Frequently asked questions

The Cango Wildlife Ranch is situated 3 km outside of Oudtshoorn on the R62 en route to the Cango Caves. View the map.

We are open all year round from 08:30 and the last tour departs at 16:30 (off-peak season) and 17:00 (during peak season).

Yes, we offer visitors, 14 years and older, the opportunity to enter our cheetah enclosures (terms and conditions apply).

We are situated 30 minutes from the Cango Caves.

We do not have set times for tours but you will not wait more than half an hour for your tour to start. In the meantime, there are lots to do and see such our Amazonia Bird Aviary and even our Snake Park which you can view all in your own time. 

Tours last approximately 60 minutes.

The Cango Wildlife Ranch is home to more than 90 species of animals. Anything from the giant White Bengal Tiger to the Pygmy Hippos can be found here.

Once you have paid your entrance fee, you are free to wander around on the ranch as you please. The only additional fee applicable in Cheetahland is for the different encounter options such as cheetah, big cat feeding or Ring-Tailed-Lemurs – an absolute must!

Unfortunately we do not allow visitors to visit the restaurant without paying an entrance fee.

We do not offer accommodation but Oudtshoorn has many accommodation facilities. Our well stocked brochure board will help you with your selection.

Yes, our facility is completely wheelchair accessible. Should you be interested in a unique animal encounter, please contact our team at least 48 hours in advance to arrange and discuss how we can accommodate you/your loved one. 

Kindly note that a special encounter is species and situation specific and based on availability.

Years of experience in cheetah behavior have taught us that these cats react differently towards children. It would not be safe for your children to enter the cheetah enclosures unattended by a parent. Children 14 years and older as well as taller than 1.5m are allowed inside by themselves as long as a parent or guardian signs all the indemnity forms on their behalf.

* ALL minors under the age of 18 - need to be accompanied by a parent/legal guardian who has to sign the indemnity forms on their behalf. *

We only require bookings for groups of 10 and more people.

No we do not slaughter our crocodiles. Our crocodile meat is purchased from a commercial breeder who farms these animals on a mass scale as per most agricultural enterprises. The abattoir is strictly controlled by the government health and agricultural departments.

Children are very welcome at the ranch. We even have a Kids Zone designed especially for children. We also cater for children's parties.

Ambassador Animal Encounters is a program where we encourage interaction between our visitors and some of our select ambassador animals at the ranch.

The well-being and welfare of all our animals is paramount in the promotion of our conservation ethic to our guests. To achieve these aims we promote the concept of Ambassador Animal Encounters between you and a number of select ambassador animals. We hope that your encounters with these magnificent creatures will encourage you to care more for their survival on our fragile planet.

It is not necessary to make a booking to take part in any of the Ambassador Animal Encounters.

To ensure the safety of our visitors as well as our animals, age restrictions for any one of the Ambassador Animal Encounters apply. Please visit our Ambassador Animal Encounters page for these age restrictions.

Croc Cage Diving is a world-first offered at the Cango Wildlife Ranch where visitors are lowered in a specially designed cage into a naturally filtered clear water pool inhabited by 4-meter crocodiles. A dive will last approximately 10 minutes.

*Croc-Cage Diving closes during wintertime. Our winter months typically start in May. Please contact us prior to arrival to avoid disappointment. 

See our updated dates on our Animal Encounters Page:

animal encounters

The crocodiles used for Croc Cage Diving are all captive bred animals who are used to human activity. Since we do not chum our crocodiles to encourage them to move towards the cage, the impacts on the crocodiles are minimal. The cage with the diver is simply manoeuvred as close as possible to the crocodiles to give you a close up encounter with these super predators.

You will get close enough to see the crocodiles’ toenails!

Crocodiles are fascinating, powerful creatures and the only time you can truly appreciate the sheer power of these animals is when they are underwater. On land these ancient reptiles look sluggish but by entering their environment you can truly see why these animals are such excellent hunters.

*Crocodile Cage Diving closes in the winter months. Please revert to our encounter page for more exact dates regarding this.

We offer swimwear on the premises but if you prefer, you are more than welcome to bring your own. All of our swimwear, towels and swim goggles are washed and sanitized for your safety.

*Crocodile Cage Diving closes during winter months. Please refer to our encounters page for more specific information on dates.

To make Croc-Cage Diving accessible to everyone we do not make use of scuba gear during a dive but rather provide you with goggles.

Yes, we offer various a USB with all your photos, as well as printed photos.

Yes, we do allow you to take underwater cameras with you when diving. 

We have excellent shower facilities built especially for visitors participating in Croc Cage Diving.

The water temperature inside the Croc Cage Pool is an average of 25 degrees Celsius.

The deepest point in the pool is just over 2 meters, however enough of the cage remains above the water to give you the option of keeping your head above the water surface.

The water inside the Croc Cage Pool is kept clear by a natural filter system.

Our crocodiles, like all our animals, have a feeding schedule. We do not feed them during dives and these animals are only fed two to three times a week due to their metabolism and feeding requirements. We use positive reinforcement as part of our training program, and to ensure the crocodiles also respond positively to our Cage and you, the diver, after a set amount of dives, we offer them small pieces of meat as motivation.

The Cango Wildlife Ranch is a captive breeding facility for endangered species. Unfortunately endangered species are found throughout the world and we believe that the conservation of the world’ s animals is every person’ s duty. For this reason we offer sanctuary to species of animals from all over the world and not only African species.

The Wallow is an up market evening venue offering a unique setting in the Valley of Ancients and exquisite menus catering for groups who have booked the venue for functions.

You are required to book The Wallow and customize your menu in advance to ensure excellent service and an evening never to be forgotten.

The Wallow is designed to seat up to 60 people comfortably. Should you prefer to only have cocktails at The Wallow and dinner at our Turtles Restaurant, up to 80 people can be accommodated.

You do not need to hire caterers for a function at The Wallow as our chefs are famous for their excellent food and the menu costs include the catering.

The Wallow offers a unique setting for any of the above.

Unfortunately The Wallow is an evening venue only and not open during the day.

Apart from the unique setting of The Wallow in the heart of the Valley of Ancients, you are able to sit in resplendent comfort amongst cascading waterfalls, witness the sunset, catch a glimpse of the lemurs, porcupines, pygmy hippos and crocodiles whilst enjoying an exquisite meal prepared according to your fancy.

Please visit our Wallow page where you will be able to view the menus.