Such an interesting and heartwarming experience. The creatures there are so obviously very well... read more
Such an interesting and heartwarming experience. The creatures there are so obviously very well... read more
We were so surprised by how amazing this place was. What a magical time we had wandering around the... read more
Wow - we have not lived in Parksville that long so thought we would check it out. Wow - excellent place to visit. It's so well laid out, educational, very cool birds/raptors, great enclosures, a resident black bear and lovely places to walk around and sit. Even a beautiful pond with turtles and koi and a couple of quiet garden areas with all native plants. And lots of old skulls and skeletons for viewing. We were really impressed with the top quality and thoughtful touches. And if you have kids - they will like it too. Well done NIRWA - you do incredible work!
Thank you for your incredible review!
Our volunteers and staff work very hard to ensure that we give the very best care to our permanent, non-releasable residents and to also rehabilitate the many animals that come to NIWRA for their recovery before being released back into their natural habitats.
We are so happy you had a such a wonderful visit and look forward to welcoming you again.
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.
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
I took a visit here today with my family (children 7 and 9) on a short stay in the area, our host mentioned it to us but didn't know a great deal about it. It certainly kept our children excited and interested for a good couple of hours and left us with some good memories to take home.
We're from the UK and have seen quite a few of the bird species in different attractions/sanctuaries/zoos at home (OK, we don't have bears...), but the individual stories of why the animals are being cared for here really brought home the work that the NIWRA do. While we were visiting I saw two members of the public receiving advice from the staff here on different matters to do with wild animals that may have needed help, and they are clearly geared up to provide emergency treatment and longer term care to animals in need.
Aside from the animals, the grounds are very pleasant too and offer various types of pleasant areas to walk through.
The admission fee seemed great value to me, in the UK any similar kind of attraction would definitely charge a good 30% more.
We are so happy that you enjoyed your visit here with us at NIWRA. Thank you for the incredible review and we hope that you will visit again from across the "pond". Have a wonderful day! Cheers, Eden
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.
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
My husband and I always check out the NIRC while up island and always have a fun time walking around. The prices have definitely gone up, however it’s for a good cause so we don’t mind paying. I was really upset today to see a full grown male wild Turkey, in the same enclosure as the two female wild turkeys. He was being VERY aggressive and it was hard to watch him taunt the females. They were trying to keep away from him and seemed very distressed. The male would come up and grab the females by the skin on their heads and rip them down to the ground and rip out their feathers. I understand “that is nature”, but not really something myself or kids necessarily want to be seeing in a recovery centre. This should be noted and taken care of for the sake of the two other turkeys.
Thank you for your review. We do everything we can to prevent our permanent, non-releasable residents from being aggressive to the others. This was brought to the attention of our animal care team so that they could evaluate and rectify the situation. We appreciate your concern and thank you for bringing it to our attention.
A fun afternoon experience. Saw so many neat animals and birds. Great experience! It’s an indoor & outdoor experience. They are doing great rehab work.
Thank you Dayna for your wonderful review. We hope you can come again soon! Cheers, Eden