About Us

Little Ray’s Reptile Zoo is a privately funded zoo and animal rescue and is the largest of it’s kind in Eastern Ontario. It was founded and is owned by the husband and wife team of Paul and Sheri Goulet.

The zoo has the largest and most diverse animal education outreach program in Canada and is extremely proud of the reputation they have built.

Their one of a kind, fun and interactive approach to Eco-Education has been a hit with children and adults alike since 1995. It is this very approach that has won them acclaim and awards working with children of all ages, including the visually impaired, special needs and autistic children. They have also trained zookeepers at other zoological facilities on presentation skills and the care and husbandry of reptiles and invertebrates.

With every presentation, from birthday parties to school groups, and with every visit to the zoo, their dynamic, informative staff will both entertain and educate you about the amazing animals they have the privilege to work with.

Hi, I’m Paul Raymond Goulet, better know as Little Ray.

I’ve been hooked on reptiles since I discovered I couldn’t own a dinosaur as a pet, much to my chagrin. It all started when my father took my family to the San Diego Zoo when I was three and one of the keepers there let me touch a boa constrictor. And the rest is history!

Actually, it started out quite innocently enough. I had a small collection of pet reptiles at home when I was in high school (thanks Dad for allowing me to cultivate my interests even though you were deathly afraid of them), and I always wanted to be a teacher. My opportunity came when I was placed in an elementary school for my high school co-op term as I was trying to get more experience working with children to get into concurrent education at university. When the teacher caught wind of my scaly collection, she asked if I could bring them in for a “show and tell”. And then another teacher asked. And another. I had a great time and was happy to take second fiddle to my reptilian friends. When I left for the University of Waterloo, I sadly couldn’t bring my pets, so I had to find appropriate homes for them.

1995, the year I returned home from Waterloo, was an important year for me. In that year, I met my future wife, Sheri, I started up my collection of reptiles again, and by the end of that year, Little Ray’s Reptile Adventure was born.

Over the next 4 years, our hobby turned business continued to grow, doing presentations in schools, daycares and birthday parties. In 1998, I left my full time position as a banker to work full time doing presentations.

By 2000, our home was bursting at the seams with all sorts of reptiles, amphibians, insects and arachnids, so we thought it was time to open a zoo. And that’s just what we did. Sheri left her full time job as a restaurant manager to do presentations while I built the zoo, and we opened Little Ray’s Reptile Zoo to the public in November of that year.

Anyone who’s met me, knows that I am passionate about what I do. I love what we’ve built here and have always thought of myself as lucky. The fact that I get up everyday to teach children and adults alike about the amazing animals that surround us, astounds me every day. This once small business has somehow grown into a very large company that now travels across Canada on a yearly basis doing educational presentations from British Columbia to Newfoundland. Who knew that one child’s passion could turn into something so spectacular. I will never take for granted how lucky I truly am and I look forward to sharing my passion with you.

Sincerely,

Paul “Little Ray” Goulet