Early Closures

Zoo Grounds: Last entry to the zoo for guests and members will be at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 11th, to accommodate a staff celebration. Thank you for your understanding.

Brawn Family Foundation River Lodge: Last entry to the Brawn Family Foundation River Lodge will be at 4:15 p.m. on Sunday, June 22nd and Sunday, June 29th, to accommodate setup for our Wild After Hours: Otters (18+) event. Thank you for your understanding.

Animal Viewing Impacts:

Wild Canada

Replacement of the viewing window glass in the Taylor Family Foundation Polar Bear Sanctuary will impact animal viewing and pathway use.

Our polar bear ‘Siku’ will be off-habitat from Monday, June 16th through to Friday, June 20th. He may be viewable through the window to the inner courtyard during this time and will be back in the habitat on Saturday, June 21st.

Our woodland caribou herd will only be viewable in the east habitat from June 16th through to June 20th.

On Tuesday, June 17th, the public pathway between the Jihad Shibley Rocky Mountain Aviary and the woodland caribou habitat will be closed from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The north loop will close at the aviary and the south loop will close at the woodland caribou habitat.

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.

Amur tiger, Samkha, departed for another zoo

Bite-Sized

Bon Voyage, ‘Samkha’

January 30, 2024 | 1 minute read

Goodbye Calgary, hello new adventures! ‘Samkha’, our 11-year-old male Amur tiger, will soon be on the move to a new home. He will be departing during the week of February 4, so plan to stop by to wish him well on his travels!

While we will miss Samkha, we are excited to welcome back a returning face to the tiger habitat! Samkha’s brother, 11-year-old ‘Vasili’, joined us late last year.

Transfers like these between accredited zoos, while sometimes bittersweet, are a critical part of maintaining healthy and diverse Amur tiger populations in human care. Amur tigers are listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List, and we’re thrilled to partner with our peers to ensure that this species can continue to thrive. As ambassadors for their species, they play an important role in helping to build connections, create awareness and inspire action to help make a difference for wildlife.

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