The Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park and Zoo is now 50 years old. On September 1st, 1972, the Zoo completed a $160,000 dollar renovation to expand the Sutherland Forest Nursery Station to include an animal park.

Current Zoo Manager, Jeff Mitchell says at the Zoo, they have two main ways of bringing in new animals. One is through conservation breeding programs for species that are endangered or at risk. Mitchell says they work with zoos and aquariums across North America, and when other facilities are breeding, they look to see which animals can be moved to Saskatoon. Such was the case with the new bobcats who now call Saskatoon home after being born at a Quebec zoo.

Mitchell explains another way animals make their way into the care of those at the Forestry Farm: “Another way is, almost all of our birds of prey and our raptors like our owls, our hawk and our eagle, they’ve all been injured and an unable to survive in the wild and the only opportunity they have is come to an accredited facility like ours.”