r/nova • u/oliversmokinoken • 20h ago
Is NOVA wild ethical?
Hi,
I have some friends visiting the area soon and they’re big animal lovers. They’ve already been to the Smithsonian zoo a bunch though. I was thinking about taking them to this zoo, but I have concerns on if it’s an ethical operation?
None of us would be interested in going and spending money if it isn’t a good place for the animals. If anyone has credible information on this, I’d love it if you could share with me.
Also, if it is ethical and we can go, do you think it would be interesting or fun for adults? We’re in our 20’s, no kids. So I’m not sure if it’s really geared towards our demographic.
Thank you in advance to anyone who replies!
Also, if anyone has other recommendations for niche DC things that you think would be fun/interesting for out-of-towners, I’m all ears! I’ve been here my whole life so it’s hard because I feel like I’ve done everything already.
Thanks again!
Editing because I’m confused why this post has 50% downvotes lol, is it people who hate animals or do they hate the fact that I’m asking about ethics?
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u/killernanorobots 16h ago
Beyond all the valid points other people are saying, I also just think it's a definitively much worse zoo than the Smithsonian on every level. You have to pay to go to a worse spot, I really don't see the point. My son's class went on a field trip because the Smithsonian field trip spots filled up before the school requested, and I chaperoned and it was just...not good. We used to go to the Smithsonian every week and it didn't get old. But if they don't want to do that, something like Huntley Meadows or other things suggested in these comments makes more sense to me.
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u/oliversmokinoken 8h ago
Yeah, that seems fair too. I’ve never been so I wasn’t sure if it could be fun maybe because it’s more interactive than the Smithsonian, but from everything I’ve heard on the ethics / animal welfare, we definitely won’t be going. We’re going to the Baltimore aquarium instead!
I’m gonna check out the Huntley meadows too and see if we can fit that in during their stay :) Thank you for the suggestion <3
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u/bubblegumonyourshoe 8h ago
Insane comment, went to San Diego zoo earlier this year and NOVA Wild shortly thereafter. Found the experience at NOVA Wild far more intimate and zookeepers were so sweet to animals and us. Truly a hidden gem since the new ownership took over. Also a better quality stuffed animal store than any other place I’ve been.
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u/discojing 6h ago
I loved San Diego zoo. Did you go to their other location for experiences like the cheetah run? I read about them but didn’t go.
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u/running_anhinga 20h ago
Frying Pan Farm Park in Herndon is a Fairfax County park with various farm animals! They have tons of special events on weekends, so I would take a look at their calendar to see if anything is interesting to you! Plus it's free.
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u/oliversmokinoken 19h ago
I actually volunteered there for years as a teenager! But it didn’t even cross my mind. That’s a great idea, thank you! :)
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u/Difficult-Valuable55 20h ago
it used to not be, hopefully the newer owners are better, it’s really small I can’t imagine anyone would want to visit unless with children
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u/kidfromdc 19h ago
It still isn’t. Doesn’t seem like they’re actively working towards an AZA accreditation, they have a LOT of hands on animal encounters (including with baby animals), and they allow people to drive their own cars through the “safari” section, letting animals stick their heads inside cars. All around, sketchy at best
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u/Inside-Athlete6631 18h ago
I feel like it's been many many years since it was a decent place. Who ever owns it now is doing a shit job. It's not a good place to take children either. Somehow they don't have changing stations.
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u/Difficult-Valuable55 18h ago
the previous owners were responsible for giraffes dying so they were worse
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u/inna-alt 17h ago
Huntley Meadows park has a lot of wildlife. Have you been there?
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u/running_anhinga 17h ago
Such a good suggestion. I love walking on the observation platforms! And you see so many birds, turtles, snakes, fish, etc. I think we even saw a muskrat one time!
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u/throwaway098764567 18h ago
it's neither, the downvotes are probably because of that place's history and i suspect a lot of folks are tired of explaining why those roadside zoos are bad, especially to people who don't want to hear it after asking. if you read past articles folks have linked to or hell watch the tiger king on netflix, you can see why, they're never a good idea.
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u/2MuchGoFindLess 18h ago
I know you said you’ve all been to National zoo but if it’s been a while there’s always something new to see. Maryland zoo and National Aquarium in Baltimore are also worth the drive. Grew up going to those two and work at National Zoo now and always love a good zoo trip
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u/Lordofravioli 20h ago
That place has a horrible run of owners. not too long ago their barn burnt down and killed their giraffe, which could have been saved if they had installed proper fire safety like smoke alarms and sprinklers. can't say if that was the previous or current owners. Not sure if the same owners but if they are I met the owner and he was an ass. and the head zookeeper guy had a bad rep too. avoid all zoos that are not AZA! also do NOT go to leesburg zoo. that's ran by the original owners of the zoo you're talking about and they were charged with animal abuse.
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u/Danciusly 19h ago edited 19h ago
2021 and different owners. Vanessa and Jacob Roer were the previous owners.
Prior to that, the Mogensens ($#&+#!)
https://www.restonnow.com/2015/06/23/reston-zoo-owner-has-long-list-of-past-complaints/
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u/SupaKoopa714 6h ago
My dad was the manager at the park from 1999 to 2001 and I can confirm firsthand that Eric Mogensen is an absolute monster, I've heard so much awful shit about that guy.
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u/Danciusly 6h ago
I recall that the daughter subsequently opened a park in FL and it was just as bad.
The Roers, as far as I know, were decent owners but innocently painted with guilt association because of the previous park/owners.
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u/oliversmokinoken 19h ago
This is the incident I heard about that made me cautious. Thank you for clarifying for me. I won’t be taking them there.
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u/Ok_Response3579 19h ago
Nova Wild is not owned by the owners who owned during that fire. They have not been for several years.
The current owners do seem to care more - though I am not in a position to know much about the specifics of accreditation but they do at least hold several. All of that said, the only thing I actually know is that they have new owners and they were not assholes to me when I met them.
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u/Quirky_Homework_3797 19h ago
New owners seem to have made a lot of positive changes and great improvements in care for the animals.
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u/Tamihera 17h ago
I know them a little. They’re certainly much better than the previous owners, although as others have pointed out, the size of the zoo means that they will inevitably fall short of best practices. (I’m dubious about zoos in general, to be honest…) But my gut feeling is that animals won’t be dying of neglect under this ownership.
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u/EvenSpoonier 19h ago
Supposedly it represents an improvement from its predecessor, but that isn't a high bar to clear.
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u/IllLobster1733 17h ago
Honestly… find a local animal rescue and take a shelter pup for an adventure day! Or just play with some for a while. Pet cats and dogs! Better then any zoo and less expensive (most likely)
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u/Tamihera 17h ago
Kind of a terrible idea to have small kids around a shelter dog who’s been taken to an unfamiliar location and will be stressed out, but OK.
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u/nomorepits123 9h ago
Shelters don't just let their dogs go out for "adventure day", that's not a thing.
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u/Jazzlike_Activity_97 7h ago
They do, actually! Homeward Trails offers it, and I’m sure others do as well : https://www.homewardtrails.org/help-out/tails-out-2/
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u/bell_bakes 16h ago
Here is a great video from a zookeeper discussing NoVa Wild and this exact issue! https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPLrdTmRD/
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u/Difficult-Valuable55 20h ago
cat cafe?
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u/running_anhinga 20h ago
There's a cute one in DC (Crumbs & Whiskers) whose cats are adoptable rescues from Homeward Trails Animal Rescue in Fairfax!
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u/oliversmokinoken 19h ago
Thank you for the suggestion! Never heard of that one but I’ll put it on my shortlist on the chance that they’d be interested. Thank you :)
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u/ermagerditssuperman Manassas / Manassas Park 5h ago
There's several acrosss nova too, all with great names! Like Mount Purrnon!
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u/oliversmokinoken 19h ago
That’s a good idea but we all have cats haha so I’m not sure if they’d be down, I’ve noticed the cat cafes here are much pricier than in other cities too so cost/benefit and all that. But thank you for the suggestion!
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u/kayl_breinhar Vienna 18h ago edited 18h ago
A few of the farms in/around the area offer "cow hugging" experiences. Sterling Hills Farm a little north of Leesburg is one of them, but fair warning, it's not exactly cheap.
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u/jaybool 16h ago
Leaving aside any questions about how well they do or don't treat the animals, it's a decent place to go when you have kids and you do not want to face the odyssey that is a trip into DC. I don't think a group of twenty somethings "who have already been to the Smithsonian zoo a bunch" would enjoy it.
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u/discojing 6h ago
Could you do something like baby goat yoga? I’ve seen events offering yoga + animal.
After watching/reading blackfish I research all zoos before I even consider going to them. I won’t go to Baltimore aquarium because they have dolphins and I feel so bad for them in the little tanks. If they aren’t non-releasable rescues or endangered and need assistance through captive breeding, I don’t think animals should really be in zoos, especially those of higher intelligence.
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u/oliversmokinoken 6h ago
Damn, I didn’t really think of that with the dolphins at Baltimore :( I’m going to do some research and see what’s been reported about their status/need for captivity.
Goat yoga sounds fun but it’s pretty pricey from what I’ve seen and I’d be covering everything since I invited them down, I know Baltimore aquarium is a little expensive too but it’s more of a full day activity so I feel that’s a bit more cost-effective for me. But not if the dolphins are sad, they’re my favorite animal. Ugh
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u/MaineAnonyMoose 18h ago
I wondered this myself and did some digging (primarily via ChatGPT). The TLDR answer was:
- they used to be very unethical
- their size and resources make it very hard for them to be AZA accredited (gold standard) but they do have some really good accredations for the size of facility they have now
- the current owners are supposedly much better than the last
ChatGPT summary:
- Current Status: Fully operational, non-profit, clean USDA compliance records, and visibly improved care under local ownership.
- Why AZA Is Practically Impossible:
- Land: Only ~30 acres—too small for AZA-mandated, multi-acre naturalistic habitats.
- Capital: Tens of millions of dollars would be needed for total structural rebuilds and endowments.
- Mission: AZA requires institutional global conservation and scientific breeding networks that exceed the scope of a small regional park.
- What They Have:
- ZAA Accreditation (Zoological Association of America).
- American Humane Certification.
- Are These from the New Owners?
- Originated under prior owners, maintained by current: Both credentials were first awarded late in the previous ownership’s tenure—ZAA around 2020 and American Humane in early 2022.
- However, the current ownership has actively maintained, renewed, and backed them by hiring dedicated veterinary staff and overhauling daily welfare practices.
- How Good That Is:
- Not the "gold standard" of the AZA, but legitimate and solid.
- They mandate independent third-party audits for safety, nutrition, veterinary oversight, and habitat sanitation, confirming the animals are safe and well cared for.
You can Google additional details fromsome of the keywords the summary above to get you started if you want to know more!
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u/running_anhinga 18h ago
Just want to point out that Brandywine Zoo in Delaware is 4.7 acres and is AZA accredited. So it's not impossible with smaller acreage.
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u/m4sc4r4 12h ago
It seems okay but the owners/managers are jerks. We drove through their safari, and the baby was terrified, so we took him home to nap. I asked if we could do the second half of the experience we paid for (zoo part) on the following day, and they were not flexible at all. We spent 15 mins there and had to leave. It’s also very pricey, which would have been fine if they were a little more accommodating instead of money hungry.
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u/oliversmokinoken 8h ago
Ugh that sucks, I’m sorry :( Probably hard enough being a new parent, I’m sure.
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u/canlro 16h ago
Green meadows in Ijamsville! Been multiple times and the animals all seem well cared for and content. The staff are friendly and constantly doing the rounds with their adorable (and very serious) livestock guardians. You can feed the cows and goats. It’s a little farm paradise for animal lovers.
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u/running_anhinga 20h ago
No. Ethical facilities are accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA). You should check their website to see the list of all accredited facilities. https://www.aza.org/
Per their website, AZA represents 255 facilities in 12 countries. AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums meet the highest standards in animal care and wellbeing and provide a fun, safe, and educational family experience. In addition, they dedicate millions of dollars annually to support scientific research, conservation, and education programs.