Welcome, Hiiro
What’s better than a celebrity couple? A royal couple! We’re thrilled to welcome our female red-crowned crane ‘Ruby’ back to zoo grounds along with her new habitat-mate, male ‘Hiiro’. In August, Ruby…
Read MoreThe African Rainforest building will open at 11:30 a.m. on October 24th due to scheduled maintenance.
The Jihad Shibley Rocky Mountain Aviary: The habitat is temporarily closed to visitors. Why the closure? Our great grey owls, especially the younger members of our parliament, are displaying protective behaviours of their nests and territory. To support their natural behaviors and prioritize safety for both our birds and visitors, we’re taking a proactive step by temporarily closing the habitat. Thank you for your understanding.
Land of Lemurs Walkthrough & Outdoor Gorilla Amphitheatre: The two outdoor animal viewing areas will close for the season beginning on October 15. Lemurs and gorillas will be viewable in their indoor habitats.
PETRONAS Gateway to Asia: The building will have adjusted viewing from September 23 until mid-November while we complete mechanical upgrades to the Malayan tapir habitat. Komodo dragons will remain viewable indoors. Malayan tapirs and red-crowned cranes will be viewable in their outdoor habitats (weather permitting). White-handed gibbons will not be viewable for the duration of the project.
African Savannah Yard: Our Hartmann’s mountain zebras and ostriches will be off-view until the end of the year while we complete exciting upgrades in the African Savannah Yard, including the construction of a new Savannah Barn for the animals. Our giraffe tower will continue to be viewable throughout the project.
Thank you for your understanding.
Bite-Sized
It is with heavy hearts that we share that last week we said goodbye to our beloved senior male red panda, ‘Dusk’. At 18.5 years old, Dusk was extremely geriatric for his species. He had been receiving supportive care from the Animal Care, Health & Welfare (ACHW) team for a range of age-related health concerns including progressive degenerative arthritis and chronic dental disease. After a recent veterinary exam revealed progressive heart disease coupled with advanced kidney disease that was compromising his welfare, the ACHW team made the difficult but compassionate decision to euthanize him.
Born in 2004 in Winnipeg, Dusk joined the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo family in 2013 when he was 9 years old. During his lifetime, Dusk was a “conservation superstar” having successfully sired six cubs as part of the Red Panda Species Survival Plan (SSP), including our three-year-old female, ‘Udaya’. As the years passed by, Dusk’s caregivers recognized that he needed some specialized care and attention. Dusk spent much of his golden years behind the scenes in his private habitat where he could move at his own pace and enjoy some quiet time away from the more rambunctious young ones in our pack. He will be fondly remembered for his mild-mannered nature.
The median life expectancy for red pandas under human care is 10 years. At nearly 19 years of age, Dusk’s exceptionally advanced age is a testament to the incredible care he received from his care team throughout his lifetime. He will be dearly missed by zoo staff, volunteers, and visitors alike but his legacy lives on at the zoo through his daughter, Udaya, and his grandcubs, ‘Sundari’ and ‘Ravi’. Please keep the Animal Care, Health & Welfare team in your thoughts during this difficult time.