TOPS Petting Park, Cebu’s first-ever petting park, officially opened to the public on August 11, 2026, at TOPS in Busay, Cebu City, giving families and animal lovers a new way to experience one of the city’s popular mountain destinations while promoting meaningful and friendly animal encounters grounded in proper care and welfare.

What you will be currently experiencing here is the intimate experience to pet the animals, feed the animals and learn from different species.

— Alpie Jun Juguilon

Zoo Manager, TOPS Petting Park

Located just outside The Circle with entrance through the PlayFair Arcade, TOPS Petting Park combines animal encounters with petting, feeding and guided learning, adding a more interactive attraction for Cebuanos looking for family-friendly experiences close to home.

The attraction features around 30 to 40 species, ranging from farm animals and reptiles to birds and exotic animals. Among those visitors can meet are Macaws, Cockatoos, Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs, alpacas, sheep, sugar gliders, hedgehogs, Aldabra and Sulcata tortoises, spectacled caimans, Burmese pythons, iguanas, leopard geckos and red tegus.

A closer look at the animal experience

What sets the new attraction apart is the opportunity to move beyond simply observing animals. Guests can pet and feed selected animals while learning more about different species and interacting with keepers who can answer questions about the animals’ backgrounds and characteristics.

What you will be currently experiencing here is the intimate experience to pet the animals, feed the animals and learn from different species, shared Alpie Jun Juguilon, the Zoo Manager of TOPS Petting Park.

Visitors will also be treated to a live bird show featuring feathered performers demonstrating different tricks. The regular bird show is scheduled four times daily at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. A show-and-tell component will likewise give guests another way to learn about the animals while keeping the experience engaging for younger visitors.

For families, that combination gives a trip to TOPS another layer. The destination has long been associated with Cebu’s mountain views and cityscape, but the petting park introduces an experience centered on interaction, curiosity and learning.

It also reflects a growing demand for leisure activities that can be shared across generations without requiring Cebuanos to leave the city for a family day out.

Creating a safe space for both the animals and visitors

Behind the attraction’s interactive concept is an emphasis on keeping the animals’ welfare at the center of the experience.

Juguilon said the petting park’s design considered both the animals’ needs and their natural behavior. Their diets are species-specific, while their enclosures are designed according to the requirements of each animal. The facility is also staffed by trained professionals, including professional trainers and zookeepers.

That approach is particularly relevant to a petting attraction, where close interaction between people and animals requires clear boundaries. Visitors are asked not to grab, chase or touch the animals’ faces, while children must be supervised at all times. Guests are also reminded to walk rather than run, follow staff instructions and only use treats provided by TOPS Petting Park.

The park is also expected to grow. Juguilon said more animals are being considered for the attraction, including the possibility of capybaras, which would give returning visitors something new to discover.

For Cebu, the addition means a familiar destination is taking on another role, not only as a place to see the city from above, but as a space where families can spend time together, encounter animals up close and learn about them in the process.

TOPS Petting Park is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is ₱150 for adults and children above 3 feet, while children 3 feet and below pay ₱100. An animal treat bucket costs ₱50.

With its combination of recreation and learning, the new attraction gives Cebuanos another reason to make the trip up Busay, this time, not just to look out over Cebu, but to get a little closer to the animals that call the park home.

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