On June 5, the City of Calgary experienced a significant water emergency which continues today. We’re working very closely with the City of Calgary and Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) to adjust our daily operations to ensure compliance with the Stage 4 City Mandatory Water Restrictions in place, while ensuring the safety, health and well-being of the animals we love and care for.
Here’s how we’re adapting:
We appreciate your understanding as we make these necessary adjustments to support our community.
Indoor Gorilla Habitat: From July 2 until approximately the end of the month, the western lowland gorilla troop will not be viewable in their indoor African Rainforest habitat while work is done on the viewing windows. The troop will be viewable in their outdoor habitat throughout the project (weather and animal participation permitting). The rest of the African Rainforest building will remain open and accessible throughout the project. Thank you for your understanding.
African Savannah Yard: 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
1 August 2023 – It is with heavy hearts that we share that our beloved 12-year-old African lion, ‘Aslan’ passed away yesterday.
Our Animal Care, Health & Welfare team noted a change in Aslan’s behaviour on Sunday. Like many elderly big cats, he had been previously diagnosed with kidney and cardiac disease and had been under close observation by his dedicated care team and veterinary staff since that time. Due to concerns about the rapid onset of his symptoms, our Animal Care, Health & Welfare team conducted a veterinary exam, under anesthesia, yesterday to determine the cause of these changes. Although the anesthesia and examination went smoothly, initial diagnostics determined that his kidney disease had significantly worsened since his last exam and sadly he died during recovery. We won’t know his cause of death firmly until a necropsy is completed, and we’ll share more information when we know it.
Aslan, and his brother ‘Baruti’, came to the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo from the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in July 2012 when they were both two years old. They’ve lived with us since this time and were joined in 2019 by our lionesses, ‘Mali’ and ‘Sabi’. The median life expectancy for lions in human care is 16.9 years.
Saying goodbye to the animals we love and care for is never easy, but it is especially heartbreaking when the loss is unexpected. Lions are a social species and our Animal Care, Health & Welfare Team will be carefully monitoring Baruti, Mali and Sabi, following the sudden loss of a member of their pride.
We know that our community will be as saddened by this news as we are. Aslan will be greatly missed by staff, volunteers, visitors, and our online community. Please keep our Animal Care, Health & Welfare team in your thoughts during this difficult time.
African lion ‘Aslan’
