Adjusted Hours and Impacts

Rainforest Building: The Rainforest Building will open at 11:00 a.m. on August 1st, 2nd, and 3rd to give our western lowland gorilla troop the space, comfort, and privacy they need as they meet their newest member, ‘Johari’. Thank you for your understanding.

Transit Impact: Planned maintenance will impact the Blue Line, making C-Train service to Zoo Station unavailable from 8 p.m. on Friday, August 8th, through to the end of Sunday, August 10th.

A bus service will operate between Bridgeland/Memorial Station with drop-off only at the North Parking Lot. Visit the Calgary Transit website as you plan your zoo trip.

Early Zoo Closure: Last entry to the zoo for guests and members will be 3:00 p.m. on Friday, August 8th, to accommodate setup for our Cocktails for Conservation event. Thank you for your understanding.

Destination Africa: Destination Africa will close at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 17th, to accommodate setup for FOCUSED: Destination Africa, presented by the Camera Store. Thank you for your understanding.

Penguin Plunge: Penguin Plunge will open at 9:30 a.m. on the following days to accommodate our Penguin Breakfast events:

June 28
July 6, 13, 19, and 27
August 2, 3, 10, 16, 24, and 31

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

Double Digits for Komodo Dragons

December 09, 2023 | 1 minute read

There are two special birthdays in Gateway to Asia this month – our Komodo dragons are 10 years old!

‘Shruikan’ had his birthday on December 2nd, and ‘Thorn’ turns 10 today! It’s hard to believe that these two are only now reaching double digits, but that’s what happens when you’re the world’s largest lizard!

Being a large lizard comes with a long tongue. Komodo dragons use their long, forked tongues to taste the air. When their tongues touch the Jacobson’s organ in the top of their mouth, they analyze the chemical makeup of the airborne molecules to pinpoint where prey is.

Join us in wishing Shruikan and Thorn a happy birthday!

Double Digits for Komodo Dragons

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