We discovered this place this past summer and absolutely love it! It's just the right size for a couple of hours of entertainment for the kids. You can slowly walk around and feed the goats or see a lynx, kangaroo, or our favorite, the lemurs!My 9 year old had a birthday there this past weekend and all the kids loved it. We didn't book the place for it but they were more than accommodating for us.Make sure to get there by 11:00 so you can see the feeding time. You learn so much about the animals. Around 12:00 they bring out the babies that you can pet. Helpful tip.... if you hang out with them they will bring it some of the animals so you can get really close. The kids loved it.Also, book your child to be the zoo keeper for the day. This boy was doing it when we were there and he had a blast. He even had a lemur on his shoulder at one point.Can't wait to go back next year.
I've been to this zoo many times and often bring family and friends who are visiting from out of town. Best time to be there is 11am "ish" when the feeding begins. Even if the weather is not ideal the animals are happy to come out of their shelters for feeding. As you follow the feed cart, Carla will share stories of each animal along with interesting facts about each species. There is a grill type truck on site or you can bring your own picnic, there are two picnic areas on the property. It's a nice walk thru the zoo....oh yeah...ask what time the "Show and Tell" is that day. There is a horseshoe formation of benches that visitors occupy for a show of the current baby animals and other smaller critters that can be handled by visitors....have you ever fed a baby wallaby or held an armadillo? Pretty cool....also other programs such as "Zookeeper for a Day" and zoo kid camps. Always something going on there :)
I've been to this zoo many times and each time I go back there is something new. This year the new attractions included an owl and a beautiful eagle. Recently I took my 3 year d nephew and 1 year old niece and they both LOVED it! We fed the kids at the chip wagon first (the kids enjoyed chicken fingers and fries) and then we spent over 2 hours walking around the zoo. My nephew had fun trying to say all of the animal names and had a blast feeding the animals pellets and ice cream cones. His favourite animal was the goats who tickled his hand when he fed them. LolMy niece was in awe of all the animals and it was great that I could push the stroller up close to the enclosures for her to get a good view. She loved watching the deer. I've been bringing my nephew here since he was born and will keep the tradition up for years. I feel very fortunate that there is such an amazing place so close to home and that is very affordable. I would recommend everyone who is in the area go check it out!
I came with my family. I was coming to expect an ok place, but I was blown away with how great the Saunders zoo was. I spoke with the owner for along time and learn a lot about the place. Many and most of their animal where injured, and where not wanted or going to be put down. I'm just in awe in how loving they are to their animal. To put the time and money into heal and house them is amazing to me. Also my two daughters loved their time there, not all because of the animals but with the play-structure they had for the children.We will be seen coming back many times to see the animals. I would recommend it to anyone.
We had an amazing time.. The staff was very knowledgeable.. Very clean.. We got to hold baby animals all very healthy and active.. We will go back again
A fantastic day at the zoo! Just love the fact that many of the animals are rescues.Not only do they have a good variety of animals and birds, they actually take in animals that other zoos no longer want(a bobcat that had eye cancer and a bald eagle that was shot! among many others). Got in nice and early and toured around on our own at first. Were able to see the feeding of all of the animals then after a hands on with many. Since they are fostering a baby cougar for a zoo in eastern Canada, we were able to see her out and about. Very well run by all staff including the owners. You can see the care they give to all of the animals.All staff very knowledgeable on all varieties of animals.Can't wait to go back for another visit.Highly recommend for families, couples and animal lovers.
This off-the-beaten-path zoo is an amazing find. Tucked into the country landscape, it provides a home to a huge number of animals, each one named and loved! They include such diversified species as kangaroos, goats, lemurs, porcupines, a wallaby, deer, dingos, lynx, pigs, rabbits, birds of all kinds, horses, a tortoise and foxes. The habitat is large and the animals have room to roam. They are people-friendly and come to see you and take food from your hands. It is a perfect learning experience for children! We brought our ten year old with us and she learned so much! The owners are on-site and available to answer questions. They also do rescue work, saving many animals who would otherwise not make it. On weekends, they bring out the babies at the zoo. We highly recommend this wonderful zoo!
We had a terrific day here today. Arrived about 10:30 so had about half an hour of wandering around and feeding sheep, goats and the kangaroo until the feeding tour started. Tremendous information and interesting facts were given along the way. We toured around the whole 3 hours of that tour. Watching the owner and junior zookeeper for the day get to interact with so many of the animals....utterly amazing!!!! Then got to see the show and share, where we got to pet a bearded dragon, hedgehog, albino skunk and even a baby cougar!!! Congrats to the staff, volunterrs and owners. Its obvious you love all these amazing creatures and they thrive on their good diet and care they receive. The cages were clean and in good repair. We'll be back next year for sure and book a zookeeper package for the day too...it would be a dream come true.
This is a great place for the little ones to run around, they have a wide variety of exotic animals and at 1 o'clock they have a show where they bring out baby animals for the little ones to pet and hold, they have a gift shop and the price to get in is totally worth it! Saunders is also a rescue organization, they rescue wild and endangered animals and provid them with a well needed home, you'll find Saunders very wheel chair and stroller acsessable friendly place and don't forget to bring a pickinc! Or have a lunch in the canteen, this is deffently worth the trip!
We live nearby and purchase a season pass every season! Things change quickly at the zoo and we go often as babies and new animals arrive at different times of the season!We tell everyone, at every opportunity we get, that they need to visit this little hidden gem of the Ottawa area. Planning your visit around feeding time (11AM) is an excellent idea as you get to see all of the animals (even the noctural critters) come out for some fresh food. The new dingos are very pretty (who knew a dingo actually looks exactly like a dog!). Don't be fooled though, they are pure dingos and are carnivores .Carla always has a heart to care for animals that otherwise would have had no home. There are quite a few animals that are rescues. Having been out there often I've had a chance to ask all of the questions someone might think to ask and through that and my own research realize that these animals are in excellent hands. I mean, who else would fork out a few hundred dollars in vet bills for a $20 rabbit. If you have questions about a particular animal and want the story, just ask, you'll often be amazed.They have excellent knowledge of all of the animals and if you have questions, they're extremely happy to share that knowledge with you!Will be a season pass holder again next year!