Summer Animal Adventures

Enjoy behind-the-scenes access to African Lion Safari on a VIP Wake Up The Wild experience. One of the park’s game wardens will guide you on an unforgettable experience where you’ll watch lions devour their breakfast, hand-feed a giraffe and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Royal Botanical Gardens’ Cootes Paradise is a nationally designated Important Bird Area (IBA) that is home to hundreds of species of birds during their spring and autumn migrations, including the Least Bittern, Hooded Warbler, White Pelican, Caspian Tern, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Osprey, Pileated Woodpecker, and the Prothonotary Warbler. A pair of nesting Bald Eagles has stolen the show in recent years, however, with the claim of being the first on Lake Ontario in more than 40 years.

Mountsberg Conservation Area’s Douglas G. Cockburn Raptor Centre is home to two dozen different birds of prey, each with their own unique story. Learn about native birds of prey, ask questions and see Mountsberg’s raptors up close at Bird of Prey shows and raptor encounters.

Mountsberg is also home to its very own herd of bison, which you can watch from the Wildlife Walkway.

Go beyond the zoo and experience animals in their natural habitats at Mount Nemo Conservation Area. The thermal updrafts and air currents off the Niagara Escarpment create a perfect playground for turkey vultures. Watch these winged wonders glide on their six-foot wingspan for up to six hours without flapping a wing. The Brock Harris Lookout and North Loop Lookout are great locations for watching the show, and on a clear day, you can see all the way to the CN Tower!

Canoe, kayak or raft the Grand River with an area outfitter and they’ll help you spot wildlife along the way including snapping turtles, great blue herons, bald eagles, egrets and more. Grand Experiences, Grand River Rafting and Heritage River Canoe and Kayak Co. are all great local outfitters that will provide your group with the expert guidance and gear you need for a great trip.

Want in on a secret? Baby animals in real life are even MORE adorable than the ones on your Facebook feed!

Younger children will love meeting barnyard animals at Bronte Creek Provincial Park‘s Children’s Playbarn in Oakville, Springridge Farm in Milton and Puddicombe Farms in Stoney Creek. Take a Great Canadian Day Trip and see some of these cuties for yourself.