Adjusted Hours and Impacts

Jihad Shibley Rocky Mountain Aviary: The owl aviary is temporarily closed.

Wild Canada: Wild Canada will close at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, September 30th, for a private event.

Exploration Asia: Exploration Asia will be closed from Bamboo-tique onwards at 2 p.m. on Thursday, October 2nd, to accommodate paving in the area.

ZooDunnit (18+) Early Closures: Kitamba Café will close at 3:00 p.m. and the ENMAX Conservatory will close at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, October 3rd, to accommodate setup for our ZooDunnit (18+) event.

Opening Hours Update – October 4th: The Wilder Institute / Calgary Zoo will be opening to the public at 10:00 a.m. Saturday 4th October, 2025, due to an event in the morning.

PETRONAS Gateway to Asia Malayan Tapir Viewing: ‘Sempurna’ and her calf will have daily access to the main indoor habitat from 10:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. They’ll also have access to their behind-the-scenes space and may choose to spend time there, especially when the calf is nursing, so viewing isn’t always guaranteed.

PETRONAS Gateway to Asia: Last entry to PETRONAS Gateway to Asia will be at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 20th and Saturday, September 27th, to accommodate setup for Wild After Hours: Malayan Tapirs (18+).

Thank you for your understanding.

Animal Viewing Impacts:

Exploration Asia
The Exploration Asia Redevelopment project is officially underway! While there are some viewing impacts in the area, you can still visit many of your favourite species.

Species Viewable: Bactrian camels, Komodo dragons, white-handed gibbons, Malayan tapirs, red-crowned cranes, Turkmenian markhors, Amur tigers, wild boar, and Pallas’s cats. Plus, our Dalmatian pelicans can be found in their temporary home at Land of Lemurs!
Species Not Viewable: Snow leopards and red pandas have been relocated during construction, but don’t worry – these beloved species will be back in 2026.

West Gate Closure

Due to significant construction activities in and around Exploration Asia, the zoo’s West Gate will remain closed for the 2025 season and is expected to remain closed until at least 2028/2029. This necessary step supports the safe movement of visitors while we undertake exciting improvements to animal habitats and visitor experiences.

Bite-Sized

‘Rocco’ Turns One!

April 11, 2023 | 1 minute read

African crested porcupine ‘Rocco’ is celebrating his first birthday!

Has Rocco prickled your interest in porcupines? We’ve got facts for you! African crested porcupines are the largest and heaviest rodents in all of Africa, and their quills can grow up to 35 centimetres long. Mating can be a challenge because of the quills! A mother porcupine will give birth to her litter of ‘porcupettes’ in a special grass-lined chamber of the burrow system. When baby porcupines are born, the quills on their back are soft, and harden after about a week, when they are ready to leave the burrow for the first time.

African crested porcupines grow up quickly! At only 1-year-old, Rocco is nearly the size of his parents.

African crested porcupine ‘Rocco’

‘Rocco’ Turns One!

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