Calgary Zoo Calgary Zoo News 2025

Zoo adventures said:
The Zoo acquired two 0.2 north rockhopper penguins from a facility in Vienna after two years of planning. The one-year-old female has a brown wristband and the other 9-month-old female has a white wristband. They currently have no name
3.4K views · 259 reactions | Get ready for some rocking news – two female northern rockhoppers have joined our penguin colony! These two new arrivals came to us from a facility in... | By The Calgary Zoo | Facebook
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The (brown wristband) north rockhopper penguin has been named Isolda. The (white wrisband) north rockhopper penguin has been named Trista
The Calgary Zoo
 
The Zoo quietly announced new development plans in their Exploration Asia zone. Press release is up, but no news coverage yet. Likely, we can expect more in the coming days/weeks.

Exploration Asia Reimagined: The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo’s Next Chapter Unveiled

No renderings or images as of now, but hints at multiple phases. This area is home to some of the oldest and most old fashioned exhibits, but with a good assortment of species like snow leopard, japanese macaque, red panda, dalmation pelicans, markhor, boars, and amur tigers.
 
Confirmed that macaques, siberian musk deer, and japanese serow will be phased out. Red-crowned cranes, snow leopards, and red pandas will be taken off habitat. Not sure if that means the species is staying, but individuals aren't or if the individuals themselves will return.

Regardless, that solidifies Phase 1. Tigers, markhor, pallas cats and boars will stay for now.

For those that aren't familiar with the layout, this is a huge portion of the grounds. The phasing out of the species above are in a separate, but near area. So this suggests bigger things if I had to guess.
 
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Clifford said:
Confirmed that macaques, siberian musk deer, and japanese serow will be phased out. Red-crowned cranes, snow leopards, and red pandas will be taken off habitat. Not sure if that means the species is staying, but individuals aren't or if the individuals themselves will return.

Regardless, that solidifies Phase 1. Tigers, markhor, pallas cats and boars will stay for now.

For those that aren't familiar with the layout, this is a huge portion of the grounds. The phasing out of the species above are in a separate, but near area. So this suggests bigger things if I had to guess.
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The most likely home for Yuki the Japanese serow is Zoo Granby. Zoo Granby is the only place to house Japanese serow if Calgary phases them out. Zoo Granby has a group of 4 serow. It will be better for her to socialize with other serows. The first phase of the construction will be finished in Summer 2026. It has been mentioned that the Japanese macaque, Japanese serow, and musk deer leave the zoo. It has also been mentioned in the comments that both of the snow leopards will leave the zoo.
The Calgary Zoo
 
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Zoo adventures said:
The most likely home for Yuki the Japanese serow is Zoo Granby. Zoo Granby is the only place to house Japanese serow if Calgary phases them out. Zoo Granby has a group of 4 serow. It will be better for her to socialize with other serows. The first phase of the construction will be finished in Summer 2026. It has been mentioned that the Japanese macaque, Japanese serow, and musk deer leave the zoo. It has also been mentioned in the comments that both of the snow leopards will leave the zoo.
The Calgary Zoo
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Yuki passed away this past summer, Calgary currently has a single male.
 
As much as this is good news to see another new big renovation hot on the heels of the Canadian section, I can't help but see this a phase out of species, include slight more unique ones (or perhaps less well represented) like musks deer and serows. Feels like slowly each AZA zoo is becoming a copy of each other with the same animals.

Not to be a Debby downer but I do see this a potential con.

Interested to see the renders and hopefully a phase II with some interesting additions or holding on to some species.
 
Jefferson said:
As much as this is good news to see another new big renovation hot on the heels of the Canadian section, I can't help but see this a phase out of species, include slight more unique ones (or perhaps less well represented) like musks deer and serows. Feels like slowly each AZA zoo is becoming a copy of each other with the same animals.

Not to be a Debby downer but I do see this a potential con.

Interested to see the renders and hopefully a phase II with some interesting additions or holding on to some species.
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Species being less represented makes it harder for zoos to find new individuals, I suspect that may be a factor with a couple of the species they are phasing out of (ex Musk deer and Serow they currently only have one of each).
This also makes room for larger, more dynamic habitats for the species they are retaining, and Calgary doesn’t have space to expand beyond the current footprint.
But let’s hope there are also some new species coming in!
 
Jefferson said:
As much as this is good news to see another new big renovation hot on the heels of the Canadian section, I can't help but see this a phase out of species, include slight more unique ones (or perhaps less well represented) like musks deer and serows. Feels like slowly each AZA zoo is becoming a copy of each other with the same animals.

Not to be a Debby downer but I do see this a potential con.

Interested to see the renders and hopefully a phase II with some interesting additions or holding on to some species.
Click to expand...

You are starting to hear zoos talk about their conservation value more and more, particularly relative to their position as entertainment venues. That was the chief takeaway from the AZA Conference this year, something that the Association chose to release themselves quite publicly.

It seems zoos are having a sometimes awkward transition in how they, and the public, define them.

I suspect we'll continue to see AZA zoos house less species overtime and the ones they do will generally, A) have an SSP, B) have an established zoological population, C) be popular residents to visitors, D) be cost effective to house and breed, and E) be easier to transfer or otherwise acquire ethically. And I think that means many AZA zoos will tend towards the same species that achieve these criteria over time. Snow leopards, tigers, giraffes, a few primates, and a bunch of birds. There will be outliers and unique cases, particularly with rescued individuals, but I can imagine this happening (and seemingly is).

Not saying this is good or bad. At least they'll have space for bigger habitats.
 
Calgary Zoo revamping Asia exhibit

There will be one new species included in Phase 1 of the revamped Exploration Asia that will be announced later this year. My bet is that it will be Sichuan takin. In this article, Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo to embark on $15.8 million expansion of Exploration Asia - LiveWire Calgary, "Dr. Burks (the President and CEO) said the new enclosures would better serve the public for conservation education and as part of the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo’s commitment to Species Survival Plans." Takins are Vulnerable and Sichuan takins have a Signature SSP program with about 19 AZA holders, plus several non-AZA institutions including the nearby Edmonton Valley Zoo. Takins are the national animal of Bhutan, so perhaps there is a community conservation project there that the Calgary Zoo could get involved with. Takins would fit in well by red pandas and snow leopards, two species that will get renovated homes as part of this project. Takins are also cold hardy.

Western tufted deer would also fit some of these criteria. Western tufted deer are Near Threatened and have a Provisional SSP that could use some more holders. Western tufted deer have been exhibited successfully with red pandas and creating a mixed species exhibit of the two would leave more room for other animals. Cervidae species are harder to transfer though because of Chronic Wasting Disease concerns and restrictions. The Calgary Zoo likely has Siberian musk deer in large part because they are much easier to transport because they are members of the Moschidae family. Therefor, I would be surprised if the Calgary Zoo acquired Western tufted deer (a member of the Cervidae family).

Clouded leopards would be a very interesting species that I would love to see at the Calgary Zoo. They are more cold sensitive than the other species of big cats though, and I doubt this area of Exploration Asia will have any indoor exhibits.

Amur leopards are a great candidate species for the Calgary Zoo to add. However, I think they are much more likely to appear in a later phase of Exploration Asia when the Amur tiger exhibit is renovated.

Does anyone have any other guesses as to what the new species might be?
 
New Calgary zoo boss promises 'exceptional care' for animal safety, conservation

I was hoping that the media would interview Dr. Kyle Burks, the Calgary Zoo's new President and CEO, and although this article isn't as lengthy as I would like it does provide some good insights. Starting off with the little story about greeting his pet cat before his wife expresses that his life, both professional and personal, is centered around animals and enriched by them. My life also seems to revolve around my pet cat and other little animals. Another little story about his childhood visits to the Houston Zoo (the article mentions a zoo in Houston, which I am assuming is the Houston Zoo) is encouraging because it suggests that he is someone who is passionate about zoos and personally understands how they are an important place for the public to see and connect with wild animals.

The article also talks a bit about Dr. Kyle Burk's vision for the Calgary Zoo. "Burks says going forward the focus will be on animal safety, wildlife conservation and saving species for the future." Personally, I have found the unexpected deaths of Eyare (the 2 year old gorilla) and Baffin (the 7 year old polar bear) in 2024 to be distressing. Accidents happen, but the Calgary Zoo needs to minimize these sorts of tragic incidents as much as possible. I also support efforts by the Zoo to help conserve in-situ populations of wild animals and believe that zoo animals are important ambassadors for their in-situ counterparts.

It's exciting to hear about the Calgary Zoo ramping up efforts to improve exhibits ahead of their centennial in 2029! I was surprised that the $15.8 million Exploration Asia Phase 1 redevelopment was announced so quickly after Dr. Burks arrived, that construction will be starting in just a few weeks from now, and that they are anticipating construction to be completed in summer of next year. That time-frame can be attributed in part to the project being entirely internally funded by the Calgary Zoo. Wow, how many zoos can internally fund a $15.8 million (albeit that's in Canadian dollars) exhibit project fresh off of other exhibit renovations (Savannah barn and the bison exhibit)?
 
The zoo rescued 2 cougars from the wild aged around 5-6 months. They will take care of them for the moment They are not viewable to the public. They will transfer these two cougars to another facility in Canada. They were spotted by a photographer John E. Marriot. There is more about them in his facebook page
John E. Marriott Wildlife and Nature Photography
122K views · 3.7K reactions | Friday was a bittersweet day for me and a sad one for the Bow Valley and Canmore, as I encountered our two orphaned little cougar kittens for the first (and last) time in the Canmore wilderness. They were captured four hours later and currently are awaiting placement in a zoo or shelter. They are the 6th and 7th cougars to be lost from our ecosystem since May 2024. I can’t even describe in words just how devastating this is. | John E. Marriott Wildlife and Nature Photography

The Calgary Zoo
 
Has anyone been able to find any renderings of the new area. The closest thing I can find is an old master plan from 2013.. I imagine things have changed haha
 
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