Adjusted Hours and Impacts

Retail and Attraction Adjusted Hours: Several of our retail locations and attractions will have adjusted hours on Tuesday, June 9:

Bambootique: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Polar Treasures: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Wildlife Carousel: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Virtual Reality Experience: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Bugtopia Kiosk & Wild Treats: Closed

Thank you for your understanding.

Giraffes: Our giraffe tower will not be viewable until after 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 11, to accommodate routine habitat work. 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

Introducing ‘Okabe’

July 11, 2023 | 1 minute read

We are excited to announce that our #WICZGorillaBaby has been named ‘Okabe’!

In Nigeria, our partners at the Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF) are working to help save and protect the Cross River gorilla, one of two subspecies of Critically Endangered western gorillas – the other being western lowland gorillas like Okabe. With a shared goal of helping western gorillas survive and thrive, we reached out to the NCF to ask them to help us find a name that pays homage to the species, the people and the culture where western gorillas are found.

The name ‘Okabe’ (pronounced oh-KAH-beh) means ‘to think’. It is derived from the Boyki language, which has a number of regional dialects and is an important Bendi language spoken by the Boyki people of the northern Cross River State, Nigeria.

Gorilla infant ‘Okabe’

Introducing ‘Okabe’

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