dew haven

We have been taking our 3 year old since he was just a year old and try to introduce new people to DEW every year.

DEW (Domestic Exotic Wild animals) provides an up close relaxing place to visit an astonishing assortment of animals. We have grandchildren, so we've been exposed to zoos all over creation, but this sanctuary blew us away. First, we planned our visit so that we could join Bob on a walk of the property. Bob and his family are the owners and they live in a house amongst all the animals caring for them, relating to them, playing with them all year round. On Bob's tour he introduces participants to his animals giving facts about the species and their origin, how a particular animal came to DEW, etc. Bob goes up to each animal and magically we watched the incredible bond that all the animals feel for him. They come over to him because they want his attention, his caresses, and some treats. They take the treats out of his fingers and his mouth with gentleness (this includes two huge black bears into whose confine he went) and, with the exception of the monkeys (who get quite animated when he is nearby), all the animals act relaxed rolling over to be petted under their heads and trying to rub up against him with great affection. The big cats (panthers, tigers, cougars, etc.) were actually audibly purring while he cooed to them. We had no idea that big cats purred at all. We were with Bob for over two hours. He patiently, enthusiastically, and with a keen sense of humor answered all questions (there were 10-15 people of all ages in his group) and he talked about land and animal conservation as we walked. This amazingly large property seems to be in the middle of nowhere which is also why we were so surprised and delighted. My advice is: Go! It's a wonderful place to enjoy animals up close but also to experience a loving bond between large wild animals and their devoted caregiver. You will come away awed just as we did. I wanted to write this review so as to encourage anyone/everyone to share the delights of this extraordinary place. I really mean it when I say "GO!!".

DEW saves animals that need a home. And so they now have an amazing collection of exotic and domestic animals. Tours with Bob are an exotic adventure in an of themselves: watch him, for example, get in the bear cage and feed M&Ms to a huge animal from his lips. These people are animal lovers, and they've done many good things.

Such a beautiful and tranquil place. And to specifically respond to animallover11's comments, they couldn't be further from the truth. I am there every weekend and all of the animals are cleaned, loved, nourished and cared for constantly. Every pen is consummately cleaned and full of appropriate exercise and play opportunities specifically tailored to each animal. The indigenous flies and Mosquitos of Maine are kept at bay with ingenious fly traps that keep the animals free of pests. I have watched for years the personal love, devotion and attention that is paid to every animal. Bob and Julie are professionals of the highest order that are gracious enough to share their home and family with us, the public. To criticize them one would have to ignore the plain truth of the love and personal affection between each individual animal with the owners. Truly one of te best and most amazing experiences you could ever hope to have. No, it is not a sterile, concrete zoo. It is so much more. It is animals in a lush forest environment being loved and nurtured by their human family. I encourage everyone to make the trip and visit this amazing sanctuary in Mt. Vernon, ME. Open you eyes, mind and heart and you will be touched in ways beyond description. Thank God for people like Bob and Julie, the world needs more like them.

Although it is a neat little park it is little it does not take u much time at all to go thru and the prices are a bit much!!! 15.00 a person for ages 13 and up and 10.00 for ages 3-12.... really? This is supposed to be a neat family place to go and although it's little be good and fun yet they pretty much rob you!!! You can go to the York zoo a much bigger better zoo for less (with exception of gas to drive there which is worth it) or add a couple $$ more and go on rides and that zoo will take u the better part of the day unlike this one.. so although it is a neat place I would not recommend anyone else not feeling slightly rich and willing to spend such an amount on such a little time especially if u have older kids or more then just a one to go until they wake up and realize their pricing contradicts their size and want to be a family outing... (example 1 mom cause other parent works one kid 3 one kid 5 and two over 12 65.00 for maybe 2 hours and that's pushing it yep 65.00 heaven forbid dad can go cause now it's 80.00 now tell me that isn't a bit much!!!!)

This was my second trip to Dew Animal Kingdom, though my first as an adult. I had purchased a Groupon for 4 adult tickets for $18, but they were actually closed for the season when I bought the ticket, so I waited to use it until this year. The people at the front desk would not honor the Groupon and kept saying that it was Groupon's fault. I understand that it probably was Groupon's fault, but they did offer the coupon in the first place and should have honored it. It wasn't my fault either and I spent money on something they offered. In the end, they did offer to honor the $18 I had spent on the Groupon itself. I was not really satisfied with this but ended up spending well over $70 for an hour and a half (probably less time) there with my family. We got rained out. Apparently they don't offer you a discounted price for another day or anything. You just lose your money and they shut down. As for the place itself, there are lots of animals to see. The kids loved that you could feed many of the animals and that the birds were mostly out in the open. We especially enjoyed the peacock right in the parking lot and the many ducks, geese etc. throughout. It seemed relatively clean and the animals were in large enclosures which seemed more natural than a typical zoo. It is certainly a fun experience. Overall, the place is interesting with lots of neat animals. I enjoyed the attraction itself, but didn't appreciate the customer service.

I visited D.E.W today and I had a wonderful experience. Walking around and seeing the animals was great but what really put this place at the 5 star rating, was the tour. Bob did a wonderful job making an entertaining and educational experience from feeding the animals to playing with them. If you ever get the opportunity to go, definitely take it. While it's not a "Zoo" it is very well taken care of and despite all the rain that did damage to the pathways, it was overall very smooth and walkable. It is a fun experience for the whole family so definitely take the time to visit!

Being an artist, I wanted to go to get some photos of the animals for potential paintings. Ended up enjoying my visit so much that I took my mother yesterday and already planning future visits with more of my family. Very relaxed atmosphere and an owner who is informative and engaging. You can get very close up to the tigers and lions as well as the other creatures. There are places where elderly folks can sit and take a break when needed. Many volunteers running around making sure the animals are well cared for. For the animals sake please make sure your children aren't running, taunting or throwing things at the enclosures. Saw this happen and the owners had to step in before the parents did. There are also picnic tables available so you can bring a lunch with you.

a little off the beaten path, but worth the trip. they have lions, tigers, monkeys, parrot, llamas, goats, wolves, donkeys, croc, ducks, peacock, fallow deer, yaks, wallabies, kangaroos, cougar, black panther, bears, and probably more that i am forgetting. also, they have food you can buy to feed the goats, bears, llamas, and deer. a bit expensive ($60 for two adults and three kids), but worth it. i recommend it! no place else like it in maine!

We visited with my 8 year old niece and we had as much fun as she did. The tour with the owner Bob is a must do, he is very informative and funny too. The animals are well cared for and it's obvious that they enjoy being with him. I've never seen such interaction between a caretaker and such a diverse group of animals. The enclosures were a decent size, some were so large you could barely see the animal if they wanted to stay hidden. If you're on the tour ALL the animals came out to greet Bob. This is off the beaten path so you really have to be looking for it to know it's there but it's not difficult to find I've traveled all over Maine for 25 years as a truck driver and didn't find out about it until about two years ago. It was a 2+ hour ride for us but well worth it.

We went this weekend and it was so worth the trip. Love the vibe, nice, peaceful, relaxed, more natural feel to it. Staff was very friendly. The kids loved feeding the goats. Best part of the whole visit was the baby tiger. We had a great time and would definitely visit again.

This was such a peaceful, calm, and as close to natural habitat as you can get for these rehabilitating animals that I've ever been to. Very clean, and well kept. Staff was very informative and helpful. HIGHLY RECOMMEND

We went on 6/24/14 with our Granddaughters. It was a great experience to see the baby tigers and the wide variety of animals here. It is not a polished Zoo rather it is a more intimate setting. The animals are very well cared for. It was great to see such a selection of big cats in rural Maine. We all had a wonderful time and will return again.

We went to dew animal kingdom for the first time today! I can't wait to go back! It is definitely rustic, but they have such a great variety of animals to look at and learn about. It is also a bit pricey ($15 for adults) but it is a family run business and they have many animals to care for, so it is understandable. It is clear that the animals are taken care of and the staff is friendly and very knowledgable. We didn't go on the tour but we passed the group and stopped to listen to the owner talk about panthers. He has so much to share about the animals in his care. Next time we go, we will definitely take the tour! Can't wait to go back very soon!

Go on the tour and hear lots of interesting facts. Bob and Julie are full of knowledge about all the animals and are very caring. Try to go every few years to see the changes.