About 35 kilometers north of the famous resort town of Da Lat in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, the highly unusual ZooDoo café is growing in popularity.
The friendly animals here include kangaroos, alpacas, meerkats, sheeps and tiny ponies. Since they are less aggressive animals, the café is also a child-friendly place.
According to the staff, the animals nurtured here generally take around six months to learn to interact with humans. They say they take really good care of the animals, paying special attention to hygiene. The café even has two fulltime veterinarians to tend to the animals.
Guests can comfortably take photos with all animals, but they are also given guidance on handling them.
First, staff will introduce visitors to the characteristics of each species, including their eating habits and personalities. They will then be instructed on how to feed the animals. Visitors are advised not to feed the animals with outside food.
The best time to visit this place is the morning when the weather is cool and there is little rain, while the best season is summer.
The venue opens weekdays between 7:30 a.m. till 5:30 p.m. An adult ticket costs VND100,000 ($4.30).
Khanh Doan, a visitor from Saigon, says: "Although it took me quite sometime to get here, this is a very rewarding and valuable part of my Da Lat trip. Being cornered by animals while feeding them was an interesting experience. If I have a chance, I will come back here again to play with them."