Adjusted Hours and Impacts

Early Zoo Closure: Last entry to the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo will be at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, June 5th, to accommodate set up for our Zoo Brew (18+) event. Last entry to Destination Africa will be at 3:30 p.m. and the zone will be closed by 4:30 p.m. The remainder of zoo grounds will be cleared by 5:30 p.m. Thank you for your understanding.

North American Porcupine: Our female North American porcupine ‘Nettles’ is temporarily not viewable during routine habitat maintenance. Thank you for your understanding.

Jihad Shibley Rocky Mountain Aviary: The Jihad Shibley Rocky Mountain Aviary is temporarily closed. Thank you for your understanding.

Avian Influenza Protocols: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza within 200 kilometres of the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo.

The health and well-being of the animals in our care remains our top priority. Out of an abundance of caution, we’re proactively implementing the following measures to protect our avian species:

Penguin Plunge and the Rainforest Aviary have foot baths at entrances for guests to use
The Jihad Shibley Rocky Mountain Aviary is closed until further notice
Birds will continue to have outdoor access where appropriate and weather permitting

Our dedicated Animal Care, Health & Welfare team will continue to monitor the situation and prioritize the health and well-being of the animals in our care. Thank you for your understanding and continued support as we work to keep the animals we all care about safe.

Animal Viewing Impacts:

PETRONAS Gateway to Asia Malayan Tapir Viewing: ‘Sempurna’ and her female calf ‘Nyawa’ have daily access to either the main indoor habitat or the outdoor habitat from 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. They’ll also have access to their behind-the-scenes space and may choose to spend time there, so viewing isn’t always guaranteed. Thank you for your understanding.

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, and Pallas’s cats.
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

A Big Birthday for a Little Gorilla

May 24, 2024 | 1 minute read

It’s a big day for our tiniest troop member – ‘Okabe’ is one year old today!

We eagerly awaited his arrival, and he was worth every moment of the wait. Although he’s still little, he’s grown so much over the past year!

We’ve loved sharing his milestones with our community – from his first tooth to his first crawl to his first play session with his big half-sister, ‘Eyare’! It’s safe to say he has stolen all our hearts!

As an accredited zoo, we proudly participate in the Western Lowland Gorilla Species Survival Plan (SSP) to help safeguard this Critically Endangered species under human care. Okabe’s birth last year to dad ‘Jasiri’ and mom ‘Yewande’ gives hope to this beautiful species and inspires all of us to connect with wildlife and wild places. We look forward to watching him continue to grow and sharing his journey with you.

Join us in wishing Okabe a happy first birthday!

A Big Birthday for a Little Gorilla

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