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Since 1995 we
have been proud to be Ottawa’s Local Zoo. Since the early
beginnings of Papanack, we have come a long way and have had
many achievements and moments of greatness. For us, it has been
an incredible journey and we still have a long way to go!
We are a family owned and operated
facility that has been breeding exotic animals and birds since
the early 1980’s. In 1994, public curiosity prompted us to have
a one-year trial opening to the public, and due to the
motivating response that we received from our visitors that
year, we decided to continue to ‘grow’ Papanack Animal Park,
resulting in The Papanack Zoo you see today.
As we look back over the years
that we have been open to the public, many milestones have been
passed - the arrival of our first Snow Leopard, three years
later the arrival of her mate from Germany, the excitement of
the birth of our first Snow Leopard and subsequent other Snow
Leopard births which have earned us International acclaim for
breeding Snow Leopards. We also now have a very successful Lemur
Breeding Program, with one of the largest collection of lemurs
in North America. The birth of the four rare ‘White Lion Cubs’ -
TV shows and documentaries that feature our animals, the most
popular of which is ‘Zoboomafoo’ with Chris and Martin Kratt -
our very successful ‘Junior Zoo Keeper Camp’, which we hope will
mould some of the great naturalists of tomorrow are just some of
the too ‘many to mention’ milestones.
The Zoo itself has also seen many
changes, each year growing and improving and all thanks to the
support of our visitors. We consider ourselves very lucky to be
among the few people that are able to ‘live to work’ and not
‘work to live’ – even though there have been tough times,
especially in the early days, we consider ours to be a
‘lifestyle’ and not a job! You will always be able to see us
around the Zoo doing what we love to do, which is showcasing the
animals and birds that most people have only ever seen on
Television, in books or on the Internet. We have no desire to
become a large commercial Zoo, but wish to remain a place where
families can come and relax, have some fun and not need to take
out a mortgage to visit and at the same time learn a little
about ‘world of wildlife’!
We thank you for visiting and hope
you enjoy your time spent at Papanack Zoo.
A Word about Water
For the Animals: Most of
the water containers for our animals are located inside of their
dens or and area that receives mostly shade and so are not
always visible to the public. This prevents evaporation and
algae growth and is cooler for the animals to drink. Please be
assured that all of our animals do have water at all times, even
if it appears that the do not!
For You: Being in the
country we do not have the luxury of unlimited running and
purified water, we are on a well system, which is why all of the
water for human consumption comes in bottled form.
Animal
Adoption
Looking for a unique and different gift for the animal lover in
your life?
Then why not adopt and animal in their name.
Adoption comes in increments of $25 or you can adopt a whole
animal.
Adoption Benefits
-
Certificate of Adoption
-
One VIP pass to Papanack Park
Zoo for every $25.00 adoption
-
Your name on our Adoption
Board
-
Photo of the species adopted
But most of all- the knowledge
that you are helping to make a difference!
Donations
We would like to thank all of the people who have made generous
donations to Papanack Zoo, over the past year. Your support is
very much appreciated.
Common Zoo
Questions
Are you still open
if it’s raining?
Yes, we are!
What do you do
with the animals in the winter?
The North American animals are
native to this climate and are quite at home in the Canadian
winter. By growing a thick fur coat having shelter from the
elements and lots of hay in their dens, most of the big cats are
able to adjust well to the winter – including the Lions, which
even though they are traditionally from the warm climate in
Africa, adapt very well to the cold winters, especially since
most of them have been born and raised in Canada!
Do you accept credit cards at the Zoo?
No we do not,
but we do have an ATM on-site for your convenience
Can I go back out to my vehicle to get my picnic cooler after I
have paid admission?
Yes, no
problem. Just show your hand-stamp to re-enter the zoo
Does the zoo have
strollers I can rent?
Yes, we do for a nominal fee.
Is there a family rate?
No, there is
not. We contemplated the idea of a ‘family rate’, but the
‘family’ unit takes on many different guises, so to be fair to
everyone we just have individual admission prices.
How long does it
take to go around the zoo?
Now that’s a tricky question, we
have some folks that are on a tight schedule and just spend a
couple of hours with us, on the other hand we have some folks
that are at the waiting for us to open and are the last to
leave! I would recommend at least 3-4 hours, especially if you
want to see some of the feeding presentations.
Can we bring in a
picnic lunch?
Yes, of course, but we also have a
Snack Bar that serves the best poutine, burgers and hot dogs
etc. as well as ice cream cold drinks and slushy drinks.
What time do the Keepers feed the animals?
Feeding
presentations take place through out the day during July and
August otherwise just on weekends– you can find the schedule in
the center of the map book. Times are subject to change and
weather permitting.
As the park
is mainly grass, if there has been recent heavy rain please wear
appropriate footwear and clothing.
Common Over
night sleep over Questions
Can we bring a
tent trailer?
Yes, but we just need to know
ahead of time.
Can we purchase our lunch from the snack bar?
Yes, the
snack bar is open on weekends in May, June, September and
October and daily in July and August. We can provide a group
discount (20+meals) for a pre-arranged menu.
General Rules upon your visit to Papanack Zoo
For everyone to enjoy their visit
to Papanack Zoo, we ask that you observe the following while in
the park:
-
Teasing the animals will
not be tolerated. This includes growling, hissing,
spitting, throwing objects (e.g. stones, bubble gum, etc.)
-
Do not cross or climb the
Barrier fences - they are there for the protection of
both our animals and visitors.
-
Please do not leave children
unsupervised in the Play Area.
-
Please do not pull grass and
weeds to feed the animals. Some grasses are treated and can
be toxic. Animal feed is available from the outpost.
-
Please keep out of the long
grass and ditches. There is some poison ivy in these areas.
-
All garbage should be
disposed of in the bins provided. Juice box straws and their
wrappers have proved particularly hazardous to the animals.
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Please hold your hand out flat
and tuck in your thumb when feeding the animals
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We are happy for you to take
photographs and videos - however any photo or footage for
commercial purposes must receive permission from Papanack
Zoo before use.
Employment Opportunities
Each year we
begin looking for an enthusiastic and energetic team for the
upcoming summer season. We hold group interviews, usually on
Easter Saturday followed by a personal interview. Successful
candidates will begin 5 days of training, both in the classroom
and on the job. If you would like us to consider you for a
position and Papanack Zoo and you enjoy working outside and with
the public, as well as with animals, then forward your resume
to:
By Mail:
The Papanack Zoo
150, County Road 19,
Wendover, ON Canada
K0A 3K0
By Email:
info@papanack.com
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