Papanack Park Zoo

Our 3 year old had so much fun looking at all the animals and getting to feed them. Yes the animals are kept in captivity some in smaller spaces then others but as far as zoos go this has been one of the better ones I've seen. The staff were nice and the animals looked taken care of.

This zoo is the best place to throw a Birthday Party!! We just had our son's birthday party there and it was a hit!!! Really friendly staff and the zookeeper is just amazing! She prepared the Birthday room for us with all sorts of animal decorations :) She went above and beyond for us! We saw all sorts of animals! Such an amazing zoo for kids to visit!!

I went there this past weekend with the kids and here's what I have to say.I have heard horror stories about this place and it's why I've hesitated for so long to take the kids there.You have to go in knowing what it is that you're in for.It's a farm with cages with wild animal, this makes it a zoo. It is not a traditional zoo perse. All animals are behind chain link fencing not steel bars like a typical zoo. This gives it a less elegant look bit still works.The enclosure do seem small but again, it also doesn't have the footprint of a large zoo.The animals seem lethargic. Sure, they are caged wild animal afterall. I've seen the same at large zoos. But how big of a cage is big enough? As a person, if I were confined to my house forever would that be too small? Maybe confined to my neighborhood, or city? Some humans are confined to earth and it's not good enough either. No creature is meant to be confined.They let you feed most animals which the kids love. All monkeys are very active. The big cats are not, most are not overly active in the wild either.You cannot expect to pay $20 for a ticket and get the same experience as a zoo that charges $60. People need to be realistic. Again, it's a farm with zoo animals.You will see a lot of the same animals that you see in a bigger, more expensive zoo as well. Pretty much all of the big cats are there, so you'll love it if you are a big cat fan.As a reference point of how they are cared for. The bears are owned by the woman who cares for them. Life expectancy in the wild is like 8-9 years. The bears there are 20+. Not sure about anyone else, but their lives have been doubled, at least.If you're in the area and want to go to the zoo, but don't want to drive an extra 2-3 hours, try it out. With kids, the shorter trip amd cheaper rate is appreciated.

Went today, yes some of the enclosures are small but what the hell do I know about their care, maybe they're just viewing enclosures and they're moved to other enclosures at different times. There seemed to be other much bigger enclosures that weren't accessible to the public. All of the enclosures we saw had little dens and lots of greenery for shade and to hide. As for water, I noticed a lot of natural source water. I thought the animals looked healthy, they were curious and interactive so they can't be that sad... ultimately it has greatly improved. There was also a bear and cheetah show where a handler was right there with the animals and the animals obviously loved her. I saw no signs of abuse. The cheetah was purring away and looked very healthy.Also there were people doing work on some of the enclosures.It's improving, and that's what matters. Portapotties were clean, gift shop is cute and the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable.My 8 year old and 6 year old had an amazing day out.Thanks Papanack!

Wish I could 6 Star it. Compared to overpriced never see the animals WOKE AWFUL Toronto Zoo, Papanack ZOO is a dream for kids + family. Great place. Animals all easy to view + very well cared for. Nice monkeys + baboons display. Tigers + lions WOW factor. GOING BACK AGAIN. Lots of parking. Staff very nice.

We spent the weekend in the Bear Cave" and it was great! Perfect accommodation for our family of four. The cabin was equipped with everything we needed for our stay.The zoo was also amazing

I went here yesterday and had a great time. There was barely anyone, which was great, we had the whole place to ourselves. There are PLENTY of different animals. The place is way bigger than what it appears to be. We saw various types of monkeys, lions, different types of wild cats, wolves, lemurs, farm animals, exotics birds etc. I do suggest you buy the feed from the shop to feed them, it enhances the experience. My only criticism is that some of the animals (not all, but some) look like they need larger enclosures. In particular the baby wolves and the serval cat. But overall I really recommend this place

I highly recommend visiting the zoo.we had a great experience the owners were very welcoming. Kurtis was very knowledgeable and experienced, while showing us the bears,lions,lynx and cougar, he explained a ton of information about the animals. The bond that he had with them is amazing to see. I have been to zoos Canada and the States, this might be my favorite place to visit for two reasons how pleasant the owners were and how easy it was to see the animals..

What a great place. The keepers are all friendly and take the time to explain interesting facts about the animals to the children. Don't fall for the poor reviews, most were written as Tiger King just came out, they're liesThis place is great