Wildlites ~ BC Wildlife Park ~ Kamloops, BC

The BC Wildlife Park in Kamloops, BC joins in the festive season with a wonderful display of colorful sights and Christmas sounds!  This is a great place to take the family and enjoy the entertainment offered for young and old.

Wildlites in the BC Wildlife Park

The 15^th Annual Wildlights Festival is happening on December 14^th to January 6, 2013 this year, except for Christmas Day so there is time to get out there and enjoy the excitement between 5pm to 9pm. 

Follow the walk in the BC Wildlife Park 

Once you pass through the Visitor Center, you are greeted with lights galore that hang in the trees and line the walkway.  Your walk will take you past light displays of animals and Christmas displays. 

The Arc on the lake in the BC Wildlife Park

The lake has an Arc in lights that reflects on the lake, home to some swans and other waterfowl that were hard to see during this visit to the Wildlife park, perhaps they were inside the Arc! 

Santa in lights

 Memberships are a wonderful gift to give and can be used all year round.  There are so many activities offered throughout the year.  The BC Wildlife Park membership also means you have free admission to zoos in Vancouver, Edmonton and Saskatoon, Sask. 

Campfires in the Wildlife Park

Chris the Clown is a regular entertainer at this event and keeps the kids smiling with his fun antics and magic shows.  He has scheduled shows at 6 pm & 8:30 pm during the evening, be sure to check it out.  He’s not far from the bonfires and seating where you can enjoy a hot chocolate and get warmed up, too.

Laser Show at the BC Wildlife Park

The second year for the Spectacular Laser Light Show is happening in the amphitheatre each evening at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm.  Be sure to take one of those in but I suggest taking a blanket or cushion to sit on the outdoor seats.

Bear in lights

Clover, the Kermode or Spirit bear will be in hibernation during these winter visits but will be ready to meet us next year.  He brings something special to our Wildlife park and he will be residing in an area built especially for him that will include a bear interpretive center once the funds are raised. 

Wolves in BC Wildlife Park

The feeding time happens during the evening hours for the elk and wolves so if you’re able to time it right, you can watch the elk get fed at 5:30pm and the wolves at 6:30pm at each of their enclosures. 

Dinosaur lights in the park

The BC Wildlife Park has a great motto: Conservation through Education and programs are offered to support that.  There are Kids Science day camps happening for kids 6 to 12 yrs where they learn about the wildlife and nature; to learn more, click here. 

School programs and field trips including free class rides with the Kamloops Transit System available, to learn more about those, click here.  That sounds like a fun day for school.

Wildlife Express Miniature Train

Wildlife Express Miniature Train covers a kilometer track that circles around the park.  The rates are great, only 50 cents for the kids and $1 for adults.  You will see sights all lit up throughout the ride.  

Flowers line the walk

There is the Wildlights Maze to have fun getting lost and found in and the barn with the little petting animals that enjoy some attention, too, so don’t miss them.  The Wagon ride is available and makes it all part of a fun family evening.

The restaurant in the Visitor Center is open for snacks and the gift store to enjoy while you’re here, too. The Wildlife Park is a non-profit organization so purchases made in the gift store contribute to support the park, as well.  To learn more, click here and see all that the BC Wildlife Park has to offer and how lucky we are to have this in Kamloops, BC.

The Wildlites at the BC Wildlife Park is just another reason why we love Kamloops,
there is just no place like home.

BC Wildlife Park ~ Sheba the Grizzly ~ Kamloops, BC, Canada

BC Wildlife Park will never be the same again. The beautiful grizzly bear, Sheba, the one I consider the reigning matriarch of the park for many years, has passed away. She lived a long 35 years, which is more than most grizzlies live to be, but the aches and pains of arthritis that she’s had to endure the past while has not been easy to watch.

 

Sheba the Grizzly Bear

Sheba and her brother Shardik were adopted by the park many years ago after they became orphans. They had become troublesome in their natural home and were going to be killed but were saved by a bear biologist in UBC and studied for their diet. When the research was done, they were sent to the BC Wildlife Park and have been here ever since.

Sheba comes out to enjoy the sun

 It took a lot of time and effort for Sheba to be able to come out of her den to soak up some of the sun with her brother Shardik.  They have open access to the nearby pool to lay in for cooling off on hot days or the large yard with shade that they can wander about, but they seem to be just fine in this area.

Sheba and Shardik

They’ve been together all their lives and there is no doubt that Shardik, who also suffers some aches and pains, will miss her terribly. They have outlived any expectations and so we were able to enjoy them for many years.

 

Sheba and Shardik napping in the sunshine

On a recent visit to the park, we watched both bears as they tried to move about and it was done with very slow movements. They would take a long time to move at all, and so never got too far before they would lie down and have a nap in the sunshine.

Sheba enjoys the cool water

It was a hot day and although it took her awhile, Sheba was able to get into the pond to cool down for awhile.  She is aware of things around her but is really not too interested in anything she sees at this moment.

Sheba

 It was recently announced that Sheba will be put to rest in a quiet spot at the park to be remembered for her many years of being a star in the BC Wildlife Park. She will be missed.

B.C. Wildlife Park ~ Kamloops, BC

Wildlife & Falconry ~ Eagles ~ Hawks ~ Owls

The Kamloops Zoological Society was first formed on March 31, 1965 with John Moelaert, whose motto became “Conservation through Education” as founder. On February 11, 1966 the Molson’s Brewery, who owned a hop farm east of Kamloops, donated 106 acres to be used as a wildlife park. The first exhibition opened to the public in August 1966 and the rest, as they say, is history.

BC Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is a facility dedicated to mammals, birds of prey, amphibians, reptiles and endangered species. They care for the injured and orphaned and when they are healed or grown, they will be released back into their natural habitats, and when possible it will be the one they came from. When that isn’t possible, some have become permanent residents at the Wildlife Park.

B.C. Wildlife Park Amphitheatre

We recently visited the park now known as the B.C. Wildlife Park to see the Summer Falconry Show, as we had a great eagle fan in our midst. We hadn’t been to the park in awhile so were pleasantly surprised to see the new additions, one being the Amphitheater. Birds are beautiful, as long as they’re not flying too near me, but I sat in the theater, ready to dive, thanks to a Hitchcock movie of years ago, enjoying the show and the excellent information given by the falconry expert.

Echo ~ the Ferruginous hawk

Echo is a Ferruginous Hawk who came to live at the park from the Pacific Northwest Raptors in Duncan, BC when she was 4 months old. She is now 3 years old and this is her first season as a performer in the Falconry Show. The Ferruginous Hawk is the largest one in North American with a wing span of 1.4 meters (53”). They are not typically in BC but are found in the US.

Tyto the Barn Owl

Born in Ontario, Tyto (pronounced Tee-Toe) came here when he was very young, he’s a very chatty little guy. His unique heart-shaped face allows him to hear and see better at night, giving him the advantage of hunting after dark. These barn owls cannot tolerate real cold weather and do not migrate so they live in the coastal areas. They’re an asset to have on the farm as one family will consume up to 1000 mice a year. A great solution to a mouse problem !
                                 

Gontron the Turkey Vulture

The Turkey Vulture is not a pretty bird with his bald head but when he first comes out into the sunlight from inside, he proudly stretches out his massive wings to absorb the sunshine like he is charging his batteries! The Turkey Vulture is the fourth largest bird in North America and is a very social bird, they live in groups and roost together. They are not hunters but survive on road kill and other found carcasses.

Aquila ~ the Golden Eagle

Aquila, the Golden Eagle arrived with a broken wing that never healed properly so she could not be released back into the wild. She is beautiful and has become a special feature of the park. The Golden Eagle is mostly found in Western Canada & U.S. and prefer trees and rocky areas for their hunting. Females, who grow to be 4.5 to 6 kg, (10-14 lbs) are larger than the males 3.5 to 4 kg. (8-9 lbs).

The history of the BC Wildlife Park is very impressive and credit goes to many whose hard work and dedication kept it going through some difficult early years. Zillions of volunteer hours have been and still are a big part of that success. I recommend a visit to this wonderful park in Kamloops with its many beautiful animals, it makes a great family outing, be sure to include the Falconry show. Check the show times and learn more about the activities and animals by clicking on their site.

This is just one more reason why we love Kamloops, “there is no place like home”.