Orono Jungle Cat World

Zoo Near Toronto Hosts Parties and Private Visits with Wild Animals

May 27, 2009 Pat Maitland

This wildlife park's zoo experience is above average for those who've ever dreamed of one-on-one time with cougars and bobcats or the chance to hug a tiger.

Jungle Cat World Wildlife Park in Orono offers a variety of packages that go beyond the average zoo experience and while the park specializes in the big cats (lions, tigers, puma), there are enough wolves, monkeys, amphibians and giant spiders to please animal lovers of all species.

Wolfram & Christa Klose, founders and owners of Jungle Cat World, began acquiring exotic animals in the early 1980s and eventually opened the zoo to the public. An accredited member of CAZA (Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums) since 1989 means it must respect a Code of Professional Ethics and maintain standards regarding the health and welfare of the animals, as well as public safety and conservation/education programs.

Located only 45 minutes from Toronto, less than 30 minutes from Peterborough and 90 minutes from Kingston, the zoo is open year round and provides several creative ways to spend time among the wild animals.

Here are just a few of the special programs available:

Behind the Scenes

Bring the camera or digital recorder for this one. This experience enables visitors to enjoy not only a feeding tour of the big cats at the zoo, but also a private session with three critters - choose from tigers, wolves, cougars, hawks or cockatoos and more. The animals chosen for these visits are young, safe and manageable and handled by well-trained staff. Price of admission is included in the cost. The base price is a minimum $100 donation and $25 for additional people. (Donations go to The Endangered Species Fund of Canada (ESFC), a charity giving financial assistance to Jungle Cat World Wildlife Park to support the public education and wildlife conservation initiatives.)

Summer Camp

A unique six days for kids or adults, Safari Zoo Camp sees campers living the life (chores included) of a zookeeper. Including the opportunity to hang-glide (an additional cost) to understand the life of a bird, bookings are recommended made six months in advance. A week at zoo camp costs $750 for kids and teens and $350 for adults. Scholarships ($100) for youth are available; see the website for details.

Wildlife Safari

An outreach program available to schools, libraries or even community events with hundreds attending. Presentations and prices vary according to group size, see website for more details.

Night Safari

A great idea for kids, this package starts with supper (pizza and juice) and an interactive wildlife presentation (insects, reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals), leads to a nighttime feeding tour (of tigers, leopards, jaguars, gray wolves) and is capped with the chance to sit around a campfire and listen to the howls and hoots of the surrounding night sounds. Accommodation is either camping in the spruce forest or inside on bunkbeds and enjoy spending the morning exploring the 15-acre park and the 1:30 public feeding tour.

Birthday Party Packages

Birthday parties at the zoo come in two packages (Tiger or Leopard) adaptable to the number of guests (Tiger is up to 20, Leopard is for no more than 12 people). These packages offer wildlife presentations, feeding tours, a party room for two hours and some up-close and personal time with critters.

Visit the website for more information about special packages and reservations.

Regular Admission Fees

Adults $15.00

Teens and Seniors $10.00

Children $7.50

Children under 2 are free

(There are discounts for large groups and memberships, see the website for details.)

Location

Jungle Cat World Wildlife Park, 3667 Concession Rd. 6

Take the Taunton Road Exit off the 35/115 Highway, 11 km north of the 401 east of Bowmanville.

phone: (905) 983-5016

The copyright of the article Orono Jungle Cat World in Wildlife Preservation is owned by Pat Maitland. Permission to republish Orono Jungle Cat World in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Misha