
Once In A Wild Mobile Zoo
📍 Stone Oak, TX
Once In A Wild sends trained zookeepers and live animals — reptiles, bugs, lizards, tortoises, giant rabbits, and guinea pigs — directly to birthday parties, preschools, and community events across the San Antonio metro.
Once in a Wild Mobile Zoo was absolutely amazing! Justin and Nicole were incredibly professional, knowledgeable, and so great with the kids. They made learning about the animals fun and engaging, and you could tell how much they truly care about what they do. The kids had an absolute blast and learned so much—it was the highlight of the party. A huge shoutout to the owner, Amanda, who went above and beyond to make my niece’s birthday party extra special. From start to finish, the experience was seamless, fun, and unforgettable. Highly recommend for any event!
🏆 Family Action Verdict
Best for families hosting birthday parties for children aged 3 to 10 who want an interactive, educational alternative to standard entertainment. Preschools and after-school programs are repeat clients. Animal selection can be customised by request — reptile-heavy or small mammal-focused lineups both receive strong reviews.
ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go
💬 What Families Are Saying
View all reviews →47 Google reviews
Brittany Scott
“Once in a Wild Mobile Zoo was absolutely amazing! Justin and Nicole were incredibly professional, knowledgeable, and so great with the kids. They made learning about the animals fun and engaging, and you could tell how much they truly care about what they do. The kids had an absolute blast and learned so much—it was the highlight of the party. A huge shoutout to the owner, Amanda, who went above and beyond to make my niece’s birthday party extra special. From start to finish, the experience was seamless, fun, and unforgettable. Highly recommend for any event!”
Rachael Ripley
“I am a preschool director and we have been using Once in a Wild for the past five years, for an animal experience for our students. Amanda, the owner, is wonderful to work with. Adrienna was our latest presenter and she did an amazing job at our recent event. It was easy to tell that she cared very much about the animals as well as the children and their experience. She provided a lot of information for the children to learn but kept it at an age-appropriate level. She was kind and patient with the children during their meet and greets with the animals, encouraging them and showing them how to pet the animals with care. This was a valuable learning experience and I would certainly recommend Once in a Wild for not just a school presentation but also birthday parties or any other children's event!”
Michelle Rabenaldt
“once in a wild was such an amazing experience for my son’s fourth birthday party! Zookeepers are extremely knowledgeable of all of the animals. Nicole was our zookeeper. She was very careful with the reptiles and taught all the kids how to handle them with care. She was very sweet to the kids and made the experience a memorable one! We bought the cold-blooded package since our son’s birthday party was reptile theme. Once in a wild brought all reptiles that they could hold and handle! Everyone even the adults loved it!!! This is a must for a party. We will definitely be coming back and purchase another package with different animals.”
Amanda Castillo
“We have used this company twice for our son’s birthday party and they truly are the highlight of every party. Last year we requested bugs and this year, our son wanted lizards…and they delivered. We had Justin at our party, and he was so kind and knowledgeable. He spent lots of time with the kids and allowed them to interact with all the animals. Overall we have had all positive experiences, and I highly recommend them.”
Reviews from Google
Overview
Once In A Wild operates as a booking-based mobile animal encounter service, not a fixed venue. Zookeepers travel to clients' locations with a curated selection of animals matched to the event theme — past parties have featured reptiles, insects, lizards, and small mammals. Presenters teach safe animal handling techniques and share species-specific facts throughout the encounter.



