Spring has sprung and our critters are all awake and ready to see some people.  Come out for a stroll in our forest and you will entertain our animal residents.  We are open from 12 noon to 5 pm both Saturday and Sunday.

For March break only, we will be critter sitting a 3 month old African Crested Porcupine named Shakespeare.  Come out over the break and see him up close!

We are currently open on weekends from 12noon to 5pm and we will also be open March Break from the 10th to the18th from 12noon to 5 pm.  We will have 'Meet the Creature' sessions throughout the day and other activities for visiting kids too.  Bring your little wild creatures (kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews) to see ours.  The trails will be plowed and our animals will be excited to see you.

All Kids (ages 12 and under)Visit For FREE, when accompanied by an adult. This offer does not apply to organized groups.

We hope you had a chance to see Clover on Discovery Channel's Daily Planet yesterday.  She did a great job and everyone loved her!  Here is a pic of her (and her personal assistant Jody) on set.  If Daily Planet posts yesterday's episode online we will post a link to it in the next few days.

We put Clover outside before we had to load up for our big trip to the city and despite slipping on the ice (somewhat like Bambi on a frozen pond), she did not see her shadow.  She did not want to hide or find cover.  She just wanted to be left alone so she could explore.  CONCLUSION:  Clover just predicted an early spring!

Take a minute to think about how important wetlands are in nature.  Any time of year it is fun to visit one, on cross-country skis, on foot or with snowshoes...but remember to never leave a trace of your visit behind when you leave, except your foot/snowshoe/ski prints of course!  You will not be disappointed because they are teeming with WILD LIFE! 

Here is a Hinterland Who's Who 60 second video about wetlands: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=M-fDkQFw9nU ...  Or check out this short (10 min. long) wetland themed video made for youth by the same folks who bring you Hinterland Who's Who:  http://tv.hww.ca/video/watch/4  ...They both star our very own centre director, Jody.  Happy World Wetlands Day!!!  

Clover the groundhog will be spending some time in the city tomorrow on the set of Daily Planet.  She will be interviewed about her experience predicting the arrival of spring over the years.  Stay tuned for more about her big day and of course, most importantly stay tuned to find out what she predicts tomorrow when she goes outside...    to be continued

From our staff and our critters, to you and yours... Happy Holidays!

We will continue to be open throughout the winter on weekends from 12noon to 5pm both Saturday and Sunday.  We will however, be closed on Christmas Eve Day, Christmas Day and New Years Day. 

We have roughly 70 creatures living here at the Muskoka Wildlife Centre and each individual is treated as just that, an individual.  They all have their very own little personalities and each has a very specific set of needs.  We work hard to make sure that they are all given the highest level of care possible and some of the costs associated with their dietary, medical and housing needs can be quite high.  For example, our pair  of moose, Chocolate and Lucky eat a specially designed "moose kibble" that is shipped up from the U.S. just for them.  They eat a bag of it every day and each bag costs $32.00!  Our cougar, Kokanee can eat about 4.5kg (10lbs) of fresh meat every single day!  As you can imagine these costs really add up.  During the winter months we don't have very many visitors and we struggle to make it through to spring every year.  By sponsoring an animal here, you will be covering the costs of food and routine veterinary care for the year.  If the cost of an animal you choose is too high, consider a partial sponsorship for a portion of the year instead of the whole year.  Visit http://animals.muskokawildlifecentre.com/adoptanimal.asp for more information or call us at (705) 689 0222. 

Well known local wildlife artist, Lynn Norris, will be donating 50% of proceeds earned from the sale of her work, to the subjects that have inspired her stunning pieces of art.  Her hand carved, one of a kind original wildlife paintings are done on slabs of kiln dried wood, carefully selected for their natural beauty and many are even relief carved.  Perhaps one of the available works would make an unforgettable gift for the wildlife lover on your Christmas shopping list?  Take a look at the pictures of Lynn Norris' unbelievably gorgeous pieces (prices are listed and do not include HST, sizes are listed as well) and contact us at the wildlife centre for more information or to purchase one.  If you decide to purchase a piece, you will be helping us to care for our wild family.  This time of year the expenses are greater than ever and we have very little income coming in to support the extensive costs of food, bedding, heat, veterinary bills, hydro, etc.  Make someone who loves wildlife smile and make a difference in the lives of our creatures here at the centre.  Call (705 ) 689-0222 or email artforwildlife@muskokawildlifecentre.com