BC Wildlife Park BC Wildlife Park

snowleopard

snowleopard

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http://www.bczoo.org/default.htm

The BC Wildlife Park is a fairly small zoo that is situated just outside the city of Kamloops, in British Columbia, Canada. I visited this establishment in 2006 and spent 2 hours wandering around the exhibits. The star attractions are a couple of aging grizzly bears, and there are also a wide range of North American animals. Black bears, coyotes, mountain lions, lynx, moose, bison, wolves, rocky mountain goats, mule deer, white-tailed deer, badgers, porcupines, raccoons, elk, opossums, reindeer, bald eagles, and 6 different species of owl all reside here in decent yet ordinary enclosures. The animals that are not native to North America are barbados sheep, squirrel monkeys, llamas, and bactrian camels. There is also a family farm and a small playground/waterpark.

The Discovery Center is the only new building, and it contains a gift shop, a small cafe, some snake aquariums, and an interactive set of indoor exhibits for children. One interesting one is where a bee hive is hooked up to a phone booth, so when someone picks up the phone they can hear the buzzing of the beehive's inhabitants.
 
This small wildlife park recently updated its map:

http://www.bczoo.org/sitecm/i/bczoo finalfinal.jpg?Width=-1

In the past 3 years the park has added badger, black bear and birds of prey enclosures. I've heard from visitors that the new additions are nothing spectacular, but like the rest of the park are adequate for the inhabitants.
 
I visited this wildlife park in June of 2009, and the new additions during the past 3 years are all an improvement on what was previously there. The black bear exhibit is quite large and more than adequate for the two young cubs, the badger enclosure contains a single female, and the birds of prey complex provides a home for injured owls and eagles. There are now approximately 170 photos of the park in the ZooChat gallery.
 
Hi snowleopard,

Nice review!

When (more than if) I finally make it to Canada, I would love to visit this zoo. To my mind, not every zoo requires having the op to see loads of exotic species. Zoos like the BC Wildlife Park serve a purpose in that they familiarise (sub-)urban populations with the local wildlife on offer.

What this zoo might do is to present a kaleidoscope of all the wildlife of the province of British Columbia. I understand presently it does not have an education center, or a reptile-amphibian center or much in native birdlife (other than the birds of prey). Perhaps the latter would make nice additions?

K.B.
 
i would consider visiting this place. map is bright and makes it stand out in tourist infomation centres
 
The B.C. Wildlife Park is relatively small and can be seen in about 2.5 hours. Other than a single llama, a few squirrel monkeys and 2 bactrian camels the entire animal collection is from North America, and there is a lot of wildlife rehabilitation of raptors, deer and even bear cubs. There are not a lot of species at the park, but most of the enclosures are of a decent size and it is accredited by CAZA.
 
The BC Wildlife Park has received a pair of Przewalski's horses from Granby Zoo in Quebec. Takhi (mare) and Napoleon (stallion) are currently in quarantine and they are part of the SSP program. It's a bit of a surprise, as the zoo consists of indigenous species and the addition of a pair of Asian animals is very interesting.
 
The move is an SSP recommendation. No other animals are joining them for now. Both are mid ranked animals with Napoleon on the higher end of that. They aren't to breed which makes sense because they are fairly closely related. I think if I remember right he is her half uncle. Maybe they are going there temporarily while Granby works on their exhibit? But little weird they wouldn't go to Toronto, Calgary, Parc Safari or Zoo Sauvage with the latter two being the better options as they just have two animals each. Parc Safari has a long standing history with the AZA and work with a number of SSPs already. Zoo Sauvage also does work with a handful of SSPs. I think this is a first for BC Wildlife Park. An odd and surprising move from various aspects.
 
2022 News:

On January 6th, the zoo announced that a (1.0) domestic turkey named Balu (breed not specified) passed away at the age of 4.

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On January 11th, the zoo announced that they acquired a (1.0) painted turtle named Hans from the Fawcett Family Wildlife Health Centre in British Columbia which is now on exhibit in the Eco Gallery area. The zoo also announced they moved their other painted turtle named Lila and their red-eared slider named Avalanche into the Eco Gallery reptile wall.

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On February 23rd, the zoo announced that a (1.0) marble fox named McCoy passed away.

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On March 18th, the zoo announced they acquired a (1.0) marginated tortoise named Morty after he was found wandering the shoreline at Shuswap Lake in British Columbia.

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On March 30th, the zoo announced that a (0.1) American plains bison named Mama passed away at age 26.

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On April 6th, the zoo announced they had completed construction of the hoofstock quarantine building.

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On April 26th, the zoo announced they moved their coyotes off exhibit permanently due to their old exhibit being outdated and in need of a full renovation.

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On May 12th, the zoo announced they acquired a (1.0) golden eagle which was later named Altair.

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On May 30th, the zoo announced they made a new roadway in the elk exhibit for maintenance reasons.

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On June 9th, the zoo announced they acquired a (1.0) great horned owl named Fozzy which will be used as an animal ambassador.

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On July 19th, the zoo announced they acquired a (0.1) red fox named Mia on March 27th which is now on exhibit.

Meet Mia! | You may have noticed a pair of perky red ears in the yard beside Raven, the marble fox. . Mia, a red fox and recent patient at the Fawcett Family... | By BC Wildlife Park | Facebook

On September 2nd, the zoo announced they acquired a (1.0) bearded dragon named Jim in June.

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On September 9th, the zoo announced that their (1.0) Bactrian camel named Ringo passed away at age 26 due to a sharp decline in health.

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Ringo, BC Wildlife Park’s beloved Bactrian camel. Ringo arrived at the Wildlife Park in 1996, at... | By BC Wildlife Park | Facebook

On October 21st, the zoo announced that they are stopping the Boo at the Zoo event, citing low attendance and high costs.

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On November 9th, the zoo announced that a (1.0) Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep named Q-tip passed away.

With great sadness, we announce the passing of the BC Wildlife Park’s bighorn sheep patriarch, Q-tip. Named after the long tuft of fur on the top of... | By BC Wildlife Park | Facebook

On November 18th, it was reported that 4 rehabilitation pools for aquatic animals are currently being installed on-site.

BC Wildlife Park adding new rehabilitation pens for aquatic animals
 
On March 30th, the zoo announced they acquired (1.1) domestic pigs (breed not specified) named Archie and Annie which are now on exhibit in the Home Hardware Family Farm area.

New animal alert & contest time! | Meet our two newest residents: Annie (female, black) and Archie (male, white). The duo is currently off display while they complete their mandatory 30... | By BC Wildlife Park | Facebook

On June 7th, the zoo announced that a (0.1) pot-bellied pig named Enid passed away due to uterine cancer.

We are saddened to announce the passing of long-time BC Wildlife Park resident pot-bellied pig, Enid. Enid came to the Wildlife Park with her brother,... | By BC Wildlife Park | Facebook

On March 21st, the zoo announced that, due to avian influenza, they moved their waterfowl off-exhibit.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT . Out of an... - BC Wildlife Park

On June 9th, the zoo announced they moved their (0.1) North American porcupine to a new, larger exhibit bts.

Ms. Prickles recently moved to a larger, off-display area. Custom ‘furniture’ was created for her new space, which allows her to move throughout the... | By BC Wildlife Park | Facebook

On June 13th, the zoo announced they acquired (0.0.2) American bison named Bruno and Belle from Big Valley Bison Ranch in British Columbia which are now on exhibit.

Meet the BC Wildlife Park’s newest residents: Bruno and Belle! Bruno and Belle came from Big Valley Bison Ranch as young calfs. Once a healthy... | By BC Wildlife Park | Facebook

On August 2nd, the zoo announced that a (1.0) Arctic wolf named AJ/Ajaja passed away at age 9 due to an autoimmune disorder.

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the sudden passing of Ajaja (AJ), the arctic wolf from complications of an autoimmune disorder. AJ & his 2... | By BC Wildlife Park | Facebook
 
 
On January 31st, 2024, the zoo announced that they renovated the swan pond area in 2023, which includes an expanded beach area, new plantings and driftwood, and moved rocks, among other changes.

BC Wildlife Park

On February 10th, the zoo announced they acquired (1.1) red "silver" foxes named Sterling and Storm from Zoo Ecomuseum in Quebec which are on exhibit.

‼️NEW ANIMAL ALERT‼️ Meet Sterling (male) and Storm (female) the BC Wildlife Park’s two newest residents! Born on April 20, 2023, these two red... | By BC Wildlife ParkFacebook

On February 22nd, it was announced that the zoo transferred a (0.1) Great Basin gopher snake to the Edmonton Valley Zoo in Alberta.

Edmonton Valley Zoo
 
On July 21st, the zoo announced they moved their (0.1) llama Cleo to the exhibit behind the playground to be a social companion to (1.0) caribou Kirk.

2.8K views · 113 reactions | The Fawcett Family Wildlife Health Centre has provided Kirk with short-term care since his admittance when he was a few weeks old during the summer of... | By BC Wildlife ParkFacebook

On August 31st, the zoo announced that they rescued 2 turtles (species not specified) of which 1 is being rehabilitated and will be released back into the wild in September. The other turtle passed away but its eggs were brought to the facility and those that hatch will be released into the wild in spring 2025.

3K views · 160 reactions | A university student doing a road survey recently found two turtles who had suffered from vehicle injuries and brought them to the Fawcett Family Wildlife Health Centre to receive care. While one turtle is on the road to recovery and likely to be released in September, sadly, the second turtle's injuries were too severe, and our team made the compassionate decision to humanely euthanize her. ⁠ ⁠ This female turtle was likely on her way to lay her eggs, crossing the road in search of a safe nesting habitat. Though we couldn’t save her, our animal care team carefully retrieved her eggs and placed them in an incubator, miraculously, 50 days later, 3 of the 13 eggs hatched! ⁠ ⁠ Did you know that a turtle’s sex is determined by the temperature during incubation? Below 28°C often produces males, while above 28°C typically yields females. Our team kept the temperature right around 28°C in hopes of having a mix of both male and female turtles – only time will tell! These tiny turtles will have a head start in our care through the winter and will be released in the spring of 2025 into the same pond their mother called home. ⁠ ⁠ Remember, if you see a turtle crossing the road, always help it safely to the side it was heading towards. | BC Wildlife Park

On March 22nd, the zoo announced they started raising funds for the construction on a new accessible playground.

3.6K views · 28 reactions | ✨ Exciting news! ✨ The BC Wildlife Park is embarking on a special fundraising initiative to fulfill our vision of constructing an inclusive and... | By BC Wildlife ParkFacebook

On July 9th, the zoo announced that a (0.1) American bison named PT passed away at age 13.

6.4K views · 334 reactions | It is with heavy hearts that we announce the peaceful passing of PT the bison. PT was born on May 14th, 2001 at the BC Wildlife Park, to Mama, who she... | By BC Wildlife ParkFacebook

On July 17th, the zoo announced they moved their (1.0) common raven Igor to a new exhibit in the outdoor birds of prey area.

BC Wildlife Park

On July 21st, the zoo announced they moved their (1.0) woodland caribou Kirk to the exhibit behind the playground.

2.8K views · 113 reactions | The Fawcett Family Wildlife Health Centre has provided Kirk with short-term care since his admittance when he was a few weeks old during the summer of... | By BC Wildlife ParkFacebook

On August 30th, the zoo announced that a burrowing owl named Remington hatched which will be an animal ambassador in the future.

3.5K views · 248 reactions | Meet Remington the burrowing owl, a new educational ambassador that will be used for school programs, outreach, and animal encounters. ⁠ ⁠ Remington was born in our burrowing owl breeding program, where normally the owls that are bred are later released into the wild as juveniles. Because Remington was born to elderly parents that were having a difficult time caring for them, Remington required intervention from our animal care team which resulted in them being hand reared. ⁠ ⁠ At this time, Remington’s sex is unknown; however, a feather sample has been submitted and we are awaiting DNA results.⁠ ⁠ Visitors can watch for Remington as they are exposed to different areas of the Park and to visitors. | BC Wildlife Park
 
On October 18th, the zoo announced they rescued a domestic cat after it climbed a tree in the arctic wolf exhibit, which was returned to its owner after.

BC Wildlife Park

On February 21st, 2025, the zoo announced they rehabilitated and released (1.1) fishers back into the wild.

BC Wildlife Park

On February 28th, the zoo announced they acquired a (1.0) fisher (later named Buck) after it was rescued and deemed non-releaseable.

BC Wildlife Park
BC Wildlife Park
 
On April 10th, the zoo announced they acquired a male (1.0) Nigerian Dwarf goat named Dante from an unspecified farm in British Columbia, which is on exhibit.

BC Wildlife Park

On April 9th, the zoo announced they built a new exhibit for their male (1.0) central bearded dragon named Jim, which is located in the Education Centre.

BC Wildlife Park

On April 16th, the zoo announced they acquired a male (1.0) bald eagle named Zeppelin in December 2024 after developing cataracts in both eyes due to severe lead poisoning, and deemed unreleaseable.

5.4K views · 127 reactions | On Dec 14, Zeppelin a bald eagle was found on the roadside in Armstrong and rushed to the Fawcett Family Wildlife Health Center. Blood tests revealed severe lead poisoning, a condition often seen in raptors that feed on carcasses or gut piles left by hunters using lead ammunition, or from swallowing fishing tackle containing lead. After intensive chelation therapy, the lead was removed from his body; however, due to a complication from the lead toxicity he developed cataracts in both eyes, meaning he is no longer capable of surviving in the wild. Even though he won’t be able to return to the wild, we will strive to give him good life in human care as an educational ambassador. Okanagan Animal Eye Care will perform a cataract surgery in both eyes; however, this comes at a cost. By performing this surgery we are striving to improve his quality of life. We are encouraging people to help us to reach the goal of $3,500 which will allow us to move forward with the surgery. If you’re able to, please consider donating and help give Zeppelin a second chance at life at https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/130499 | BC Wildlife Park

On May 8th, the zoo announced they acquired 5 Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep named Cash, Cheyenne (both from The Calgary Zoo in Alberta), Ava, Madison, and Sofia (3 from Edmonton Valley Zoo in Alberta), which are on exhibit.

BC Wildlife Park

On May 26th, the zoo announced they moved their Harris's hawks on display in the Birds of Prey exhibit.

BC Wildlife Park

On July 10th, the zoo announced they acquired a female (0.1) rubber boa named Onyx from a private owner.

37 reactions | Meet Onyx, the rubber boa! In this video will learn how Onyx found a new home at the BC Wildlife Park. Hit play and learn an interesting fact about this incredible species. #rubberboa #bcwildlifepark #tourismkamloops #hellobc #conservationthrougheducation | BC Wildlife Park
 
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