Up close and cuddly at the Oshawa Zoo

In an ideal world every child would have a pet to stroke, feed and care for. Luckily, for families who can’t always cope with the added responsibility of pet ownership, the Oshawa Zoo welcomes children to enjoy an up-close experience with many of its gentle animals.

Whether holding a hen or stroking a goat, the chance to touch a living creature means more to most youngsters than seeing exotic animals. Mind you, the zoo has its share of exotics, including a camel and an albino wallaby—the only one in Canada. But domestic ducks, goats, sheep and donkeys can be just as much fun if you actually get to touch them.

“We keep stuff that isn’t going to hurt kids—animals that we like to be around ourselves,” explained Alan Connell who runs the zoo with his sister, Karen. In fact many of the animals began their days in the house, being nursed back to health after a difficult start.

When I visited, young boys sat contentedly in a small pen filled with goslings, taking turns holding the fuzzy birds in their laps. A docile hen seemed quite content to be picked up by a girl.

Every day at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. kids help to feed bottles of milk to the baby lama, camel, donkey, goat and lambs. Visitors may buy snacks to feed the others. For my daughter, feeding raisins to the family of lemurs, feeling their soft fingers was a real thrill.

Now in its 15th year, the zoo’s success lies in its ability to appeal to parents as well as children. I found myself fascinated with the maras, Patagonian rodents related to the hare. Their happy sounding squeals reminded me of a favourite pet guinea pig.

With 22 acres gently sloping down the Oak Ridges Moraine, there is lots of space for kids to run on the grass, or walk roughly 1.5 km of paths between the spacious pens that are home to some 40 species: pot bellied pigs, miniature donkeys, belted Galloway cattle, monkeys, peafowl, lamas and more. An added bonus is the vegetable stand piled with corn and pumpkins.