The Okanagan Game Farm was a private

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility where animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoology, ...

located in

Kaleden Kaleden () is an unincorporated community about midway along the western shore of Skaha Lake in the Okanagan region of south central British Columbia. Adjacent to BC Highway 97, the locality is by road about south of Penticton. Agriculture As e ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, a small community approximately south of

Penticton Penticton ( ) is a city in the Okanagan, Okanagan Valley of the British Columbia, Canada, situated between Okanagan Lake, Okanagan and Skaha Lake, Skaha lakes. In the 2021 Canadian Census, its population was 36,885, while its Census geographic un ...

. The park closed on March 31, 1999, after 33 years in operation.

History

The Okanagan Game Farm opened on June 22, 1967, after a group of thirty

shareholder A shareholder (in the United States often referred to as stockholder) of corporate stock refers to an individual or legal entity (such as another corporation, a body politic, a trust or partnership) that is registered by the corporation as the ...

s agreed to invest $200,000 in the Farm on 270

hectare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), that is, square metres (), and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. ...

s of land leased from the

Penticton Indian Band The Penticton Indian Band () is a First Nations government in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located next to the city of Penticton in the Okanagan Valley. They are a member of the Okanagan Nation Alliance. It has an accredited High Scho ...

in the small community of

. At one time, the Okanagan Game Farm had over 130 species of animals, with a head count of over 1,200. The species included Siberian tigers, rhinos, giraffes, bears, zebras, wolves, bighorn sheep and numerous reptiles and birds. The Farm covered over and had a petting zoo and many learning centers. The Farm closed on March 31, 1999.

References

Zoos in British Columbia Former zoos Tourist attractions in the Okanagan Zoos established in 1967 Zoos disestablished in the 20th century Educational organizations disestablished in 1999 1967 establishments in British Columbia 1999 disestablishments in British Columbia {{zoo-stub