WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER
Wildlife Learning Center is a nonprofit zoological park in Sylmar, California that provides sanctuary for over 100 rescued wild animals and offers public education through admissions, private tours, animal encounters, birthday parties, school outreach, and animal sponsorship programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersSylmar, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER does
Wildlife Learning and Conservation Center, operating as Wildlife Learning Center (WLC), is a nonprofit zoological organization founded in 2007 by David Riherd and Paul Hahn and located on a 1-acre property at 16027 Yarnell Street in Sylmar, California. The organization provides life-long care to more than 100 displaced, rescued, and zoo-born wild animals — including mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians — in a shaded olive-grove setting, and uses the animals as living teaching aids for public life-sciences education.
WLC generates revenue through a diversified portfolio of visitor experiences, educational programs, and donation products. Core on-site offerings include general admission ($14-$16), private guided tours (Adventure Tour $350, Zoofari Tour $165), short individual animal experiences priced $50-$200, and birthday party packages at $500 and $675. Mobile outreach programs (Biodiversity Bundle $600, Reptiles & Friends $425, plus travel fees) deliver standards-aligned presentations to schools, libraries, and scout groups across Southern California. Donation products include tiered Animal Sponsorships ($50-$250), a $5-$50 monthly giving program, planned giving, and a $20 lifetime-access digital product called Species Spotlight that extends the educational reach beyond the physical site. Bookings are processed via FareHarbor; donations are accepted via PayPal.
The organization operates with a small staff of biologists and interns with credentials from UCLA, CSU Northridge, SDSU, UCSB, and Moorpark College's Exotic Animal Training and Management program. It participates in Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plans for two-toed sloth, three-banded armadillo, and North American porcupine, and is a member of the Southern California Wildlife Confiscations Network with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Distribution is anchored at the Sylmar facility and mobile outreach routes; there is no proprietary technology stack, and the website is built on Kajabi with email and booking integrations.
WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER
- Legal name
- Wildlife Learning and Conservation Center
- Website
- https://wildlifelearningcenter.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Wildlife Learning Center is a nonprofit zoological park in Sylmar, California that provides sanctuary for over 100 rescued wild animals and offers public education through admissions, private tours, animal encounters, birthday parties, school outreach, and animal sponsorship programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Zoological Park and Wildlife Education
- NAICS
- Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections) (THAJADAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Zoo & Aquarium Parks (Ticketed Wildlife Attractions) (THAJAEAE), Wildlife Interpretation & Education Centers (Visitor Centers, Museums) (THAAAFAG), Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC), Veterinary Charity Clinics & Medical Aid (BPAGAIAD)
Keywords
Where WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sylmar
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- General Admission: Visitors pay admission fees to enter the facility and view animals. Adults $16, Children $14, Seniors/Teachers/Military $14, Children Under 3 Free. Open Mondays through Sundays 10am to 5pm.
- Private Tours: Adventure Tour ($350 for up to 5 participants, $52 additional per person) - 90 minute guided tour with biologist, meets sloth, touches reptile, feeds porcupine, meets tortoise. Zoofari Tour ($165 for up to 5 participants, $20 additional) - 45 minute guided tour.
- Individual Animal Experiences: Up-close animal encounters including Sloth Social ($200 for 1-5 guests), Porcupine Dining Time ($80), Snake Soiree ($60), Armfulla-dillo ($50), and Tortoise Time. Offered daily 10am-5pm.
- Birthday Parties: Celebrate at Center package ($675) includes up to 30 guests, 45-minute animal presentation, reserved pavilion. Picnic Safari ($500) includes up to 20 guests, 20-minute animal presentation.
- Animal Sponsorships: Angel Sponsorship ($50) includes certificate and photo card. Guardian Sponsorship ($100) adds stuffed animal. Shepherd Sponsorship ($250) adds annual family pass. Funds animal healthcare, nutrition, and housing.
- Monthly Giving: Recurring monthly donations at $5, $10, $25, or $50 per month levels. Supports animal healthcare, nutrition, housing, and biologist care.
- Species Spotlight Educational Program: Digital educational program ($20 lifetime access) includes seven wildlife videos, coloring book, worksheets, and world map. Proceeds support animal care.
- School Outreach Programs: Biodiversity Bundle ($600 + travel fee) and Reptiles & Friends ($425 + travel fee) - one-hour educational presentations bringing animals to schools aligned with California Academic Standards.
- Planned Giving and Major Donations: Accepts one-time and monthly donations via PayPal, planned giving (bequests, real estate, securities, charitable trusts, life insurance policies) to support long-term sustainability.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission - Adults $16, Children $14, Seniors/Teachers/Military $14, Under 3 Free |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Adventure Tour $350 (up to 5), Zoofari Tour $165 (up to 5) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sloth Social $200, Porcupine Dining $80, Snake Soiree $60, Armfulla-dillo $50, Tortoise Time (price not listed) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Celebrate at Center $675, Picnic Safari $500 |
| Subscription | Monthly | Angel $50, Guardian $100, Shepherd $250 |
| Subscription | Monthly | $5/Month, $10/Month, $25/Month, $50/Month |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Species Spotlight $20 lifetime access |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Biodiversity Bundle $600 + Travel Fee, Reptiles & Friends $425 + Travel Fee |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wildlife Learning Center runs a zoological park in Sylmar, California, providing life-long care to more than 100 displaced, rescued, and zoo-born wild animals. It sells public admission, biologist-led private tours, short individual animal encounters, school outreach presentations, birthday party packages, and recurring donation/sponsorship programs, plus an online wildlife education product for children.
Product overview
Wildlife Learning Center is a zoological park and conservation organization offering a portfolio of visitor experiences, educational programs, and animal sponsorship opportunities. Core offerings include general admission access to the 1-acre facility, private guided tours (Adventure Tour and Zoofari Tour), and individual animal experiences (Sloth Social, Porcupine Dining Time, Snake Soiree, Armfulla-dillo, Tortoise Time). Educational programs include Outreach Programs for schools and the Species Spotlight virtual learning product for children. The organization generates support through Animal Sponsorships (Angel, Guardian, and Shepherd tiers), Monthly Giving, and Wish List donations. Birthday party packages provide celebratory experiences with animal presentations. The center cares for over 100 displaced, rescued, and zoo-born animals representing mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- General Admission Walk-in daily admission to the Sylmar zoological park for individuals, families, and seniors; Adults $16, Children $14, Seniors/Teachers/Military $14, Children Under 3 free.
- Adventure Tour 90-minute biologist-led private guided tour at $350 for up to 5 participants ($52 per additional participant, max 7) including sloth meet, reptile touch, porcupine feed, tortoise meet, plus a choice of lemur, hedgehog, or armadillo encounter.
- Zoofari Tour 45-minute biologist-led guided tour at $165 for up to 5 participants ($20 per additional person) including the guest's choice of touching an armadillo or touching a snake.
- Individual Animal Experiences Short 10-15 minute up-close animal encounters including Sloth Social ($200 for 1-5 guests), Porcupine Dining Time ($80), Snake Soiree ($60), Armfulla-dillo ($50), and Tortoise Time; offered daily 10am-5pm with no advance reservation.
- Outreach Programs One-hour mobile biology presentations aligned with California State Science standards, including Biodiversity Bundle ($600 + travel, 8 animals) and Reptiles & Friends ($425 + travel, 7 animals), with distance-based travel fees for venues up to 70 miles away.
- Birthday Parties Two birthday event packages: Celebrate at the Center ($675, up to 30 guests, 45-minute animal presentation, reserved pavilion) and Picnic Safari ($500, up to 20 guests, 20-minute animal presentation); $150 deposit at booking and $5 per additional guest over the limit.
- Animal Sponsorships Three-tier symbolic animal sponsorship at Angel $50 (certificate and photo card), Guardian $100 (adds stuffed animal), and Shepherd $250 (adds stuffed animal and annual family pass), supporting individual resident animals such as eagles, alligators, foxes, sloths, and reptiles.
- Monthly Giving Recurring monthly donation program at $5, $10, $25, or $50 per month; supports animal healthcare, nutrition, housing, and biologist care, framed by the center in daily cost equivalents.
- Species Spotlight At-home digital children's wildlife education program with seven videos (~60 minutes total), a biodiversity coloring book, animal worksheets, and a wildlife world map, available for a one-time $20 donation with lifetime access and a 14-day satisfaction guarantee.
Companies that use WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)coreWLCC participates in AZA Species Survival Plans (SSP) for two-toed sloth, 3-banded armadillo, and North American porcupine. SSP programs cooperatively manage threatened and endangered species within AZA-accredited zoos and certified facilities to maintain sustainable and genetically diverse populations.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServicecorePartnership through Southern California Wildlife Confiscations Network to provide immediate medical care and housing for wildlife smuggled through U.S. ports of entry. Service officials can call a HOTLINE connecting them directly to expert facilities within the Network.
- Southern California Wildlife Confiscations NetworkcoreFirst-of-its-kind pilot program in partnership with U.S. Fish and Wildlife and Association of Zoos and Aquariums to help illegally trafficked animals. Creates coalition of reputable animal care facilities to provide immediate care for seized wildlife.
- Moorpark College Exotic Animal Training and Management ProgramminorFounder David Riherd serves on Moorpark College's Exotic Animal Training & Management advisory committee. Founder first attended animal camp at Moorpark College zoo at age nine.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Shambala Preserve: Big cat and exotic animal sanctuary in Acton, CA founded by Tippi Hedren. Comparable as a private, Southern California exotic-wildlife sanctuary with public/educational access and animal-care fundraising model.
- The Gentle Barn: A Santa Clarita, California-based nonprofit animal sanctuary offering public visits, tours, and school programs. Highly comparable as a small, intimate LA-area wildlife sanctuary with paid experiences and a strong educational mission.
- Happy Hollow Park & Zoo: A small 16-acre zoo and amusement park in San Jose, CA combining education, animal encounters, and birthday-party programming. Comparable as a small-format zoo with bundled birthday party packages, encounters, and educational outreach.
- STAR Eco Station: A nonprofit environmental science education center and exotic wildlife sanctuary in Los Angeles. Comparable as a small LA facility combining wildlife rescue, biodiversity education, and public programming — and is named as a former employer of WLC staff.
Broad incumbents
- Oregon Coast Aquarium: A nonprofit aquarium and animal-care facility on the Oregon Coast. Comparable as a nonprofit zoological/aquarium operator with general admission, encounters, education, and animal-sponsorship programs at a moderate scale.
- Los Angeles Zoo: An AZA-accredited municipal zoo in Griffith Park offering admission, education programs, and animal encounters. Comparable as a zoological park serving the same LA market with overlapping conservation and education missions, but at much larger scale and as a public institution.
- Conservation Society of California (Oakland Zoo): A nonprofit conservation society operating Oakland Zoo with general admission, premium experiences, school programs, and conservation partnerships. Comparable as a nonprofit zoological operator with diversified revenue streams and AZA-affiliated conservation work, though at substantially larger scale.
Regional players
- California Living Museum: A Bakersfield, CA nonprofit zoo focused on native California wildlife and education. Comparable as a regional nonprofit zoological park with education-focused programming and a donor-supported operating model.
- The Reptile Zoo: A Fountain Valley, CA hands-on reptile zoo offering guided tours and animal encounters. Comparable as a Southern California small-format zoological facility with intimate, paid-up-close animal experiences.
- Santa Barbara Zoo: An AZA-accredited zoo in Santa Barbara offering general admission, encounters, and education programs. Comparable along visitor experience, education, and sponsorship program structure, though larger in scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER social profiles
Digital presenceWILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER
What does WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER do?
Wildlife Learning Center runs a zoological park in Sylmar, California, providing life-long care to more than 100 displaced, rescued, and zoo-born wild animals. It sells public admission, biologist-led private tours, short individual animal encounters, school outreach presentations, birthday party packages, and recurring donation/sponsorship programs, plus an online wildlife education product for children.
Is WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER a public or private company?
WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER founded?
WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER based?
WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER is headquartered in Sylmar, United States, in the North America region.
How does WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER make money?
Nine revenue lines are on record. General Admission is the primary driver. The others are private Tours, individual Animal Experiences, birthday Parties, animal Sponsorships, monthly Giving, species Spotlight Educational Program, school Outreach Programs and planned Giving and Major Donations.
Who are WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Shambala Preserve, The Gentle Barn, Happy Hollow Park & Zoo and STAR Eco Station. Broad incumbents are Oregon Coast Aquarium, Los Angeles Zoo and Conservation Society of California (Oakland Zoo). Regional players are California Living Museum, The Reptile Zoo and Santa Barbara Zoo.
Does WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER have an API?
No public API is recorded for WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER.
What industry is WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER in?
WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER's product category is Zoological Park and Wildlife Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAL, Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections), with a secondary code of THAJAEAE, Zoo & Aquarium Parks (Ticketed Wildlife Attractions). Its NAICS code is 712130.