Africa
South Africa
Western Cape
Oudtshoorn
Things to do in Oudtshoorn
Cango Wildlife Ranch
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Cango Wildlife Ranch

See all things to do
See all things to do
Cango Wildlife Ranch
4.5
#4 of 24 things to do in Oudtshoorn
Nature & Wildlife Areas
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
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About
Cango Wildlife Ranch is internationally recognised as one of South Africa’s premier tourism attractions. Conveniently situated en route to the Cango Caves near Oudtshoorn, the Ranch offers visitors a huge variety of awe-inspiring activities at one location for a value-packed price – suitable for the whole family and open 365 days a year! In addition to our wonderful encounter programs, where you can meet an ambassador cheetah, the ranch also offers two Firsts: Lemur Falls – the first interactive Lemur experience in Africa! - and Crocodile Cage Diving - a World First - where you can test your mettle against the dangerous gaze of a Nile Crocodile via a steel cage lowered into their watery domain! As a PAAZA (Pan-African Association of Zoos and Aquaria) accredited facility, a proud member of WAZA(World Association of Zoos and Aquariums), and a multiple winner of TripAdvisor's Certificate of Excellence, Cango Wildlife Ranch remains a unique world-class facility which strives to provide conservation through education by means of various conservation projects, initiatives and informative guided tours! A significant percentage of all proceeds go straight back into our conservation initiatives providing you with ethical and unforgettable fun and memories. For unlimited adventure for the whole family – visit Cango Wildlife Ranch!
Duration: 2-3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
42 within 5 kms
Cango Caves Restaurant
8
1.2 kmCafe
The Black Swan Restaurant & Wine Bar
934
2 kmRR - RRR • African • International • European
Jemima's Restaurant
1,317
2.3 kmRR - RRR • African • Vegetarian Friendly • Vegan Options
Nostalgie Restaurant
1,443
2.5 kmRR - RRR • African • Vegetarian Friendly • Vegan Options
Bello Cibo Restaurant
656
2.5 kmRR - RRR • Italian • Pizza • Mediterranean
Rou Karoo
37
2.5 kmRR - RRR • Cafe • Vegetarian Friendly • Vegan Options
La Dolce Vita
167
2.6 kmRR - RRR • International • Vegetarian Friendly
Casa del Sol
11
2.5 kmRR - RRR • Seafood • Mediterranean • European
Brian's Grill and Family Restaurant
330
2.8 kmRR - RRR • Bar • International • Pub
Camp Roadhouse
6
2.7 kmCafe
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Attractions
12 within 10 kms
Swartberg Pass
1,666
2.7 kmScenic Drives
Cango Ostrich Show Farm
604
2 kmFarms
C.P Nel Museum
181
3.1 kmHistory Museums
Safari Ostrich Farm
1,606
Farms
Meerkat Magic
156
4.8 kmNature & Wildlife Areas
Arbeidsgenot
19
2.8 kmHistoric Sites
ArtKaroo Art Gallery
16
2.7 kmArt Galleries
Le Roux Townhouse
4
2.5 kmSpeciality Museums • History Museums
Oudtshoorn Tourism Bureau
15
3.2 kmVisitor Centres
St Jude's Anglican Church
5
2.6 kmHistoric Sites • Architectural Buildings
See all
See what travellers are saying
  • Jessica G
    1 contribution
    Great guide, but the enclosures are too small!
    Themba puts his all into his job and it really comes across with his passion and knowledge about the animals!! A great guide!! 5 stars. The only downside is the size of the enclosures. I couldn’t tell if some of the cats were stressed or just hungry (most likely the latter), but either way it made me feel uneasy. If this review was based on range of animals and tour guides alone, it would be 5 star’s all around.
    Visited December 2022
    Travelled with friends
    Written 18 December 2022
  • Jean-Pierre
    George Town, Grand Cayman3 contributions
    Great location, staff and animals.
    We really enjoyed our stop at the park today, we opted to do the guided tour and we went with Leo. He was a fantastic guide, he was very knowledgeable and was able to answer questions with ease in multiple languages as they were asked. The park has a restaurant on site, all workers were really friendly and helpful. Park has a selection of birds, crocs, big cats and a large selection of other animals. By far the best part for us was getting some food cups and feeding the birds on site, they cover you completely are really beautiful animals. All the animals on the property look very healthy and well cared for. Highly recommend. Thank you again Leo for the great guided tour and the rest of the staff who contributed to our great time on site.
    Cango Wildlife Ranch
    Dear Guest, Thank you so much for this amazing review, we are truly grateful to have Leo on our team. We will definitely pass this message on to him. Feeding our lorikeets truly is an amazing experience. We hope to see you again soon. Kind Regards, CWR Team
    Written 18 September 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 13 August 2023
  • Linda Townsend
    Cape Town Central, South Africa73 contributions
    Nothing special
    There is really nothing special about this wildlife park (zoo). Its small, was packed with chinese tourists that are doing a one hour tour trough it and the animal cages were quite small, especially for the big cats. (they were clean tough!) We saw none of those cute monkeys. We had the choice between Cango caves and the wildlife park and chose the park as we thought our kids would have more fun there but we regretted our choice. will not be back.
    Cango Wildlife Ranch
    Good day, Linda. We would like to thank you for taking the time to write a review, whether it be good or bad, your opinion matters to us. It saddens us to hear that you were displeased with our facility. We pride ourselves in our conservation-through-education approach, and value reviews such as your own, as it assists us in clarifying and explaining our purpose as a conservation and zoological facility. As for your comment on the enclosure sizes, it often happens that the enclosures look small after you view the sweeping landscapes of a game reserve, but we assure you that our animals are quite happy and we make sure the enclosures are big enough to suit their needs. We go through intense accreditation procedures to always comply with global standards set out by PAAZA (Pan-African Association of Zoos & Aquaria) as well as WAZA (World Association of Zoos & Aquaria). This accreditation assists us in always ensuring that the well-being & health of our animals comes as the first priority. That being said, though we do comply on all levels regarding our animal's space requirements, we would of course love to give them even more than that. Unfortunately, we are limited as far as total space, resources and funding. Our facility is completely self-sustaining, and other than a few donations, we are not subsidised whatsoever. We are a facility that caters to all nationalities. We hope that our response has shed some light on your concern and that you would be willing to visit our facility again in the near future with a new outlook on our purpose, function and goals. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you require any further information. We pride ourselves on our honesty and transparency, as we have nothing to hide from our public. (info@cango.co.za) Sincerely yours, The Cango Wildlife Team
    Written 18 September 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2023
    Written 18 August 2023
  • GOLF
    17 contributions
    Must visit
    Amazing sanctuary, friendly staff and wide assortment of animals to look at. One of the few places that you can get up close and personal with the animals in our case the teenager cheetahs! The guides were very knowledgeable and had great respect for the animals in the park. The only reason that I am not giving a 5 would be that they have commercialised the photo taking in the close encounters, which I am okay with as the funds go back into supporting of the park. But if you are going to charge for photos please can you get a decent camera! Overall amazing place and would def recommend that you visit!
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 4 October 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
2 384 reviews
Excellent
1 418
Very good
660
Average
206
Poor
61
Terrible
39
Tusk Adventures and Tours
11 contributions
Tusk Adventures and Tours Garden Route experience.
Nov 2023 • Business
Our international guests really enjoyed their experience at Cango Wildfire.

A big 🤝 to all the conservation efforts at this site.

We always include a visit to this sanctuary when touring the Garden Route.

Virgil was a very engaging guide as well. Full of humour too. One can tell that he loves his job.
Written 24 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ionut C
97 contributions
Cheetah land
Nov 2023 • Friends
Cheetah land it's a mandatory place to be included in a SA tour like I was . A space for everyone , but especially for family with childrens .
Written 13 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dona S
Porirua, New Zealand864 contributions
A very enjoyable experience
Nov 2023 • Friends
We visited on impulse and were just in time to join a walking tour. Our guide, Darren, was great - he was knowledgeable and interesting, and kept us entertained while giving us relevant information about the animals we were looking at. We both thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would highly recommend it. They are doing a wonderful job of conservation with no funding other than what is earned through visitors and donations.
Written 13 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mslymfl
Toronto, Canada42 contributions
never dreamed that i'd get to pet cheetahs in my lifetime!!
Aug 2023 • Couples
Wow! Never dreamed that i'd get to pet cheetahs in my lifetime.

I know some will say that’s not right to keep animals like this, and that they should be out in the wild where they belong, but the way the world’s going, the habitats for these (and many other) incredible animals, especially the big cats, are disappearing rapidly. Hopefully not, but these types of sanctuaries may soon be the only places to see animals like this at all. The ranch is obviously very concerned with animal welfare, and this is evidenced in how happy, healthy, and safe all their animals were.

Anyway, it was an incredible experience, and made me look into additional ways i can help to preserve and safeguard these beautiful cats for future generations. The staff were very good – knowledgeable, safety-conscious, and obviously loved the animals and their jobs!

The tour of the other paddocks was very good too: the african crocodiles, the (almost extinct) pygmy hippo, the albino porcupine, the vultures . . . very enjoyable day, and so glad we added this stop to our route!
Written 1 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Resort63794137855
1 contribution
Amazing experience
Oct 2023 • Couples
We had an amazing last minute experience here with the cheetahs because we had some time to spare before going to our next stay. It´s not like your usual zoo because of the tour and all the information you get. Petting of the cheetahs was fantastic! Would recomment!
Written 26 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elana D
George, South Africa5 contributions
Best wild life experiences you can get . My encounter was with the crocodile. I was safely in a cage in the water with two nil
Oct 2023 • Friends
Staff is very kind and very helpful. Me and my friend learn a lot of new facts about animal and the care. Best place to see wild animals close up .
Written 24 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mudeford123
Christchurch, UK344 contributions
Interesting visit
Oct 2023 • Couples
Visiting this park is by guided tour only which is fine. There are plenty of animals to see although viewing of the big cats can be slightly restricted if they are near the walkway. Leo was our guide and he was very knowledgeable. He gave us enough time to take photographs. We were the last tour of the day so it was a small group. Worth a visit if you are in the area.
Written 23 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Missshcroft
1 contribution
Croc Cage dive a must!
Oct 2023 • Friends
It is a must stop attraction when you visit Oudtshoorn. The best activity for me was doing the crocodile cage dive, it is the best experience ever and you get really close and personal with the Nile Crocodiles. A big thank you to Suanne who assisted us with the croc cage dive, she was very informative and kept us safe while we were inside the cage with the crocs. She did an excellent job and also thanks to the photographer Ockert.
Written 19 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ALIDA
2 contributions
Amazing
Sep 2023 • Couples
It is a beautiful garden where saving animals is paramount. We had a nice tour. And afterwards we had a cheetah encounter. We opted for the cubs. Three 11 month old cubs. Wow what a wonderful experience. The ranch and the staff are really great.
Written 14 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Teresa R
Cape Town, South Africa64 contributions
Fun filled day with wild animals
Oct 2023 • Couples
What a great place, we had the nicest guide named Leo, who was very knowledgeable and very pleasant, the wildlife ranch is amazing, clean and the animals all look very content and well kept. The interaction with the birds is fun and once you bring out the nectar be sure to get sat on. The whole day was an amazing experience and we'll worth it.
Written 10 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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CANGO WILDLIFE RANCH: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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