Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary

What Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary does

Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Phelan, California, dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and providing lifelong care for abused, neglected, and abandoned exotic animals. The organization operates a single physical sanctuary at 8545 Buttemere Road, open daily from 10am to 3pm for public tours, and runs educational programs intended to build community awareness of wildlife conservation. Its visitor base consists of individual families, school groups, and animal enthusiasts, while its financial support base consists of one-time donors, recurring monthly givers, and volunteers from the surrounding region.

The sanctuary monetizes through four primary streams: donations (one-time via Stripe, recurring monthly via GiveButter), visitor admissions and special event tickets (priced at $5 per person for night tours, kids days, and extreme feeds experiences), annual passes sold through FareHarbor, and branded merchandise sold globally through a Bonfire-powered online store. It uses no proprietary technology platforms; its operational stack is composed entirely of third-party SaaS tools for ticketing, payment processing, donations, and e-commerce. Marketing is conducted through its website, email newsletter, blog content, and social media, with special events functioning as both revenue drivers and visitor acquisition channels.

The business is a small, locally anchored nonprofit with 12 employees and no external funding rounds, acquisitions, or corporate transactions disclosed. Its operating model is community-led and event-driven, with limited geographic footprint restricted to a single California site, and no evidence of expansion activity beyond incremental programming of new event types.

Name

Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary

Legal name

Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary

Website

https://foreverwildexotics.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Phelan, California that rescues, rehabilitates, and provides lifelong care for abused, neglected, and abandoned exotic animals while serving visitors, donors, and volunteers through tours, education, and community programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Sanctuaries & Long-Term Care (Farm, Equine, Exotic) (BPAGAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC), Education & Community Outreach (Responsible Pet Ownership) (BPAGAIAK), Wildlife Rehabilitation & Release Centers (Public Viewing/Education) (THAAAFAC)

Keywords

• Exotic animal rescue
• Wildlife rehabilitation
• Animal sanctuary services
• Conservation education
• Wildlife conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Phelan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: One-time and monthly donation programs for supporters. Donations are processed via Stripe (one-time) and GiveButter (monthly recurring). As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, donations are tax-deductible and serve as a primary funding source for animal care and operations.
2. Visitor Admissions: Revenue generated from general admission tickets and special event tickets. Open daily 10am-3pm with standard admission. Special events include night tours, kids days, and feeding experiences at $5 per person.
3. Annual Passes: Annual membership passes providing unlimited visits to the sanctuary. Sold through FareHarbor booking platform as a recurring revenue stream from repeat visitors.
4. Merchandise Sales: Online merchandise shop selling branded items through Bonfire platform. Includes apparel and promotional items bearing the Forever Wild branding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary rescues, rehabilitates, and provides lifelong care for abused, neglected, and abandoned exotic animals at its Phelan, California facility. The sanctuary supplements its animal welfare mission with daily public visitor tours, educational programs about wildlife conservation, special ticketed experiences (night tours, extreme feeds, kids admission days), annual membership passes, branded merchandise, and donation programs.

Product overview

Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary operates as a unified nonprofit service offering centered on exotic animal rescue, rehabilitation, and education. The core portfolio consists of animal rescue and rehabilitation services, educational programs, and visitor tours. The sanctuary extends its offerings through supporting services including donation collection (via Stripe and Givebutter), volunteer programs, an online merchandise store (Bonfire), and annual pass memberships (FareHarbor). Seasonal offerings include night tours and extreme feeds experiences. Together, these products enable the sanctuary to fulfill its mission of preserving animal lives while generating operational revenue through visitor engagement and charitable support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Dedicated to preserving lives of abused, neglected and abandoned exotic animals through rescue, rehabilitation and education

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Exotic Feline Rescue Center: Indiana-based nonprofit rescuing exotic cats from abuse, neglect, and the exotic pet trade. Comparable exotic animal sanctuary with education, tours, and donor-funded operations.
• Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch: Texas-based large-scale animal sanctuary operated by the Fund for Animals. Comparable exotic and farmed animal rescue, rehabilitation, and education nonprofit with visitor programs.
• The Wildcat Sanctuary: Minnesota-based nonprofit sanctuary dedicated to rescuing and providing sanctuary to wild cats and other exotic animals. Comparable as a 501(c)(3) exotic animal rescue operation with public visitation and donation-funded model.
• Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge: Arkansas-based nonprofit refuge for abandoned and abused exotic animals offering tours, overnight stays, and educational programs. Comparable rescue-driven sanctuary with public-facing visitor revenue and donation model.
• Wildlife Learning Center: California-based nonprofit wildlife education and rescue facility offering public visits and animal encounters. Comparable as a smaller California-based exotic animal sanctuary with public tours and education focus.
• Big Cat Rescue: One of the largest accredited big cat sanctuaries in the US, operating as a nonprofit with public tours, educational programs, and donor funding. Highly comparable exotic animal sanctuary model with visitor and donation revenue streams.
• Lions Tigers & Bears: California-based (Alpine, CA) nonprofit exotic animal sanctuary with rescue, rehabilitation, and public education focus. Direct geographic and operational peer with similar visitor-based funding model.
• The Gentle Barn: California-based nonprofit sanctuary for rescued farm animals and exotic species with public visits, education programs, and donations. Comparable California-based sanctuary model with visitor/donation revenue.
• International Exotic Animal Sanctuary: Texas-based nonprofit exotic animal sanctuary focused on rescuing big cats, bears, and primates. Similar operational model with public tours, donation streams, and lifetime care mission.

Broad incumbents

• San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: Massive accredited zoological organization with conservation, education, and visitor operations. Comparable as a public-facing exotic animal institution in California, but a much larger established incumbent with vastly greater scale and program breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forever-wild-exotic-animal-sanctuary

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary