elmvale jungle zoo

897ceciliam

I truly wish the people who house these creatures walked a mile in the animals shoes, so to speak. Lions mane was so matted from depression it felt so sad to see him living that way. Some of the other animals seemed content, lemurs, fish, snakes, goats but the primates were not, they were completely bored and listless, the peacocks were laying their eggs anywhere and literally dragging their tails... I wanted to show my grandchildren these creatures but for me it fell flat. Seeing animals in their natural habitat would be much more rich and healthier for all.

ColinBainRPh

One of the first questions that comes to mind is "How on earth does a zoo get started, stay maintained, and why is it in Elmvale?" Although I suppose that is three!It is a great place to get close to real zoo type animals. There are educational experiences scheduled and are well done. You can feed monkeys and giraffes even. My grandchildren were enchanted. A single visit is worth it, but a season pass is much better value and allows a quick visit as well as specials etc. It really is a zoo in miniature and a great resource. Miss the crowds and the long walk of the bigger zoo in Toronto and get up close and personal.

KipperBernie

Where are the regulators? This is a animal cruelty -- inhumanely the animals are housed in tiny pens, some without water! WTH? I tried to find someone to get water for an animal that looked like it was foaming at the mouth but couldn't find anyone. Where are the attendants? More important: Where are the regulators??I felt like crying seeing moron parents allowing their barbaric children throw garbage at animals to eat. I have to believe some of the higher ratings belong to the owners of this roadside sideshow animal abuse-fest. Disgusting.

Saganx

If you want to teach your children everything that is wrong with road side zoos this is the place. This is not the place to educate, this is a place to feel very sad and sorry for the animals here. Horrific sad conditions. Dirty, lonely animals in small enclosures. No stimulation, just a sad existent that they must endure day after day. There is nothing nice about this place. If you like to see lonely primates, cats locked in small cages burning in the mid day sun with no shade. Please bypass this awful wretched place.

nigelw266

This is not a big zoo, but they do have quite a range of animals - big cats, giraffe, camels, deer, birds, capybara, lemurs and apes and a few snakes, and probably others that I have forgotten. They have interactive displays and a petting farm zoo section, but the two of us were happy just to wander around. Each compound had some information about the animals, and most of them seemed happy enough - although it's always nicer when the animals have more room to move around - some were a little cramped, like some of the cats and especially the eagles - I couldn't see how they would even get airborne with their huge wingspans.The adult entrance fee was $17.50 with tax, which was quite reasonable, and we enjoyed the fact that there was plenty of shade on a hot afternoon.

Lorraine_H1748902

Though I have lived in the area since 1979 I had never seen this zoo. Read the reviews and thought it was about time I did. My husband, daughter and I went in August and could not believe why this was given such a high score. It looked like an amateur side show zoo. The cages were small and not enough room for the large cats. Weeds were growing all around and the area definitely needed to be groomed. The cages were old and some of the primates were on there own. Definitely not what happens in the wild, so I would imagine it was a bit of a lonely life. This place is not worth the money, nor your time. Extremely disappointing and very sad for the animals.

joannew519

I love giraffe's they are my favorite animal of all time, my daughter found out that this zoo had them and I would be able to feed them I was so excited. My husband brought me there in July 2014 and let me tell you we were both so impressed by the whole experience , the animals were amazing , there's lots of shade to walk in also bench's for people to rest. My favorite part of course was feeding the giraffe's they are truly an amazing animal, hubby of course loved the goats. Really too much to brag about, it is highly recommended to go visit. price is right, staff is friendly, animals are well cared for. Two thumbs up. Thanks Joanne

867aprylp

If you want to see animals close up this is a great place to go,if you don't care that the enclosures are small and over crowded! There is no room for the large cats to run and they are kept in the hot sun all day with no shade for the tigers or lions. The tiger are in maybe a 20' by 40' pen in full sun for eight hours a day...You get the picture, something has to be done!

kenlevola

Took in the zoo with the kids and went to wasaga. Great zoo, not too busy, price was awesome. Very interactive

Shidoll

I didn't get a chance, but our kids (over twenty) loved all the animals and had a great couple hours...told it was definitely worth the visit

jeanc929

This is a great zoo for little ones. A perfect day for a family with small children. The paths are shaded and there are seating areas along the way. Seeing the animals up close was nice. They have a wide range of animals to see and my 2 year old great niece loved feeding the animals, petting the animals at the petting zoo and her pony ride. They also have a little playground which she enjoyed. A great little zoo.

katsimard

We had a lovely time at this zoo with our 1 and 5 years old children. Very interactive, we got to see all the animals closely. We loved the zoo keepers presentation of the animals, my daughter got to touch a snake, tortoise and more, we got to see very closely the tiger and lion's 1 month old cub, Joey. If you are expecting big brand, big show, restaurants and shops this zoo isn't for you, but it felt very pleasant to walk around this zoo, we were relaxed and enjoyed spending time actually seeing the animals instead of being pushed by a crowd of people. Would definitely go back!

christinam654

This is a wonderful small interactive zoo, my daughter and I loved the monkeys and being able to feed them. There are such interesting animals even giraffes in a nice setting of trails. The staff are great and willing to share all they know with you, the only down side is I thought it was a bit pricey, $38 for the two of us.

Emty2732

I really was hesitant visiting a road side zoo, and my guy feeling wax right. The animals are in small cages with limited facilities for interactive play. More like someone's ramshackle backyard, with little care or insight given to the animal's well being. As someone who has worked in animal health for nearly a decade, the care of the animals is subpar, and they seen stressed and under stimulated. A lack of signage is also prevalent, making it an inefficient learning environment. I know the cost and time needed to pay for these animals, but considering that the cars in the staff only section were all high end, luxury vehicle, it is clear to tell where the priorities of this place is. I feel so bac for the animals!

832donnaa

We visited after a rainstorm when the forecast heat index was 40C so it was a hot and sticky tour around the grounds. The variety of animals was nice but I especially enjoyed the birds. There were species there I hadn't seen before. The map of the pathways midway through could have been clearer--we were unsure which way to go to continue.