A Siberian tiger surveys his domain at Northwood Ranch in Seagrave. -- Photos by Tania and Jim Thomson, pix2go.ca

Lions and tigers and bears ... oh my, right here in deepest, darkest Durham!

And that's just a sampling of the animals you'll encounter at Norm Phillips' Northwood Buffalo and Exotic Animal Ranch.

You can get up close and personal with primates, wolves, buffalo, cougars, snow leopard, jaguar, lynx and raptors, including bald and golden eagle and several species of owls.

The ranch is open to the public from May to mid-October. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Rates are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, $8 for children under 12 and free for those two and under. (Check northwoodranch.com for detailed info.)

Some animals are caged, while others are in open enclosures surrounded by two rows of fencing, with grids large enough to become almost invisible for photographers equipped with zoom lenses.

And Phillips' animals aren't camera shy.

They've appeared in commercials for Tim Horton's, Miracle Whip, Labatt's, Nissan and Ford. Others were on the Discovery Channel and in Grizzly Falls, Road To Avonlea and A Walk With Lions, among other productions.

Tour groups are also welcome at Northwood. Groups have the option of a guided tour led by Phillips or head keeper/trainer Tony Vanzuilekom, or they can explore the ranch on their own and sit down for a question-and-answer session afterwards.

Phillips, who has owned the ranch for about 16 years, started out training big cats and bears for stunt work in film, TV and commercials. Curious neighbours would often drop by to see Phillips' animals, so about eight years ago, he decided to open the ranch to the paying public (admission and donations help with the animals' upkeep).

Northwood also takes in animals that have been abandoned or abused, or that can no longer be cared for by other zoos or private owners. Phillips' expertise is also called on by police when big cats escape from zoos and refuges.

At Northwood, the health of the animals is top priority, says Phillips, with all cages and enclosures cleaned daily.

"You can't be too fussy when it comes to animals," says Phillips, who prides himself on keeping the animals' quarters "superclean."

His love for the animals is evident all over Northwood Ranch.

HOME SWEET HOME

A majestic African lion.

Currently residing at Northwood Ranch:
- 1 black bear
- 1 elk
- 1 ostrich
- 1 parrot
- 1 prairie dog
- 1 snow leopard
- 2 caracals
- 2 ravens
- 2 servals
- 3 bobcats
- 3 eagles
- 3 lynx
- 3 jaguars
- 5 cougars
- 6 grizzly bears
- 7 lemurs
- 7 owls
- 10 buffalo
- 10 goats
- 10 snakes
- 10 Siberian tigers
- 10 wolves
- 13 lions
- 15 monkeys

Sarah, a 16-year-old Grizzly bear.