February 2023

Aspen Wildlife Sanctuary

Did You Know  … that the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary is located at 1116 Crawford Street in Rosseau, Ontario? If you are looking for something different to do, take some time and visit the Sanctuary.

The goal of Aspen Valley is to “Rescue. Rehabilitate. Release.” wildlife that is in need of help due to injury or being orphaned.

Aspen Valley was started by Audrey Tourney in the early 1970’s when she rescued her first orphaned raccoon. Since then, her legacy has been expanded upon by a dedicated group of staff and volunteers.

It is not uncommon to see young wildlife in Muskoka and unless an animal is truly injured or orphaned it should be left undisturbed. Signs of wildlife in need of help include if it is brought to you by a dog or cat, if there is evidence of blood, if the animal has a broken limb, is shivering, if the parent is seen dead nearby or if the animal has been crying and wandering around all day. If you are unsure of what to do you can call Aspen Valley to speak to a wildlife expert to obtain advice at 705-644-4122.

During an average year the Sanctuary helps over 1000 orphaned and injured animals including raccoons, deer, beavers, otters and other semi-aquatic mammals to name a few. Wildlife, when possible, are rehabilitated and released back into nature close to where they were originally found.

In addition to rehabilitating and releasing wildlife, the Sanctuary provides forever homes to animals that cannot be returned to the wild due to human interference. They have bears, coyotes, lynx, a moose and a pack of wolves, among other native species that will live the remainder of their lives at the Sanctuary.

While the Sanctuary is not open to the public, reservations can be made to join one of their guided group tours. These tours provide the unique opportunity to meet these permanent wildlife residents, hear their stories, and learn how to live in harmony with the wildlife. Tours are $20.00 per person (children under 5 free) and run approximately 1.5 hours with 2 km of walking.

To book a tour, or learn more about Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary visit www.aspenvalley.ca.

The Board of the Muskoka Ratepayers would like to thank Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary for reviewing and editing this publication.

Photo credits to Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary for Austin and missymandel_photography for Honey Pot and Clover.

Austin a moose calf who was rescued, rehabilitated and returned to the wild.

Honey Pot and her daughter Clover two permanent residents of the Sanctuary.