You Can Get Up Close and Personal with Rhinos At This Florida Zoo

Photo byBrevard Zoo

*Uncovering Florida is in no way affiliated with Brevard Zoo and receives no commissions from sales.*

Have you ever looked at a rhino on TV and wondered what it would be like to pet one? Well, at the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Florida, you can do just that.

Offered at 12:00 p.m. every day, the Brevard Zoo’s rhino encounter allows visitors to give White Rhinos a good scratch with a long-handled brush or just a friendly pat with their hands, feeling the rhinos’ tough skin, all from the safety of a slotted barrier. Visitors may also see Grevy’s Zebras during the encounter.

The tour lasts for around 20 minutes, costs $29.95 per person for non-members of the zoo, and costs $19.95 per person for zoo members. It is worth noting that 10% of the proceeds from this experience goes toward the conservation of rhinos through the International Rhino Foundation.

The rhino encounter is available for guests 7 years old and up. Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by at least one adult. The encounter can accommodate a group of up to six visitors per tour and a maximum of four visitors can be between the ages of 7 and 17 per tour.

In order to book the rhino encounter, visit the Brevard Zoo website here or purchase tickets in person from the zoo’s main gate at Kayak Beach in Expedition Africa. Tickets have to be purchased before 11:00 a.m. on the day of the tour. Visitors must also pay for general zoo admission.

Admission rates are cheaper when booked online than on-site by about $2 per ticket. Online ticket prices are as follows: $32.95 per adult (anyone 12 years old or older), $27.95 per senior (anyone 65 years old or older), $21.95 per child (anyone 3 to 11 years old), and free for children under 3 years of age. Combo tickets and group pricing are also available.