The Papanack Zoo, Wendover

Went today, yes some of the enclosures are small but what the hell do I know about their care, maybe they're just viewing enclosures and they're moved to other enclosures at different times. There seemed to be other much bigger enclosures that weren't accessible to the public. All of the enclosures we saw had little dens and lots of greenery for shade and to hide. As for water, I noticed a lot of natural source water. I thought the animals looked healthy, they were curious and interactive so they can't be that sad... ultimately it has greatly improved. There was also a bear and cheetah show where a handler was right there with the animals and the animals obviously loved her. I saw no signs of abuse. The cheetah was purring away and looked very healthy. Also there were people doing work on some of the enclosures. It's improving, and that's what matters. Portapotties were clean, gift shop is cute and the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. My 8 year old and 6 year old had an amazing day out. Thanks Papanack!

I went there this past weekend with the kids and here's what I have to say. I have heard horror stories about this place and it's why I've hesitated for so long to take the kids there. You have to go in knowing what it is that you're in for. It's a farm with cages with wild animal, this makes it a zoo. It is not a traditional zoo perse. All animals are behind chain link fencing not steel bars like a typical zoo. This gives it a less elegant look bit still works. The enclosure do seem small but again, it also doesn't have the footprint of a large zoo. The animals seem lethargic. Sure, they are caged wild animal afterall. I've seen the same at large zoos. But how big of a cage is big enough? As a person, if I were confined to my house forever would that be too small? Maybe confined to my neighborhood, or city? Some humans are confined to earth and it's not good enough either. No creature is meant to be confined. They let you feed most animals which the kids love. All monkeys are very active. The big cats are not, most are not overly active in the wild either. You cannot expect to pay $20 for a ticket and get the same experience as a zoo that charges $60. People need to be realistic. Again, it's a farm with zoo animals. You will see a lot of the same animals that you see in a bigger, more expensive zoo as well. Pretty much all of the big cats are there, so you'll love it if you are a big cat fan. As a reference point of how they are cared for. The bears are owned by the woman who cares for them. Life expectancy in the wild is like 8-9 years. The bears there are 20+. Not sure about anyone else, but their lives have been doubled, at least. If you're in the area and want to go to the zoo, but don't want to drive an extra 2-3 hours, try it out. With kids, the shorter trip amd cheaper rate is appreciated.

We were very surprised about the zoo by how amazing it is and it is a huge park. There were many kinds of animals. Adult and kids will the Zoo.the poor rating by the people who wrote the review its not fair . To be honest, this place is awesome and both kids and adults will definitely enjoy to visit this zoo. Just be prepared to bring your own snacks and water because it is a huge zoo. All the staff are friendly and professional. The only thing I would say it is expensive we paid $50 for 2 adults, a toddler and an 4 year old. Otherwise we had a great experience

I keep seeing bad reviews of this place and I'm not sure why. This is a great little zoo, we all enjoyed it very much. They are updating alot of their enclosures and the animals don't looked stressed as some people say. They all have food and water and shade. This is 1 of the best little zoos i have been too. 10/10 recommend take your kids they will love it and so will you!

It’s a wonderful place to bring family to have fun. My son loves feeding the goats, monkeys and other animals. I personally feel it’s better than Toronto Zoo at lease I saw a tiger wander around in his cage and the viewing distance is closer. Hope it get better and better. We had hesitance in the beginning because some negative reviews but once being there, it’s totally worthwhile. Crew are very friendly.