Nurtured By Nature

My boyfriend and I love learning about animals and loved this place! It was wonderful to learn about and interact with the different species at Nurtured By Nature. Our favorite experience was the otter swim. The owners/​operators, the Yates, are doing great work creating awareness and empathy to the threats these species face.

I do not want to write a long review because I think it will spoil a lot of the surprises. Completely worth it! Expect about a half day with the ability to play and feed a lot of different animals. You of course get breaks in between, and they provide snacks and food.
The entire staff was personable and extremely friendly. Take a look at some of the pics. I would recommend that you bring your go-​pro/​waterproof camera case if you can. Once in a lifetime experience!

I just spent the day with Nurtured by Nature and it was definitely an experience I will never forget. First off, they do a lot for Make a Wish and even have plans to build a pool with a beach time entry so wheelchairs can get into the pool easily. Wendy and Kevin are super welcoming and make you feel like you’re with extremely knowledgeable friends with a really cool backyard.
When we got there, we were able to feed craisins to the three Lemurs they had received recently and mealworms to Fennec Foxes. I had never been that close to either, but the Lemurs were very energetic and were jumping all over the place and very eager to eat craisins and lick fingers. The Fennec Foxes were a little more docile until the meal worms were brought out and then they were trying to push the other one of the way for the meal worms.
After that they brought out Lily and Poppy, two baby otters that were 5 months old. They ran around and played and cuddled and were fun to watch. Then we met Chloe the sloth and I was able to take what was referred to as a ‘Slothie.’ We were able to see Chloe climb around the gazebo play room for awhile until she was taken back to her enclosure.
We were also able to feed a cute porcupine named Cuddles, Priscilla Dilla the 5 banded Armadillo and also got to feed a couple other animals and meet a three banded armadillo named Coconut.
One of the highlights of the day was meeting the two kangaroos and feeding them bananas. I’ve never met a kangaroo before so it was fun to be so close and be able to pet one in such a small group setting.
Then came the main event of the day, swimming with the otters. I enjoyed this part more than I thought. The water was warmed to about 90 degrees, so even though it was cold out, it felt good to get in and stay in. We swam with the Guardians, we had 5 fun otters come in, including Hank who had about 4 – 5 pounds on all the other otters so when he swam up to you and got on your shoulders or your arm, you knew you had 10 pound Hank on you. The otters were very playful and interactive, and stayed in the pool with us for a long time. Wendy, Kevin, and Sarah (sorry if that wasn’t her name, I’m blanking!) answered any and all questions I had regarding the otters and even every other animal I was curious about. What was really impressive is all activities were based around how the animals were behaving. We had two otters while swimming that wanted to get out and go back to their enclosure and Kevin took them back after they indicated they wanted to leave. If the animal wasn’t having it, they weren’t going to force the animal to do anything they did not want to.
If you have a chance to take this tour, do it. You will not regret it. This was a once in a lifetime experience for my boyfriend and I and we made memories we will never forget.

I cannot believe it took me this long to write a rave review about this place! My fiancé took me here for my birthday and it was easily the best birthday present to date. They were booked months out but luckily the received a cancellation so we were able to get in and boy am I happy we did. There is nothing out there like this place! We were able to feed kangaroos, hold armadillo’s, feed a porcupine but best of all we were able to swim with small clawed baby otters! Such an amazing day and the staff was phenomenal, I feel as though it was an experience of a lifetime!

This experience was amazing and it is highly recommended. Kevin and Wendy were as cool as the otters! The whole day was informative, fun, and an experience my fiancée and I will never forget. Good people doing good things for others. The video will show what a great time
it was.

I LOVE otters & on a whim googled swimming with otters for a trip to LA for a wedding. I found Nurtured by Nature, contacted Wendy & quickly booked the last 2 spots. It was an amazing experience I will never forget! Their facility was top notch & the staff was professional & engaging. We were part of a small group that shared an intimate experience with the animals they shared. We help Coconut the armadillo, petted Chloe the 2 toed sloth, fed Cuddles the porcupine & fed kangaroos. After a snack that was provided we walked into a heated pool to play with Eenie, Meenie, Miney & Mo for an hour. Truly the coolest thing ever. Wendy & her husband are passionate & dedicated people looking to educate people about the many species they work hard to preserve. I love that they work with Hospice & The Make a Wish Foundation.

My boyfriend and I love otters, so when I did a bit of Google searching and found this place, it was our automatic getaway of choice for our third anniversary. We drove up to the gates this morning and met up with two other couples who would be taking the tour with us that day. Wendy, Kevin, and Sarah (I hope that was her name? I’m terrible with names) were amazing, giving us the chance to learn about and interact with ten types of animals, some of which I didn’t even know existed! The highlight of our visit was, of course, THE OTTER SWIM! For almost an hour, we got to play with a bunch of squirmy, silly, playful little otters. We never felt rushed, and were touched by how eager the Nurtured By Nature team was to share their beloved animals. We couldn’t have been happier with our visit.
Knowing that our fee is going towards animal care as well as Make-​A-​Wish kids who visit there makes the experience even more rewarding. I’d definitely come again, and I’d recommend it to everyone I know who loves animals!!! Thanks Nurtured By Nature!

We had such a fabulous time at Nurtured By Nature. Truly an unforgettable experience. We never felt rushed, plenty of time was allotted for each animal encounter. Swimming with the frisky otters was certainly the highlight for us, but we loved meeting all the animals. We recommend bringing a shirt or shorts (over a swim suit) to wear in the pool because the otters love climbing in them, and having an otter playing inside your shirt is really hilarious! Especially when they poke their head out of the neck hole… We also felt confident that the animals were well cared for and were obtained ethically. While it costs a pretty penny, it really is an unforgettable experience and the money goes to fund their non-​profit, which donates the experience to kids and families through Make a Wish Foundation. Do it!

I had the most amazingly epic experience here! Wendy and Kevin are so friendly, knowledgeable and amazing! I loved every interaction with every animal!!! Definitely a once in a lifetime experience and memories that will last forever!

Took my nieces and nephew here for their Christmas present — Fricken awesome! Kids loved it. It’ll be an experience they’ll never forget. The Yates were super sweet and very knowledgeable. Easy to get to. Not too far from San Diego. We’re so blessed to have to have something like this so close to us. The only bad thing about it — — - Kids want otters as pets now. Lol

After seeing a friend post pictures of themselves in a pool with otters, I immiediately booked a birthday trip for my brother and some friends.
We just went this weekend and it was absolutely incredible, a really special once in a lifetime treat (unless of course we go again, which I absolutely hope to).
The Yates’ family are so wonderful and sweet and you can tell they really love what they do (also considering they do it part time and hold full time jobs) and take such great care of the animals and it really shows. They are very careful not to over interact the animals hence they only do this once or twice a week and keep the groups limited to eight people.
One amazing animal after another, we learned so much and got to interact with these wonderful creatures. From petting a Sloth named Chewie, holding an Armadillo named Coconut, feeding a Porcupine named Cuddles, SWIMMING WITH OTTERS (all named Mine with the exception of one named Face due to his propensity to touch people’s faces), kissing a Kangaroo named Buckaroo and a host of other amazing animals we had such a magical experience.
I can not recommend this enough, it was such a special treat and every single person in my party walked away so ecstatic and feeling like we just got to have a very special experience.
Thank you to the Yates family so much for the amazing time, this place is such a gem, I wish there were more stars to give!

Awesome animal interaction. The animals that you get to pet for this adventure are usually seen in pictures or inside of a cage at other locations like the zoo. For this experience the animals are right next to you, and the porcupine even climbed up on my legs/​waist!
I loved Chewy the sloth and swimming with the otters was a once in a lifetime experience.
Highly recommend.

My girlfriend took me to Nurture by Nature fro my 32^nd Birthday as a surprise, and I was thrilled to have this experience. Otters have always been one of my favorite animals and this adventure allowed me to get up close and personal with otters and other creatures as well including a Sloth!!! Wendy, Kevin and their daughter were extremely knowledgeable about all the animals and really showed the both of us a great time! I would highly recommend this to people of all ages. The otters are the coolest animals and VERY playful. Has to be one of the best experiences of my life, hands down. I will remember swimming and playing with otters for a long time to come!

Last weekend, my boyfriend and I ventured out to Valley Center to visit the Nurtured by Nature Animal Sanctuary. What fun!
From start to finish, the experience was interactive, fun, and totally worth it! Wendy and Kevin, the owners, both conduct the tour and are full of insightful information about the animals. The animals are friendly and well-​adapted to human interaction. We were able to feed many of them and snapped some great pictures.
I would definitely recommend this experience to anyone, young or old. The fee you pay goes back to caring for the animals and helping the sanctuary provide the program for free to Make-​A-​Wish kids, so it’s a great cause as well :)

I have known Wendy and Kevin for 5 years and I have brought probably over 30 people to their facility to experience their kindness, generosity and the magical wonder of interacting with some of natures most fantastic creatures. Kevin and Wendy have spent years nurturing their animals to the point that they enjoy their interactions with the people as much as the people enjoy the interactions with the animals. Wendy has a bond with otters having raised them since birth and treats them much as a mother would her child. She raised them with care and you can experience their bond when you visit them. Kevin has been raising and caring for animals since he was a kid and you can see the animals are healthy and happy due to his vast knowledge and years of experience. I am a true animal lover and have been working in conservation for 11 years and I am proud to bring my family and friends to their facility to show off what great care they provide. I have had the opportunity to interact with almost every animal in their care and I have felt safe and have been all smiles the entire time. I am a true fan of nurtured by nature for the experience they provide and the message they send. I would encourage anyone who is an animal lover to plan a visit. You will not regret it in fact you will have an incredible memory forever.

One of the most amazing experiences! From the minute I stepped out of the car, I felt welcome and at ease. The Yates family exudes professionalism and their knowledge of the animals is remarkable. Since I was just visiting my boyfriend in California for a few days, Wendy had gone out of her way to accommodate us and paired us with another group (thank you again). The whole session felt safe and secure, from petting the porcupine to swimming with the adorable otters. If you asked me to choose my favourite segment — I couldn’t. The entire Yates family and Nurtured By Nature team have provided such a unique, once-​in-​a-​lifetime experience that you have to participate in order to believe. We recommended the organization to friends and was not surprised when I heard they also LOVED it. I travelled from Canada for this amazing cause and would do it again in a heartbeat.

So found this place in the reader and knew I had to take my friend here for her Bday! She is a HUGE animal lover and her dream was to hold a sloth. This program is great because it gives kids an up close and personal experience with many different animals (porcupine, a fox, armadillos, a sloth and even a chance to swim with otters!!) The experience is a few hours long and the husband and wife team (The Yates) are very knowledgeable and friendly! They make you feel right at home! Their daughter assists with the program and you can tell they are passionate about what they are doing. FUN DAY!