North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre
North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre
North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre
4.6
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
About
The North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre is located in a park-like setting with a peaceful rustic atmosphere. When visiting the centre you will be able to view eagles, several species of owls, falcons, hawks, ravens, and black bears. Rehabilitating eagles can be viewed through one way glass in the largest flight enclosure of its kind in Canada. The Centre's mandate is the rehabilitation of injured and orphaned native wildlife, with a focus on raptors and black bears. GUIDED TOURS: are available for groups of 15 or more. HOURS OF OPERATION: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 7 days a week. ENTRANCE FEES: $15.00.00 adults, $6.00 children aged 3-12, plus applicable taxes.
Duration: 1-2 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.6
299 reviews
Excellent
219
Very good
63
Average
11
Poor
3
Terrible
3
FluffyFlamingo
Germany87 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
This place is absolutely amazing. We had heard about the sanctuary and spontaneously decided to visit when on Vancouver Island - and I'm glad we did, it was such an informative and touching experience. It's admirable what staff at the sanctuary are doing in order to help injured birds and other animals - so inspiring! And at the same time visitors can learn about these animals and their behaviour and their needs.
We visited in the morning and it was rather quiet, around noon more visitors arrived.
Definitely worth a visit!
We visited in the morning and it was rather quiet, around noon more visitors arrived.
Definitely worth a visit!
Written September 2, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for such an amazing review! We are so happy that you enjoyed your visit here at NIWRA and hope to welcome you again in the future. Cheers, Eden
Written September 8, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Traysiah S
5 contributions
Jan 2025 • Family
We were so surprised by how amazing this place was. What a magical time we had wandering around the 8 acres of grounds and seeing the huge array of magnificent birds and sculptural gardens. We have never been so up close to eagles, owls, and ravens before. Breathtaking! And the flying area for the eagles was wonderful to watch. You can see the eagles flying and strengthening their wings as they are recovering from injuries. Then they can be released back into the wild. And the staff and volunteers were so friendly and heartful. You can tell that they love what they do. We loved this experience and would highly recommend it to everyone! We can't wait to go back and experience it again.
Written January 9, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our many thanks for this incredible review. We are so happy that you enjoyed your visit and hope to see you again soon! Cheers, Eden
Written January 12, 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mark P
1 contribution
Oct 2024 • Friends
This is a very important facility for repairing broken animals and birds. And it is also brilliant for seeing animals and, especially, many large birds up close. The animals and birds that cannot be released for various reasons are kept in as humane environments as possible. It is clearly not a zoo. You will certainly enjoy visiting.
Written October 23, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark, thank you for the wonderful review. We are happy that yo enjoyed your visit and hope that you can come again. Cheers, Eden
Written October 27, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Victoria P
Reno, NV42 contributions
Jun 2024 • Family
There were so many fun little nuggets to find hidden among the walkways and gardens. They also pay homage to First Nations members that take care of the land and animals. I loved seeing the animals being rehabilitated and reading about how they arrived at the Centre and their recovery process.
Written June 5, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the wonderful review. I'm happy to hear that you had a great visit. Cheers, Eden
Written June 9, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
cymry
Montreal192 contributions
Sept 2023 • Friends
This place was a hidden gem! We stumbled across it and decided to visit on a whim, and it ended up being one of the best places we saw. The rescue is doing some great work and highlighting the animals, explaining why certain ones are off-limits and why others are there (unable to be released). The animals were easy to see and clearly well cared for, and the staff were knowledgeable and friendly. Highly recommend!
Written October 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the incredible review! We are so happy that you found us. We hope you can come again soon! Cheers, Eden
Written October 8, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Anna_Maria39_11
Winnipeg, Canada649 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
My 20 year old daughter and I had a fantastic afternoon at the Centre. We spent 2.5 hours exploring all the grounds had to offer. The fairy garden and flower garden captured our imagination. We loved reading about the permanent residents, how they acquired their injuries and why they could not be released. Watching the making of the eagle fly enclosure was very informative and we loved sitting and watching the eagles who could be released practice their flying. Even though the parking lot was full the grounds are spacious enough that we never felt crowded or overwhelmed with people. The price was very reasonable for the length of our stay. There was ample parking and the location was easy to access off the Island Highway.
Written August 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much, Anna_Maria! We are happy to hear that you enjoyed some terrific "eagle watching" time when you were here. We are so pleased you enjoyed your visit and hope you can return again soon.
Warmest regards,
Patt
Written March 16, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
LRossmann
Campbell River, Canada68 contributions
Jun 2022
We went on a beautiful sunny day and had a wonderful time. There were 2 of us that had difficulties getting around and there was no problem using a walker and/or finding benches to sit on for a rest.
There were lots of rehabbed birds that had their own spaces that were big and set up perfectly for them. There is lots of greenery everywhere and used in a great way. If you wanted sun you can find sun and if you are looking for shade then you can find that too.
There are lots of different pathways to take and check out all the different animals and birds on display.
We did manage to see the' 1' bear that they had on display but he wasn't into hanging around for pictures. But still nice to see.
There was a gentleman with an owl on his arm that was walking around and talking about them with lots of information.
When we first walked in we were stunned by the display of all the stuffed animals on display and how they were displayed. Great to see.
There is also a gift shop with lots of goodies to check out.
There were lots of rehabbed birds that had their own spaces that were big and set up perfectly for them. There is lots of greenery everywhere and used in a great way. If you wanted sun you can find sun and if you are looking for shade then you can find that too.
There are lots of different pathways to take and check out all the different animals and birds on display.
We did manage to see the' 1' bear that they had on display but he wasn't into hanging around for pictures. But still nice to see.
There was a gentleman with an owl on his arm that was walking around and talking about them with lots of information.
When we first walked in we were stunned by the display of all the stuffed animals on display and how they were displayed. Great to see.
There is also a gift shop with lots of goodies to check out.
Written June 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you, LRossman for your five star review! The volunteers and staff at NIWRA work continually to ensure the buildings, washrooms, pathways, exhibits and gardens are accessible to all . We are so glad you had a chance to see our resident black bear, Rae. And, yes, she does she wants! Please come again soon. Cheers, Patt
Written July 13, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
OntarioTravellers2
Sarnia, Canada441 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
This is a must see if you are in the area but you need at least 2 hours to enjoy it all ! There is something for everyone here from birds to bears to beautiful decor! A great deal of imagination was used to create this memorable attraction. The displays are well maintained with lots of useful information. The animals are well cared for and are in very large containment areas. There were a lot of driftwood creations, walking paths, picnic areas and peaceful spots to enjoy.
Written April 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the wonderful review! We appreciate it! Our small staff and incredible , hardworking volunteers dedicate their time to make this happen. We hope you can come again soon!
Cheers, Eden
Written April 23, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Terry J
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada89 contributions
Jun 2023 • Friends
A great way to spend the afternoon! This sanctuary is not only functioning as a recovery place for animals, it is also beautiful. Signage tells the story of the animal, what they are, and how they came to be in care. We appreciated one of the animal handlers taking time to talk to us about his work, the animals, and what they are doing at the Centre.
Written June 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your incredible review. We appreciate it very much and are so happy that you enjoyed your visit. We hope to welcome you again! Cheers, Eden
Written June 18, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Smithson
3 contributions
Mar 2022 • Friends
Even if you’re not a wildlife enthusiast, the clever configurations of enclosures, landscaping and fairy nooks, all adorned with whimsy and creativity, are simply astounding. These folks do incredible rehab work topped with edutainment galore. Absolutely the best-kept secret on the whole island. Visit, enjoy and donate please!
Written March 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your five star review and a terrific new word ~ "edutainment"! We're glad you enjoyed your visit.
Warmest regards,
Patt
Written March 16, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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