Ontario is home to a large number of wildlife species ranging from red tailed hawks and cottontail rabbits to polar bears. Here are a few places you can travel within the province to witness these amazing animals!

Parks and Preserves

• The Hilliardton Marsh Research and Education Centre: This wetland habitat (located about 6 hours north of Toronto) is home to ducks, songbirds, hummingbirds, owls, and more. The Spring and Fall offer the best opportunity to experience migrating flocks, and are also when many of the Centre’s public events such as Garden Party and Owl Banding are held.
• Ivanhoe Lake Provincial Park: This glacial landscape, dotted with lakes, offers many different recreational activities, from hiking and camping to kayaking and fishing. It is located 8 hours north and west of Toronto, and offers camping. The most unique animal you have the chance to see in the park is “white-coloured” or “spirit” moose, whose ghostly shade comes from a unique recessive gene.
• Chapleau Crown Game Preserve: Bears, beavers, foxes, waterfowl, timberwolf, lynx, and bald eagles all reside here. The Missanaibi River offers gorgeous views, and you can paddle down it in canoes. It takes between 8 and 9 hours to reach the Preserve from Toronto.

Rescue Habitats and Education Centres

• Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat: This rehabilitation centre for wild polar bears operates on 24 acres of sub-arctic and boreal forest. Located 8 hours north of Toronto, getting to the habitat can be a bit of a trek; luckily there is the option to camp on the grounds for one or two nights. Guided tours and special viewing experiences can be reserved ahead and allow you to make the most of your trip if you’re there to witness the majestic bears.
• Wolf Centre at Haliburton Forest and Wild Life Reserve: The privately-owned forest includes a massive facility for the conservation of Ontario wolves. Primarily an education centre, the wolves (including a pair of Alphas and their relatives) are viewable from an observatory. The forest also offers outdoor activities, a treetop walk, and bookable wood cabins for overnight stays. It is located just 3 hours north and east of Toronto!
• Mountsberg Raptor Centre: An educational facility located within the Mountsberg Conservation Area, programming and events are held for guests to experience Ontario birds-of-prey (owls, hawks, eagles, and falcons) from up close. The “Raptor Encounter” is a unique opportunity to hold a raptor yourself on-glove, as well as participate in their feeding and enrichment. The Raptor Centre is located just west of Mississauga.

Viewpoints

• The Deer Yard: Just about 4 hours north of Toronto is an area of wetlands where tens of thousands of whitetail deer congregate in a herd. 3.6 km of trails are maintained by volunteers for visitor viewing between May and October.
• Point Pelee National Park: Mid-September and the rest of the Fall is the time of year when flocks of migrating Monarch Butterflies make their way through Ontario on their way south for the winter. 3.5 hours south of Toronto you can see these bright and beautiful insects as well as migrating birds at the southernmost point of mainland Canada.