Serval Wildlife Sanctuary
Serval Wildlife is a safari park, wildlife sanctuary and luxury ecotourism resort in Siha District, Kilimanjaro Region. Its landscaped setting combines keeper-led wildlife interpretation, carefully controlled visitor photography and eligible animal encounters with views toward Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru when the weather is clear.
Serval Wildlife Sanctuary Tanzania's Unique Wildlife Experience
Serval Wildlife is located in Siha District in Tanzania's Kilimanjaro Region, approximately 35 minutes from Kilimanjaro International Airport, 60 minutes from Moshi and 90 minutes from Arusha according to the attraction's current official information. It describes itself as both a wildlife sanctuary and a luxury ecotourism safari park and resort, so a day visit is a managed, keeper-led experience rather than a conventional game drive through a national park.
The attraction states that animals in its care have come from zoos or were injured in the wild, remain government owned and are managed in coordination with the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority and Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute. Its published conservation approach includes rehabilitation and, where appropriate, reintroduction. Visitors should therefore follow every current keeper instruction: feeding, petting or close photography applies only to eligible animals, depends on welfare and conditions on the day, and is never a promise that a particular animal will participate. The official day-visit guidance excludes walking with lions.
The setting is also part of the experience. Serval Wildlife reports planting more than 5,000 endemic trees and continuing to add native vegetation, while operating the resort with solar power. On clear days the grounds can provide views toward both Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru. The official visitor-information page describes a guided day visit of about two hours, access to the restaurant and photography, feeding and petting opportunities under the sanctuary's rules. Haven Trails adds private transport, guiding and the inclusions stated in the booked package; current admission conditions and prices are reconfirmed before travel.
Who You'll Meet
The animals available to view and the form of any interaction can change with welfare, health and operational conditions. The official day-visit information confirms keeper-guided access for photography and eligible feeding or petting, while lion walking is not part of a standard day visit. Treat the examples below as possible resident encounters rather than guaranteed sightings, and follow the sanctuary team's current instructions throughout.
The sanctuary's most beloved residents. Completely accustomed to visitors. Hand-feed them acacia leaves and pellets from an elevated platform or at ground level. At up to 6 metres tall, feeding a giraffe face-to-face is one of the most extraordinary wildlife encounters available in Tanzania.
Resident African lions viewed up close from the dedicated enclosure. With detailed explanation from the sanctuary guide of each lion's story and behaviour. Note: walking with lions is available to overnight guests only (adults, subject to animal behaviour).
Tanzania's largest antelope, roaming freely through the estate. Calm, enormous and remarkably approachable. Elands will walk directly alongside you during guided walks through the botanical gardens.
Plains zebras graze freely across the open areas of the estate, moving among the botanical plantings. Interacting with zebras at this proximity. Outside of a vehicle. Is an experience unique to Serval Wildlife in Tanzania.
Both black-and-white colobus and blue/vervet monkeys live in the sanctuary's tree areas. The colobus. With their dramatic colouration and flowing white capes. Are among Tanzania's most beautiful primates and rarely encountered at such close range.
One of Africa's most endearing small mammals. Nocturnal in the wild and almost never seen on standard game drives. With their enormously oversized ears (used to locate underground insects by sound), bat-eared foxes at Serval Wildlife offer an encounter that a traditional safari almost never provides.
The world's largest birds roam the open areas of the estate. At up to 2.7 metres tall and 150 kg, encountering ostriches on foot (safely, with a guide) is a remarkable experience for adults and particularly memorable for children.
Over 3,000 species of hand-planted Tanzanian endemic flora form the sanctuary's botanical ecosystem. Directly chosen to benefit the resident animals through food, habitat and natural enrichment. The botanical walk is a significant part of the visit.
Sanctuary Entrance Fees
Day Visit Non-Resident (Non-Tanzanian)
Day visit includes: access to the restaurant, English-speaking sanctuary guide and full access to the wildlife areas for interaction, petting (excluding lions) and photography. Sanctuary open daily 10:00 AM-4:00 PM. No advance booking required. Payment by cash, bank transfer, visa card or M-Pesa.
Day Visit Tanzanian Resident/h3>
Adult (13 years and over)$45 USD
Child (4-12 years)$15 USD
Citizens of other East African countries (excluding Tanzania) are charged the non-resident rate.
Overnight Luxury Villa 2025 Rate
Chalet-design villas of 120 m². King-size bed, dining area, full bathroom with double basins, outdoor veranda, WiFi, minibar. Full-board only. 100% solar-powered. High-voltage appliances (hair dryers, irons) not permitted. Overnight guests gain access to the walking-with-lions experience (adults only, subject to animal behaviour). Contact Haven Trails to arrange overnight packages.
Your Day-Trip Experience
Guests are collected from their Moshi or Arusha accommodation and travel into Siha District, where cultivated slopes and, in clear weather, views toward Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru frame the approach to Serval Wildlife. The attraction officially describes itself as a wildlife sanctuary and luxury ecotourism resort, with rescued or injured government-owned animals received through Tanzania's wildlife authorities and managed with rehabilitation or reintroduction aims where appropriate. On arrival, sanctuary staff provide the current safety and animal-welfare briefing before leading the visit through the landscaped grounds. Keepers explain the resident animals, their care and the sanctuary's conservation work, while permitted feeding, petting or close photography is offered only for eligible animals and only when staff, conditions and the animals' voluntary behaviour allow; lions are excluded from visitor contact, and no particular interaction or sighting is guaranteed. The experience also reveals the property's extensive planting of endemic vegetation and its use of solar power, giving useful context beyond photographs. Haven Trails' package includes time for a meal at the sanctuary restaurant and a comfortable opportunity to enjoy the setting before departure. After the guided visit and final photography stops, guests rejoin their driver for the flexible return journey to Moshi or Arusha.
Inclusions & Exclusions
- Return private 4x4 transport Moshi or Arusha
- Serval Wildlife non-resident entrance fee ($120/adult, $50/child)
- Sanctuary English-speaking guide throughout
- Giraffe feeding session
- Free-roaming wildlife walk (elands, zebras, ostriches)
- Lion enclosure visit
- Colobus monkeys & bat-eared fox encounter
- Botanical garden guided walk
- Lunch at the sanctuary restaurant
- Bottled water throughout
- Walking with lions (overnight guests only)
- Overnight villa stay ($950/room/night)
- Alcoholic beverages at the restaurant
- Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
- Gratuities (discretionary)
- Personal items and souvenirs
Why Haven Trails Adventures
Your Haven Trails driver-guide knows the Kilimanjaro region deeply. The Siha District, the approach road and the Serval sanctuary itself. They accompany you throughout and provide context for everything you experience.
All Serval Wildlife day trips depart in a private 4x4 vehicle. Comfortable, air-conditioned and never shared with strangers. Your vehicle waits at the sanctuary throughout your visit.
Haven Trails' most requested post-Kilimanjaro activity. Just 35 minutes from KIA airport and 60 minutes from Moshi. A gentle, joyful and completely memorable experience after a demanding summit. We coordinate the handover from your climb operator seamlessly.
Hand-feeding giraffes, walking with elands, watching ostriches, and meeting bat-eared foxes creates extraordinary memories for children. Min age 4 years. Haven Trails guides are experienced with family groups and know how to make every encounter engaging for all ages.
Serval Wildlife's location in the Moshi-Kilimanjaro region makes it easy to combine with Chemka Hot Springs, Materuni Waterfalls, or Lake Challa for a full multi-destination day. Haven Trails arranges all logistics.
Serval Wildlife operates 100% on solar energy with a curated botanical ecosystem. Haven Trails briefs all guests on responsible animal interaction guidelines before arrival, ensuring the experience is positive for both visitors and animals.