Little Ray's Nature Centre
2781 colonial road K0A 3E0 Ottawa, ON, Canada

Today's talk is about our Asian Ratsnakes! Join us and learn some cool facts about these beauties!

FULL CIRCLE - (POST 2 of 2) Remember Blade and Suede!?!?! - the critically endangered Orinoco crocodiles that Little Ray's was instrumental in rescuing. We are happy to report they are still happy and healthy at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Texas. We are even more excited to introduce you to their babies!!! You read that right - Blade and Suede have thrived in their forever home and are successfully breeding. A true miracle in conservation! ... Little Ray's is so proud to have come full circle and are pleased to introduce the babies in our Wildlife Rescue Exhibit, aptly named Miracles in Conservation, at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in Ohio. We are extremely grateful to the Gladys Porter Zoo for this opportunity to share with our guests this amazing journey and more importantly for the incredible care Blade, Suede and their offspring receive from the zoo and the critically important work they are doing for these endangered species. Want to support Canada's largest exotic rescue? Donate today at https://littlerays.org/give-to-our-foundation. #littlerays #gladysporterzoo #orinococrocodile #clevelandmuseum #iucnredlist

ANNOUNCING LITTLE RAY'S HOLIDAY AUCTION 2020! This season, give something really special to the nature lovers in your life, or gift yourself! (You deserve it, right?) Bid now on exciting Little Ray's experiences. Exclusive animal encounters, behind-the-scenes zoo opportunities, fun events, and themed art and collectibles are all on the block, but just for a limited time! ... Winning bids will provide much-needed support for Little Ray’s Foundation for Animal Rescue and Education (F.A.R.E), which provides food, housing, and professional care for Canada’s largest exotic animal rescue. Start your bidding online at https://app.galabid.com/fare/items before your favourite items are going... going... **And be sure to share this post so that nobody misses out!**

Ever want to experience what it's like behind-the-scenes at Canada's largest exotic animal rescue? Put your bucket list on your wish list this gift-giving season, at Little Ray's HOLIDAY AUCTION 2020! We have two "A Day With Our Animal Care Team" packages available, with bids starting at $200. You, or your favourite animal lover, can spend a day hanging out at the zoo with our amazing team of keepers, while supporting our rescue and education work! You’ll see what it takes to... keep our Nature Centre hopping, while learning about all of the unique needs of our very special animals. At the end of your day, you’ll take home your Official Little Ray’s Animal Care Assistant Certificate proving you completed a hands-on day of exotic animal care! Visit https://app.galabid.com/fare/items today to bid on this, and many other exclusive gifts and experiences! But don't delay... this auction will be going... going... GONE on November 27! All proceeds from winning bids support Little Ray's Foundation for Animal Rescue and Education (F.A.R.E.)

WE WON! Proud to have won Best Performance in Sustainability at #OttBOBs! Thanks, Ottawa Business Journal and Ottawa Board!WE WON! Proud to have won Best Performance in Sustainability at #OttBOBs! Thanks, Ottawa Business Journal and Ottawa Board!

It's 8:00! Tune in to #OttBOBs to see the winners! Little Ray's is up for a Best Ottawa Business Award! https://youtu.be/eEfkbKfhDak

TONIGHT (Nov. 25th) at 8:00 PM, watch the live broadcast of Ottawa’s biggest celebration of local business, where Little Ray's is up for an award! Watch at https://lnkd.in/dCX-35e or on Rogers TV! The #ottbobs are produced by Ottawa Board and Ottawa Business Journal.... See you there! Learn more about the awards at http://bestottawabusiness.ca/

FULL CIRCLE - (Post 1 of 2) When someone like Paul 'Little Ray' Goulet, who has lived an amazing life filled with unforgettable moments (he is a dad of triplets after all!!), says something is 'one of my greatest moments and smiles of all time'... you have to stop and take notice! That 'something' is the incredible rescue story of Blade and Suede: 2 Orinoco crocodiles that were rescued in 2012. Orinoco crocodiles are on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Natur...e) Red List as Critically Endangered. Their rescue story is one of collaboration, hope and Little Ray's unfailing commitment to conversation! Little Ray’s Nature Centre was instrumental in obtaining permits and arranging the transport of Blade and Suede from Canada to the Gladys Porter Zoo in Texas, where they are able to live outdoors and are now part of a breeding program that will help protect the genetic diversity in zoos and aquariums in North America. Take a moment and watch the rescue story below. And make sure to look at Post 2 of 2!!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch #LRNC #littlerays #gladysporterzoo #SPCA #orinococrocodile

Whooo is excited for Halloween!? Khaleesi sure is! Khaleesi, our Eurasian eagle owl, is incredibly friendly, playful and curious. When offered enrichment by caretakers, Khaleesi is always game to investigate... Want to see Khaleesi in action? Come meet her and so many other amazing animal ambassadors during an interactive and guided private tour either at our Little Ray's Nature Centre locations or online! Visit us at https://littlerays.org/online-experiences for more information on how you can schedule your private/virtual tour and so much more.

Have a spider lover in your family? Looking for a cool gift that gives back? You can symbolically adopt a tarantula for yourself or someone special on your holiday gift list, one of 7 different animals available in our Adopt an Animal Program! Adopt now at https://littlerays.org/adopt-an-animal-program You'll get a certificate of adoption, as well as exclusive merch. Depending on the level of your pledge, you can also receive a plush animal, a meet-and-greet at the zoo, and even an honorary plaque at the zoo with a year's membership! All proceeds support Little Ray's Foundation for Animal Rescue and Education (F.A.R.E.), which funds our work at Canada's largest exotic animal rescue!

Happy Wildlife Wednesday! Did you know that Virginia opossums are wildlife heroes? A single opossum feasts on an average of 5,000 ticks every season, which lowere risks of Lyme and other harmful diseases in humans. With their incredible immune systems, these omnivorous marsupials are even immune the rabies! ... Awesome opossum!

Little Ray, meet BOB! We're proud to announce that we're going to be honoured at this year’s #OttBOBs. They recognize the most successful, innovative and socially conscious companies and business leaders in the nation's capital! We'd like to thank all our fans, colleagues, friends, family, who help us get through this challenging year. Awards are great, but your support is everything to us! Tune in to a special online awards broadcast, hosted by Ottawa Board and Ottawa B...usiness Journal on Wednesday, Nov. 25th at 8 pm, to see what all the 2020 recipients are being celebrated for. Visit http://bestottawabusiness.ca/ get complete broadcast information and to RSVP to the online after-party.

Is this thing on!? Now offering Zoo-Zoom: Live video conferences with our staff and animals from the safety and comfort of your own home. Whether it be just for fun, academic or professional, Zoo-Zooms are customized just for you! ... Visit littlerays.org/online-experience for more information on Zoo-Zoom and how to schedule yours today!

What do zookeepers do?! Come get a sneak peak while we do some enrichment for our crocodilians and primates!

Happy Monday! Come meet Pascal our veiled chameleon!

Happy Wildlife Wednesday everybody! Check this out! Coyotes use their impressive sense of smell to detect their next meal. They are omnivorous, eating anything from rodents, birds and even deer sometimes, to insects, berries and grasses with nutritional value. This wide ranging diet allows them to successfully exist in different environments throughout North America. ... Just beautiful, right!?

LEMUR tell you about a great holiday gift idea... an exclusive experience with one of our ring tailed lemurs! Little Ray's Holiday Auction has two "Lounging with Lemurs" packages on the block! Bid on spending the ultimate afternoon with our ring tailed friends. Get to know all about the lemurs at Little Ray’s Nature Centre, and interact with them in their enclosure. Learn how to feed, handle, and communicate with these incredibly entertaining creatures. And finish your day w...ith an awesome photo op and some Little Ray's swag! Bid here: https://app.galabid.com/fare/items But HURRY! Auction ends on NOVEMBER 27!

Come meet Princess- a cane toad! One of the most invasive and poisonous toads!

Inside the butterfly garden on a rainy morning

Missing the animals while following municipal, provincial and federal recommendations at home? No problem! You can now visit Little Ray's online thanks to Zoo-Zoom! Our Zoo-Zoom live videos can be customized for all kinds of fun and educational events. Visit https://littlerays.org/online-experiences to book your next virtual event!

Anyone ready for a turtley awesome weekend!? Come see which animal we are hanging out with today!

Happy #WildlifeWednesday! Here's an eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) to cute up your timeline! The name chipmunk, in English, is taken from the Ojibwa word "ajidamoo" which means "descends trees headfirst."... Now that the cold weather is here, these little critters will survive on nuts and seeds that they stored underground. They occasionally enter a deep sleep state called "torpor," but they do not hibernate. When's the last time you saw a chippie out gathering? When do you usually see them in the spring?

Our Hamilton Facility is hosting a Halloween event! Check out the details below! Reservation required. EDIT: ONLY 3 SPOTS LEFT!

Meet Chester the coatimundi!

Little Ray’s is hiring Outreach and Zoo Staff in Ottawa! At Little Ray’s Nature Centre, we’ve built our reputation by offering exhibits and animal encounters that are hands-on, educational, and always lots of fun! If you love nature education as much as we do, and you enjoy working with the public, we want to hear from you.... Visit us to find out if you have the skills, qualifications, and talents we’re looking for: https://littlerays.org/ca

Come check in with Wicket, our baby Linnaeus Two Toed Sloth!

Today we are celebrating REPTILE AWARENESS DAY!! Conservation and education efforts are extremely close to home for Little Ray's, as we appreciate and strive to raise awareness for these amazing critters every day! Did you know that LRNC helped fund the Babwe Turtle Rescue Center (TRC), the first captive breeding and release facility for Big-headed turtles in Myanmar? Check out https://littlerays.org/boots-on-the-ground to learn more about the big-headed turtle captive breeding and release program and our other conservation ventures!

Happy International Sloth Day! Lethargic and adorable, sloths are the slowest moving mammals in the world. In fact, they move so slowly that mossy vegetation can be found growing on the fur on their backs in the wild! However, a couple of keepers can attest to our Linnean two-toed sloths, Barry and Roger moving surprisingly fast when sweet potatoes are in view. What better way to celebrate International Sloth Day than spending it with actual sloths?! Check out our live #slothcam at https://video.nest.com/live/NfDe0CzRw0 to hang with Barry and Roger.

I can not believe it was 9 years ago yesterday that my buddy Lonnie McCaskill and I along with my team and our friends at Gladys Porter Zoo accomplished what felt like the impossible mission. Getting the these extremely important animals moved from Canada to the Gladys Porter Zoo. 9 years later it is great to see that these amazing endangered animals are thriving and successfully reproducing to help strengthen the genetic diversity of this amazing species in human care. Well done everyone!