Christmas Day: The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo will be closed on Wednesday, December 25th, for both day admission and ZOOLIGHTS, presented by Olympia Trust Company. Normal operations will resume on December 26th.
New Year’s Eve: On Tuesday, December 31st, last entry for day admission and members will be at 3 p.m. with grounds cleared at 4 p.m. to accommodate set up for our Zoo Year’s Eve event, presented by Orange Frog.
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.
African Savannah Yard: Our Hartmann’s mountain zebras and ostriches will be off-view until early 2025 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.
On-site Program
Inspired by the novel “The One and Only Ivan” by K.A. Applegate, this program compares the life of Ivan from the story to our gorilla troop here at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo. We will be discussing themes of the book; therefore it is best if students have finished the book or movie prior to arriving for the program. We will guide students through the process of analyzing the question, “What is the role of modern accredited zoos?” through initial brainstorming, thoughtful discussion, and observation of the gorilla residents and their habitat.
**Students should be familiar with the story of Ivan. Ideally classes have completed the novel, the short story book, or have watched the film. This program contains spoilers.
Length: 90 minutes
Program times: 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m.
Maximum students: 32
Cost:
