and decided to go check it out. Boy are we glad we did! Carol was happy to give us a tour of the facility where we got to meet many of their furry (feathered and scaly too) residents who’ve ended up here as exotic pets who could not be cared for, animals neglected from the entertainment industry, roadside attractions, or orphaned in the wild, among other reasons. Though the reasons they end up in the sanctuary are often sad, the team of people at Safe Haven who care for them give them the best care possible and it was truly a wonderful spontaneous treat to visit them and see the care and passion put into the animals here. If you ever find yourself traveling through Nevada, I would highly recommend stopping by for a tour. We spent about an hour and a half with them and the staff are incredibly friendly.

Christopher Moore

2021-05

It was a long drive from Fernley, but so worth it. The tour was very informative and there were lots of animals to see. It was clear to us that the animal's health and well being are the #1priority. We would definitely recommend a visit!

sharon risi

2023-05

Scheduled 9 am tour, got to see many animals being fed. Large, clean pens with lots of shade/climbing structures. Many had water pools. Large enclosed houses. Rescued animals living the life of luxury.

sp bond

2022-05

Must go. Tour was great!

Joan Westover

2019-05

This place is the Best! Took my grandson yesterday—- staff was totally awesome! We learned so much and can see these animals are very well taken care of! Take the time to stop by and take a tour! Very much worth your time!

Kim Knight

2021-05

Tour guide very nice and knowledgable. Animals very sweet. Would've liked to pet one, some seemed very curious and eager to make friends. Like they longed for human comoanionship. (Some had previously been pets, been trained to walk on leashes etc.) I'm sure had they known they were going to be locked up,(like jail), they would have been more cooperative. Too bad. I didn't ask about adoption! In the good side nobody can shoot the coyotes! Such a shy and gentle creature! And bears too! I love them all!!!!

ilay lev

2022-05

An amazing experience!!We went there by accident in the was a remarkable experience!You see amazing animals there: lions, tigers, bears, pumas.Worth the visiting and it is not expansive at all!!!