The Edmonton Zoo

In the heart of Edmonton’s river valley is Wilfred Laurier Park, and it is home to the Edmonton Zoo. Also known as the Valley Zoo, it opened in 1959 and is home to over 350 native and exotic animals. The Edmonton Zoo is a small and intimate park where visitors can learn and closely interact with the animals.

The zoo’s vision states, ” A special place that inspires love and learning of animals and nature .” The park also has a strong focus on conservation, stewardship, and education. The zoo supports the (SSP) Support Survival Plan, which helps to ensure the survival of endangered or threatened species in the wild. The park supports five species, Grevy’s Zebras, Amur Tigers, Goeldi Monkeys, Snow Leopards, and Red Pandas.

Team members at the zoo are passionate about preserving the natural animal world, and in 2008 they joined forces with the Year of the Frog initiative to keep frogs from extinction. They have also partnered with the Wildlife Conservation Society for a project in the Makira-Masoala region of Madagascar to help save lemurs from extinction. The zoo also supports conservation through partnerships with Polar Bears International, Lambas for Lemurs, The Amphibian Ark, and The Snow Leopard trust.

Skilled interpreters roam the zoo to provide information and education to guests. The staff are highly-trained caregivers with a focus on continuous learning and welcome lots of questions. The animal’s habitats are designed to ensure they meet the animal’s natural needs and have the expertise to care for them as well. There is an onsite veterinary hospital complete with a lab, surgery, and quarantine area.

The Inner Zoo is the original area of the Storyland Zoo and was built in 1952. It houses emus, kookaburras, skunks, keas and black swans. The Marika Outpost is a grand spacious habitat for the lemurs. There is an outdoor island with trees to climb and an indoor enclosure with plenty of natural light and tons of room to roam. The outpost is home to ring-tailed lemurs, ruffed lemurs, mongoose lemurs, and African spurred tortoises.

Nature’s Wild Backyard opened its first phase in 2019, featuring the Red Panda exhibit, which has become a star attraction. It is also home to the adjacent children’s play space, which allows the children and adults a more up-close view of the pandas in their enclosure. There is a spray park to help cool off on a hot day, and families can enjoy a ride on the carousel or the mini steam train. It is also home to the Urban Farm and many domestic animals. The Farm has a restaurant, ice cream shop, and big plans to build more exhibits.

The African Veldt provides a home for endangered Grevy’s zebras and American white pelicans. The Back Paddocks are home to bighorn sheep, reindeers, guanacos, Bactrian camels, and a Sichuan takin. The Birds of Prey Exhibit includes Bald eagles, snowy owls, and Peregrine falcons.

Carnivore Alley provides a home for most of the zoo’s carnivores, including red foxes, Amur Tigers, Arctic wolves, snow leopards, African serval cats, and Canadian Lynx. The Elephant house is home to Lucy, the Asian female elephant. She was orphaned in Sri Lanka and was brought to the zoo in 1977 when she was two years old.

The Saito Centre houses the zoo’s more fragile animals, and it is the winter home for the primates. The nocturnal wing, reptiles, and froggery all reside in the Centre too. There are green and black Poison dart frogs, dyeing poison dart frogs, false tonato frogs, Burmese rock python, and crested geckos just to name a few species to visit. 

The Edmonton Zoo is a rare gem in the heart of the city and is beautifully surrounded by parkland. Take in a live interactive animal show or enjoy a mini train ride through the park. The zoo offers school children the chance to meet the animals at Zoo School and become zoologists for a day of great experiential learning. The zoo is open late some evenings and gives visitors the chance to view the animals in the dark. Zoo Lights is a nighttime event held annually featuring animal displays made with hundreds of colourful lights throughout the park. A day or night of fun awaits guests at the Edmonton Zoo.

Check out the Edmonton Art Gallery of Alberta which is in Edmonton AB too.

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