Encounters
Showing all 8 results
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Fennec Fox Encounter!
Discover the world’s smallest wild canid species with our fennec foxes! Come learn all about fennec foxes during a close-up, 15-minute encounter guided by our zookeepers. You’ll have the opportunity to feed the foxes and take part in a training session. Touching or petting the foxes is at the keeper’s discretion and cannot be guaranteed. Our animals always have the choice of whether or not to participate in encounters. Pricing is per person. Bring your friends, take pictures, and get wild!Please check in at the NOVA Wild Zootique (Gift Shop). **General Zoo Admission tickets are also required. Max 2 people per encounter. Please note for the safety of all please note that a) children under 18 must be accompanied with a paying adult and children six and under are not permitted b) please wear closed toed shoes, refrain from loose clothing, and pulling long hair back is recommended. The Encounter Space is unfortunately not ADA-compliant.From: $ 100 Read more -
Anteater Encounter
15 minute Encounter with an AnteaterFrom: $ 60 Read more -
Baby Capybara Encounter
Enjoy 20 minutes with a real-life BABY Capybara! Come meet our two very newest loves, Capy(Barbara) and Capy(Barney)! Price is per person. A Zookeeper will be present to answer all of your questions. Take pics, get social, and get wild at NOVA Wild! Please check-in at the NOVA Wild Zootique. (Gift Shop.) **General Zoo Admission tickets are also required. Max 5 people, groups may be combined if needed. Please note for the safety of all please note that a) children under 18 must be accompanied with a paying adult and children five and under are not permitted b) please wear closed toed shoes, refrain from loose clothing, and pulling long hair back is recommended. The Encounter Space is unfortunately not ADA-compliant.From: $ 150 Read more -
Capybara Encounter
Enjoy 20 minutes with a real-life Capybara! Price is per person. A Zookeeper will be present to answer all of your questions. Take pics, get social, and get wild at NOVA Wild! Please check-in at the NOVA Wild Zootique. (Gift Shop.) **General Zoo Admission tickets are also required. Max 5 people, groups may be combined if needed. Please note for the safety of all please note that a) children under 18 must be accompanied with a paying adult and children five and under are not permitted b) please wear closed toed shoes, refrain from loose clothing, and pulling long hair back is recommended. The Encounter Space is unfortunately not ADA-compliant.From: $ 100 Read more -
Fawn Encounter
From: $ 60 Read more- Come meet one of our sweet fallow deer fawns! Help our Zookeeper bottle-feed our baby fawn and learn all about the worlds’ different ruminant species on a 15-minute Zookeeper-guided tour. Priced per person. Encounter is located in our newly renovated Encounter Hut, bring your friends, take pics, play with a baby deer, and get Wild! Please check in at the NOVA Wild Zootique. (Gift Shop.)
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Baby Kangaroo Encounter
Enjoy 20 minutes with one of our newest additions, a baby kangaroo (a “joey”), in NOVA Wild’s brand new Encounter Space! Price is per person. A Zookeeper will be present to answer all of your questions. Take pics, get social, and get wild at NOVA Wild! Please check-in in the NOVA Wild Zootique. (Gift Shop.) **General Zoo Admission tickets are also required. Max 5 people, groups may be combined if needed. Please note for the safety of all please note that a) children under 18 must be accompanied with a paying adult, b) children below 5 are not permitted and c) please wear closed toed shoes, refrain from loose clothing, and pulling long hair back is recommended. The Encounter Space is unfortunately not ADA-compliant.From: $ 100 Read more -
Keeper for a Day – Buy One, Get One Free Through November 30!
$ 600 Select optionsKeeper for a Day – NOVA Wild Exclusive Experience
Limited-Time Offer: Buy One, Get One Free! Become a keeper for a day and bring someone along! Purchase one $600 Keeper for a Day experience and a second participant joins free. Valid for available weekend experience dates through November 30, 2026. Both participants must attend the same session.Step into the boots of a zookeeper and discover what it’s really like to care for wildlife! With NOVA Wild’s Keeper for a Day experience, you’ll join our amazing animal care team for a behind-the-scenes adventure you’ll never forget.
From preparing food to learning about enrichment and daily care, you’ll see the zoo from a whole new perspective while working alongside our knowledgeable keepers. This is the perfect experience for anyone who’s ever dreamed of working with animals up close.
This is the only program of its kind in Northern Virginia — a truly unique opportunity you won’t find anywhere else!
Details:
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When: Every weekend, 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
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Capacity: Maximum 2 participants
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Ages: 13 and up only
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Under 16 must be accompanied by a paying guardian
Promotional Price: $600 total for two participants – a $1200 value. This is a buy one get one free offer: purchase one participant’s experience for $600 and a second participant joins the same session for free. The minimum purchase is $600. The offer cannot be split into individual $300 experiences, and attending alone does not reduce the price.
Important Guidelines:
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Children under 16 must be accompanied by a paying adult participant
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Closed-toed shoes are required.
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Please avoid loose clothing, remove jewelry, and tie back long hair.
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Participants are responsible for their own belongings (phones, purses, etc.).
Don’t just visit the zoo — live it for a day! Work alongside our keepers, meet amazing animals, and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Reserve your Keeper for a Day spot today and experience the wild side of zookeeping!
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Sloth Encounter
Come meet our newest residents, our Two-Toed Sloths! SloMo and Siesta have finally arrived and are eager to get Wild with the NOVA Wild community! Learn all about sloths, indigenous to South America, in their newly built interactive habitat on a 15-minute Zookeeper-guided tour. Priced per person. Bring your friends, take pics, interact with sloths, and get Wild! Please check in at the NOVA Wild Zootique. (Gift Shop.) **General Zoo Admission tickets are also required. Max 6 people; groups may be combined if needed. For the safety of all please note that a) children under six (6) can not participate, and children 6-17 must be accompanied by a paying adult and b) please wear closed-toed shoes, refrain from loose clothing, and pulling long hair back is recommended. The Sloth Encounter Space is unfortunately not ADA-compliant. For safety and animal welfare, all encounters are at the discretion of NOVA Wild Keepers, if animals are not behaving/participating the encounter may be canceled or rescheduled at any time.From: $ 100 Read more