Following a summer of struggle, it seems the BC Wildlife Park in Kamloops is witnessing a visitor revival, thanks to this year’s Wildlights event.

General Manager Glenn Grant suggests they’re seeing at least 15 percent more people attending this year’s event compared with their previous year’s average.

“The biggest [daily] number we’ve seen there in the past was probably 2,400…maybe 2,500,” Grant told Radio NL on Wednesday.  “And on the 23rd, we set a record of 3,129 guests.”

Grant is attributing the increased numbers — in part — to the mild temperatures through the Fall and start of Winter.

“It definitely has a lot to do with the mild weather for sure. Without a doubt,” said Grant.  “But I also believe that we’ve got so many new features this year, and people are enjoying seeing them. We’ve had a lot of repeat visitors.”

Grant says their indications are that people are also staying longer, suggesting they’re noticing that in the parking.

“By 7 o’clock, 6:30, you’d start to see a shift. People leaving and people coming. So the parking lot never really got crazy [in previous years],” noted Grant.  “But we’ve had people parking on the Frontage Road as far as Cougar Drive and Campbell Creek.”

This represents a revival in fortunes for the Wildlife Park, which struggled to attract visitors through the summer due to the wildfire smoke.

Wildlights — which opened December 15th — will run until January 7th.

But while the Park is enjoying a resurgence in guests, it is mourning the loss of one of its more popular attractions, a Burrowing Owl named “Ninem.”

“Age catches up to some of these owls. They don’t have a huge, long life span,” said Grant. “It was, when it was hatched in that clutch, it was the runt of the group, and was smaller and had a hard time completing for food.”

“Obviously we took it in and cared for it. Turned it into an education animal. It went to a lot of classrooms. It educated a lot of kids.”