Did you know you can get up close and personal with penguins, sloths and otters close to central New York?

The Animal Adventure Park, located in Harpursville, NY (close to Binghamton) offers animal encounters with all three, so you can have an experience unlike any other.

Sloth Encounters

During your sloth encounter, you'll have the opportunity to meet and speak with the sloth keepers for 'Sloth 101' inside the sloth exhibit!. Get face to face, hands-on, and even hand feed the resident sloths. Participants must be at least 6 years of age to be in the encounter space and participate. Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult, which counts as a separate participant. This encounter lasts about 30 minutes.

Otter Encounters

Keepers will share their wealth of otter knowledge, then allow you to indirectly and directly engage with the otters. Alongside the trainers, you can practice training protocols with the otters, offer them a treat, and shake their paws. The otters will even paint a special portrait for you as a souvenir. You won't be in the otter exhibit directly, but you'll be interacting with them through fencing and contact windows. This encounter is for 2 total guests, and participants must be at least 6 years old. If someone is under the age of 16, they must be accompanied by an adult, which counts as a separate participant. This encounter lasts about 30 minutes.

Penguin Encounters

Meet and speak with the penguin keepers and trainers for 'Penguin 101' in the penguin exhibit. When it's time to "play", participants will be able to hand-feed the penguins. The encounter group will be given (1) foot print painting done by the penguins as a souvenir to remember your encounter. The encounter is for up to 2, or up to 4, total guests. Participants must be at least 6 years old. If someone is under the age of 16, they must be accompanied by an adult, which counts as a separate participant. This encounter lasts about 20 minutes.

At this time, due to the coronavirus pandemic, all visitors are required to wear masks, and you will need to fill out a waiver prior to your encounter.

The encounters cost about $250 per person.

Photos ARE allowed, so make sure you remember your camera.