If you've never hired a petting zoo or zoo to you company before, you may not know what questions to ask.  What makes the difference from one zoo to you company to another? Make sure to ask whatever company you hire these questions. 

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1. Do you travel to my location? 

2. Are we allowed to pet, hold, feed, hug, etc. the animals?

3. Are the animals just presented or is it a fun/entertaining show too?

4. Is there a limit on the number of guests?

5. Will there be a mess?

6. What types of animals will you bring?

7. Can you provide proof of liability insurance?

8. Will you still come if it rains, storms, snows, etc?

9. What is your cancellation policy?

10. Do you guarantee animals or can I request certain animals?

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 Do you offer parties year-round?

YES!  Most of our shows are done inside so we can absolutely do an indoor show in the winter, summer, spring or fall!

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Do you travel to all locations?

Some petting zoo companies won't go into some areas. Wild Times Exotics does not discriminate against any area of Illinois or surrounding states.  We will gladly bring our animals to you.  We do not discriminate against anyone for any reason!  We enjoy showing our amazing animal ambassadors to any audience willing to listen! We do charge a travel fee for anything beyond 10 miles from us.  So, the first 10 miles each way are free and after that it's $1/mile each way. We often encourage out of town parties to book on the same day to save mileage fees. We are also happy to take any suggestions for libraries, schools, etc. in your area to call and see if they're interested in booking on a day you'd like so that you both can save on mileage.

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Are we allowed to actually touch, feed and interact with the animals?
Definitely!  Every single animal we bring, we encourage the petting, holding, hugging or feeding of.  We firmly believe the hands-on aspect that we provide is what sets the wheels in motion for a lifelong passion of conserving animals and their environment.  Just as it is with any animal whether your dog or cat, we always suggest washing hands before and after our visit.

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Are you Insured?

Yes; we are the ONLY fully insured and licensed zoo to you program in Central Illinois.  Usually, when you bring non domestic animals on your city property your homeowners insurance does not cover you in most cases.  Therefore if there is an accident you may lose your home in a lawsuit.  You must ask every potential company when comparing if they will provide PROOF of current insurance.  This insurance is very expensive for reputable companies to purchase.  However, it is the difference between someone with different exotic animals going out uninsured and a reputable company providing you with quality, well trained, clean animals for your special occasion. Don't gamble with your child's memories, hire Wild Times for your next event.

 

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How much space do we need for a show?

Most of our parties are done in living rooms or basements.  We can make the largest house all the way down to the smallest house work. We do love to "hide" the animals that we aren't currently presenting so a separate staging area is helpful but not required.   For parties outside, a patio or backyard is also completely fine no matter the size! We can walk around play equipment, bounce houses and pools but for safety reasons, ask that it not be used during our time there.  *NOTE: This size only works for shows. Petting zoos require a much larger setup that varies for each event. Please call us to discuss size requirements for a petting zoo. 

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Payment options 

We accept cash, check or credit.  Since we have received bad checks and credit card fees are high, we do prefer cash the day of the party.  For deposits, checks are the preferred method.

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Deposit

We require a deposit equal to your travel fee to hold your date.  This deposit only covers your travel fee.  We accept cash (in person when available), checks and all major credit and debit cards.  Final cash payment is preferred day of your event. If you need to reschedule your event for any reason more than 30 days in advance, you NEVER lose your deposit money. You may apply it to a future event date. 

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OPTIONAL PREPAYMENT PLAN

You may choose to make payments each week (or as often as you like) to prepay for all or part of you event.  You may pay with cash (in person), check or any major credit or debit card. This allows some of our customers to budget for their party.  

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What types of animals are included with our show?

We are happy to work to provide any animals you request. We take requests once we have sent out your confirmation (1-2 days prior to your party). We are never able to guarantee certain animals but we do our absolute best to get you the animals requested. If you would like suggestions on what animals would work best for your event, please ask us! We know what animal ambassadors we have that work great with toddlers, what ones love huge crowds, etc. If there are no animals requested or themes, we will provide a mixture of mammals and reptiles so that there is something for everyone at the party! Please see our "animals" page to see what animals we currently have for events.

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What exactly is USDA licensed? 

We are licensed by the USDA under the Animal Welfare Act.  Our proprety and enclosures, vet records and other USDA requirements are randomly inspected by a licensing official.  USDA does not guarantee the animals brought to your home by any petting zoo company are friendly or safe. They only inspect the property to ensure the animals food is kept off the ground and dry, the animals receive regular vaccinations and care, and that the owner provides them with a dry sleeping area.  However, this is simply a license that allows us to perform our zoo to you events. We are considered a business and do carry the necessary business licenses.

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What makes your company different from other zoo to you companies?

First of all, we are fully insured  and licensed for your protection.  Secondly, we offer an incredibly entertaining show. The animals aren't enough to make incredible memories. Our trained handlers will have everyone laughing and amazed by the tricks some of our animal ambassadors are able to do. But most importantly, we love our animals and it is very apparent!  Almost every single animal that we adopt/purchase is here to stay and is given top quality food, love and regular vet care. Even our vacations are spent at other animal facilities and zoos; we love what we do. We receive many compliments on how much calmer, friendlier and interactive our animals are than other zoos our guests have been to.  

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What is your policy if it rains/snows/storms? 

We will gladly work with you up until the 10pm the night before your event to determine if we need to cancel due to poor weather.  It's the midwest; the weather changes frequently.  We're always able to move our shows inside as that's where we perform 95% of our parties already. We highly suggest planning your party indoors, in the event that the weather is bad and we have to cancel your event day of, we will not be able to refund your full deposit

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Where is Wild Times Exotics located? 

We are located in Springfield, Illinois

 

 

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