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!

Very nice small zoo. Ottawa should be grateful to have it. African animals section is amazing. Wolves are really huge and awesome. Most of active animals have enough space. Maybe only birds like parrots should have more space to fly inside. Lions, wolves, bobcats and other big mammals have big open spaces for running. In overall, the impression is good. In rainy weather wear boots because some roads can get a little muddy.

I keep seeing bad reviews of this place and I'm not sure why. This is a great little zoo, we all enjoyed it very much. They are updating alot of their enclosures and the animals don't looked stressed as some people say. They all have food and water and shade. This is 1 of the best little zoos i have been too. 10/10 recommend take your kids they will love it and so will you!

I have had the Privilege to tour this facility during the off season on 2 occasions with owners & staff. Reading some of the negative comments has me confused. Especially coming from people that admit they have Never even been through the gates? I took part in feeding and interacting with some of the animals whom are very Social & Happy I might add. People that have an issue with an admission fee to see the animals should consider the costs of proper Nourishment & Medical needs of the animals. On my last visit(2020) there was a Ton of work being done to make the environment pleasant for both the animals and visitors alike. The New Owners have had possession for only 4yrs & as we all know... Rome was Not built in 1 day. The Bayford family puts the animals well being on the Top of the Priorities List which I have personally Witnessed. Anyone Wishing to Protect animals should put their Money where their Mouth is and Fund efforts against Poaching of Endangered Species around the Globe. Keep Up the Great Work Kerri, Kurt & Staff. I'll be back to visit Soon

Do not be fooled by the fake reviews. These animals are abused!!

My son went to the zoo and the animals look like they're being neglected not treated properly the animal crates aren't cleaned the food is rotten in the bowls there's no water in any of their crates! The animals are not getting enough food enough shelter cuz of the heat or enough water ! MY SON SAID THIS WITH HIS OWN WORDS GRANDMAMMA the animals look very Sad and not unhappy for 11 year to say that is something!Crush my heart! I know this is a hard time right now but there are ways out of this there are resources for these animals to have a happy life!!

We started touring the zoo and we got approached by two unprofessional ladies (staff) who started yelling and screaming at us because we're feeding the starving animals. They don't feed animals properly, animal cruelty is the biggest concern that we have seen in the zoo. Please provide enough food for these innocent animals who are locked in for other than Making money out of it. Or release them where they belong to.

Although it is small, I highly recommend it, especially for children, it is very interesting! Although it does need a little cleaning 🧹 I think the small zoo is very good! Keep up the good work and support this 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.

I just finished watching the animal cruelty video. It sadness me as I didn't know about it before going this summer. Covid Issues: I couldnt find any hand sanitizer, the porta potties were disgusting. The mask inside the front walk in area was not made mandatory ( owner wore no mask). Other Issues: The owner was smoking ciggerettes beside the baby wolves. They were kept in small cages and when I asked if they stay thier all night the owner snapped at me. I had a bad vibe once I left and have been thinking about the place for a while now and decided to google it. Super disturbing video of the owners son hurting the animals as well as the owner laughing at things in the video as well. Just saddened that I supported this place by paying admission and wish I would have known before hand so that I could have made the decision to stay home instead.

What a sad sad place, giving your money to this place perpetuates the problem. Shut this place down.

We were very surprised about the zoo by how amazing it is and it is a huge park. There were many kids of animals. Adult and kids will enjoy to visit this Zoo. I am shocked of the poor rating by the people who wrote the review. To be honest, this place is awesome and both kids and adults will definitely enjoy to visit this zoo. Just be prepared to bring your own snacks and water because it is a huge zoo. All the staff are friendly and professional. The only thing I would say it is expensive we paid $50 for 2 adults, a toddler and an 4 year old. Otherwise we had a great experience

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.

Nice family out. My sons loved to see the animals and to feed some of them. Some areas were closed due to construction or the needs of the animals. That's fine. There is still so much to see.

Great place to visit. Lot of animals when it comes to calling it as a small zoo. Please don't expect for someone to be there to guide you thru the zoo. Be your own guide.

Never have I experienced a "zoo", which was deeply uncomfortable to watch, as the animals. Are grossly overcrowded, the African lion pen at least one of them are way too small to house 2 full size African lions. There is a lack of shaded area for some of the animals, namely the Kodiak bear. The water source in the Flamingo den, is stale and dirty. The fences are poorly maintained, the pathways in throughout the zoo seem to be planned by someone who was under the influence of some sort of substance and probably failed geography The Staff was ridiculously non existent except for the one in charge of collecting the money. With all the exisiting visible problems, it looks like expansions are well underway Really think they should concentrate on their core operation and animal care issues before they look to exploit the animals for profit further.

We had a great time yesterday. The place was very clean and lots of space to explore. The animals appeared very well cared fir and the staff were super friendly.

Horrible place, animals given nothing but a small enclosure to roam around in, animals are clearly unhappy and mistreated. This place should have been shut down a long time ago. I HATE my daily commute due to the atrocities I have to witness driving by this place. 0/5 stars.

Was alright. They have some really nice animals, and some animals we couldn't see because of there being so much growth. Nice little zoo though, and new owners. The staff were nice, and helpful. Was fun feeding the animals.

It's a beautiful place to take the kids. We really enjoyed the time we spent at the zoo. The kids enjoyed the play parks also. The food is a decent price so are the plush toys. I would suggest bringing bottled water as the park is big and long to walk. The staff were really friendly and kind.

Poor animal conditions, poor guest experience just a horrible place to be, upside animals seem well fed but the zoo looks horrible and the animals environment is lacking natural habitat, maybe we should put whoever’s in charge in a fenced area with garbage and have us watch them. Paid extra to have fun with the cubs which was 1 min because the cub was anxious, should had given me my money back. Don’t go don’t encourage animal cruelty.

This zoo is really nice not too big or too small but for C$20 a person it's a nice thing to do

A lot of animals we weren’t expecting to see here, which was a surprise. It was really fun interacting with the sheep, goats and lamas, they would run towards you and yell. The lemurs are one of the actives. However the predators all seem to be suffering from the heat, they all hide under the shade, it was hard to find them. We went on a Thursday afternoon after a day of heavy rain. Despite the sun and heat, the grass was wet, each step your foot would sink and everywhere is muddy. And most part of the zoo is grass, there are only one gravel trail that acts like a “main road”. We noticed that outside of the monkey cage, there were many rotten bananas which attracts numerous flies and they can’t clean the place since the bananas were all outside.

It’s a wonderful place to bring family to have fun. My son loves feeding the goats, monkeys and other animals. I personally feel it’s better than Toronto Zoo at lease I saw a tiger wander around in his cage and the viewing distance is closer. Hope it get better and better. We had hesitance in the beginning because some negative reviews but once being there, it’s totally worthwhile. Crew are very friendly.

It's always interesting to read these reviews, not just of this particular zoo, but in general across all types of businesses and see that, while most range from fair to excellent, there are often a smattering that are so venomous and contradictory to all the rest. Could it be that these 'reviewers' have an agenda? Gasp! Obviously such reviews are not believable. Well my wife and I visited the Papanack Zoo on September 27, 2023 and overall were very impressed with it and loved our visit! We saw absolutely no evidence of animal abuse, in fact very much the opposite. The variety of animals was impressive, especially in the Africa sections. The only reason I give it 4 stars rather than five is that, yes a few, but only a few of the enclosures were undersized. I would give it 4.9 if there was such an option. We spoke with the owner, a very nice and friendly woman by the way, and she said that since they bought the zoo in 2014 they have been upgrading the enclosures as quickly as money permits. The more people that visit, the faster that will happen, so please don't be swayed by those poison reviews. We will definitely be going back, and if you do go, I'm sure that you will enjoy it as much as we did. P.S. The pics I've uploaded were with a 255mm lens so the animals were considerably further away than they appear to be.

Definitely a disappointment. The self guided tour was poorly organized considering they don't offer a map of the grounds. They tell you to just follow the gravel paths but they all end and turn into grass with no directions or signage. Its obvious that they struggle to keep some animals confined considering the state of their fencing. There are no washroom facilities, only unmaintained out houses. The bear and tiger sections were extremely unsettling and it felt so unsafe that we immediately turned around and left. The gift shop offered pizza as the only lunch option and it was cold and hard. The grounds are not maintained so we were walking in knee high grass in some areas. Not great for special needs kids, to whom they market to. If you must visit, bring a packed lunch, wear rubber boots and have low expectations and you should be fine.

Clean and staff is great most important animals look healthy and happy:))

Very rude management. There is no value for the money. Zoo needs a lot of maintainace. All the animals are either very old or just babies. Not recommended at all. You can go to many other good places in this price range.

It's small and just a bit in disrepair but stuff is nice animals are cool and it's just close enough for a nice day trip.

It's a miserable experience for both the visitors and the animals

The animals were fun to watch and feed! They look well taken care of. Staff was very friendly. The paths go in all different directions, it is not one path that you follow there are many of them! A good time was had there! Good price!

Dear owner: I read your response to one of the reviews mentioning how rude your staff members are, and you responded they are known for their politeness. They seem to be pretty good EXCEPT for the old hag at the cash register. She is extremely rude you should fire her. She was rude from my very first interaction with her. She was passive agressive and kept on making belittling comments. I couldn't take it anymore so I said "If you're gonna be rude, I'm gonna be rude back to you." SHE SAID "Or you can leave." Suggesting I leave the zoo soon after I pay because I pointed out that she rude? She clearly does NOT care about customers what so ever. I will not be returning. Fire. That. Old. Hag.

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 visited with our 2-year-old daughter and were pleasantly surprised with all of the cleanup and care that has gone into this zoo since our visit last year. If you are planning to visit I highly recommend you do with the same note as other reviews, this is not to be compared to Toronto or Granby Zoo. It is a smaller size zoo with some spectacular friendly, and in my opinion, well-cared-for, fed, sheltered, and loved! Lots of fun for young children and adults! Bring your boots as there are some muddy/ squishy parts! You can tell that all of the keepers we met truly care for and love these animals. It's a shame this Zoo received such negative feedback in the past (mostly during covid when they weren't even open?!?!?! and from people who haven't even entered the zoo but merely drove by!!) This to me seems unfair. Those reviews should be removed. Please ignore these reviews as these people obviously have not seen this zoo or the animals closely. They believe they are helping the animals by giving them a voice and destroying this small local business. However, they are hurting the animals by doing so. I have visited this Zoo several times and from what my experience has been every time in recent years is that the owners and team are trying to do their best for ALL of these animals and I truly believe that money made from visitors largely goes back to the animals to continue to better their environment and life. Every animal was well fed, had shade and water, and seemed quite content! These animals are in captivity, they were born into captivity and likely would not survive if released in the wild or even in sanctuaries with other like species. Instead, they are given a long full life being nurtured and loved and available to view and educate us humans on how we can do better to protect creatures like this that do still live in the wild!

Pretty impressive to see Lions, Tigers, Wolves, Kangourous and other animals in such a small town (Wendover) and its only 40 mins from Ottawa. Worth the trip.

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..

A lot of the fencing looked old and rotten but the animals are I think happy. No staff walking around when we went, a goat was roaming free don't know if it was let out or jumped the short fence. Staff need to keep a better eye on the people , one guy with his son were throwing apples at the kangaroos . A lot of weeds growing on the bottom of the cages but maybe the animals like that ... either way the only thing I would change they need more staff walking around .

I wish they updated there status in google map or the website!! I went with my family for about 1 hour journey for nothing!! Disappointed 😤

Terrible

I asked if I could bring a tripod and they don't allow it. What is wrong with them? Granby zoo lets you use a tripod and flash. Are they afraid of bad publicity? The lady I talked with was not very courteous and was reticent of me doing photography at their zoo. I'll skip that place.

I was not expecting to have a very nice experience but me and my family enjoy our two hr trip to the zoo. They have enough animals to visit. I will be back. They have bear 🐻 show. Love it.

A wonderful place to spend the afternoon. Love that they let the goats wander around and socialize with visitors :)

I heard and read different things or comments about this place. When you drive in the parking lot, the first thing that came up in my mind was "what the heck" but things get better as the visit progressed. We liked our visit, the animals look happy and well taking care of. The most important, we can easily see all the animals and fairly closed. Cages are definitely looking old, made out wood, things you don't see elsewhere. Especially at the tigers cage on the right side of the site, makes you wandering if this is strong enough. The place is walkable but still a long walk for elderly. Kids loved it.

Most animals have too small enclosures and it needs to be renovated. I know times are rough . They are lucky that people still visit

Great assortment of animals and well taken care of. It has grown over the years and continues to grow. Had a great time with my family this Saturday

The zoo seems to need a bit more maintenance but has great potential, when we visited it seemed like some employees or the owners had also brought their friends along, and it took a little while before we even greeted and able to pay to get in which was a little frustrating. The enclosures are fairly basic and allowed us to actually see most of the animals which was nice but there was barely any cover available when it started raining, besides the gift shop which is fairly packed already.

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, with so many animals to see and feed. The staff were friendly and helpful and we really enjoyed our weekend.

Me and my friends had a great time at the zoo. Very good price for the whole zoo experience. Animals are super cute. You can feed them too 😍😍 Definitely will come back again.

Took our two young boys to the park, and they loved it! The staff is friendly and willing to share there knowledge. We also got to enjoy Many different types of animals and over all a perfect day !

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!!

They should've changed the timings or mentioned on the website page that it's closed.

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

Friendly people, animals were great!

I went this summer and some of the staff were fine but I remember especially one lady who was taking care of the bear ( grizzly ) not to sure but anyway the point is she was screaming at my kids and me for no reason available , really rude . The entire place was disgusting . I really feel after the animal cruelty we saw on the news from that place it should be SHUT DOWN

I just visited the Zoo with my special needs son. The staff there was fully understanding and very welcoming. They were quite proactive in offering any assistance. He really enjoyed his experience.

First of all I want to give five stars for the staff. They are very nice people and they do the best they can. However I think that management needs to take into consideration the condition that these animals are living in. Basically it's pretty easy. Take out the old wood and put in new wood. Nothing too hard about that. But this has been put off for a long time to the point that much of the park has deteriorated. And thanks to covid-19, things are even worse. The staff is doing the best they can but this place needs contributions and could use a government grant. But leave it to our prime minister to turn his back on our own people

Loved this zoo! Staff is nice, we went on a rainy day and still loved our visit. SO Worth it!

Good zoo for young kids, but not many animals to see.

I absolutely adored this park! We spent a few hours touring the zoo, then signed in to our bunkie for our nights stay, went to do the night safari event and then came back to enjoy the nicest fire at our site. The zoo is very clean and the animals are well taken care of. We got to see some animals we haven't seen before! We met literally the nicest woman named Ruth who owns and looks after the bears. We even got to purchase the best paw painting done by her bear to help pay for his medicine. The night safari walk was such a unique experience! We got to see some of the animals that were sleeping before, awake and walking around. The bunkie is adorable, clean and cozy. It's within short walk to the zoo entrance as well. I'd definitely come back to this zoo if we lived closer!!

I enjoyed the visit. Lots of space to move around. Some of the cats had higher brush in their enclosures to hide in. Able to chat with the keeper while he fed the 1 month old cubs. Very knowledgeable and friendly.

Nice place, although reviews are negative and I know why but over all is better than expected. All negative reviews is about animals that being mistreated, and this is because you will feel that they are lazy and not moving which gives you the impression of clear animal abuse. However this is not what I saw there, the place is small don't expect a fancy place, it's a maximum 90 min tour and you are done.

Friendly animals and rude humans 😹😹😹

love this place ! animals look healthy and staff is great.the place is clean and the price is great:)

Not well maintained

I took photos with little lion for $10 and bear for $20. There are lots of fun for kids as well.

(Translated by Google) Lots of animals very nice site and very well maintained very courteous and superb employee of good price I highly recommend it for children (Original) Beaucoup d'animaux très beau site et très bien entretenu employé très courtois et superbe de bon prix je le recommande fortement pour les enfants

This is a family farm with somewhat wild animals. I am rating this business with that expectation. Don't go there expecting a world class zoo with admission fees that are easily quadruple of what you pay here. Having said that, some of the cooler wild animals are the lions, brown bears, cheetah, kangaroo. The handlers seem to care about the animals which is a plus. The highlight of the day is getting to hold a 3 month old lion cub for an extra fee.

Many of their animals are rescues that would have been put down when their prior facilities were closed..

Well run. Happy animals. Recommended

Never answers the phone,web says open at 10 am but still not answering????

Need to say that this Zoo is underrated. And we will definitely will visit it again soon to support animals. I can easily give this zoo 1 star but instead will give them 5 stars for what they are doing even during this hard time.

We took our 4 and 6 yr old grandchildren. They thoroughly enjoyed the day. I thought all the animals had good space and looked well treated. Our highlights were the monkeys and the cheetahs. We were there from about 10 to 2 and did not see everything. It was a lot of walking for the 4-yr old but they have strollers to use. It would be helpful to provide a map of the zoo. I have no hesitation recommending this nice day trip from Ottawa. We had a great time! Bring your own food. There are treats available in the store.

I highly recommend visiting this zoo! The staff were incredibly helpful and kind! The animals were very friendly and well taken care of! What a wonderful experience to see animals up close! Also family friendly and affordable!

Most people don't understand that there are new owners, this place is nothing like it used to be. The animals are well fed, have plenty of space. I would like to see a bit more shade space during hot summer days for some of the animals as well as slightly cleaner water but otherwise great, would recommend for families and couples. They also have some snacks as well as a gift shop. Price is about 20$ a head for adults.

Zoo was very funny for my son. But staff was rude.

This place has been massively improved. It's a great small zoo. Don't let the bad reviews scare you off. Some enclosures are small but they're doing their best to expand them. They need visitors to afford improvements. Quite a big diverse variety of animals and the staff really care.

Me and my family went to the zoo yesterday the animals environment is very old they don't cut the grass they don't feed them well and they are not active, all the animals lay down and have no life to them they walk very slow almost like they are dizzy or drugged, half of the animals there were not even in the cages and there were only farm animals to see, the lions and tigers we also couldn't see, the animals look very neglected there, and also when we visited one animal escaped due to the cages being so old and rotted, very very very disappointed should have got my money back

(Translated by Google) We are very happy we went to visit the zoo despite the many negative comments. The animals appear to be in good health. They are not afraid to approach the fences which allows them to appreciate them more closely. The employees are courteous and passionate. We were treated to a nice presentation with a kodiak bear and cheetahs. Frankly, we loved it! Only downside, some cages are small, but I dare believe it is temporary (animals in recovery). Other than that, it was a very beautiful day. I recommend it! (Original) Nous sommes très heureuses d'être allés visiter le zoo malgré les nombreux commentaires négatifs. Les animaux semblent en bonne santé. Ils n'ont pas peur de s'approcher des clôtures ce qui permet de les apprécier de plus près. Les employés sont courtois et passionnés. On a eu droit à une belle présentation avec un ours kodiak et les guépards. Franchement, on a adoré! Seul bémol, certaines cages sont petites, mais j'ose croire que c'est temporaire (animaux en rétablissement). À part de ça, c'était une très belle journée. Je le conseille!

(Translated by Google) We are very happy to have visited the zoo, the animals are not afraid to approach the fences which allows them to be appreciated more closely. The employees are courteous and passionate. We had a nice presentation with a kodiak bear and cheetahs, etc ... It was a very beautiful day. I recommend it! (Original) Nous sommes très heureuses d'être allés visiter le zoo, les animaux n'ont pas peur de s'approcher des clôtures ce qui permet de les apprécier de plus près. Les employés sont courtois et passionnés. On a eu droit à une belle présentation avec un ours kodiak et les guépards, etc.... C'était une très belle journée. Je le conseille!

Fun times, lots of animals, some can be fed too.

Amazing and fun experiences at the Zoo. Really recommend for the VIP pack for more one on one interaction with the animals and the zookeepers