"We choose to bring our students to Tanganyika for the unique, hands on experience. Our kids absolutely love getting to be so close to the animals! The Tanganyika staff have always gone above and beyond to accommodate our group and make things easy. We bring over 1200 students, over half of them with intellectual and developmental disabilities to Tanganyika each spring. Every year the staff are friendly, patient, and willing to do just about anything to make our group feel welcome. Often when our students with special needs attend field trips, they are constantly reminded not to touch anything, to stay quiet, etc. At Tanganyika our students are ENCOURAGED to let their curiosity run wild and get right up close with the animals. It’s so fun to see our students light up as they feed a giraffe, pet a kangaroo, and experience a lemur jump up on their shoulder. These are experiences you can’t get anywhere else. I am constantly telling our families and other youth programs to visit Tanganyika. The space is gorgeous and open, the staff are so friendly, and the experience is unlike any other. What surprised me the most about our trip was how open the facility is. Animals roam freely in their areas, which is so different than the cages you see at most zoos or other wildlife areas. You can tell these animals are truly happy and well taken care of here."