Our trip to the Calgary Zoo this week was so much fun! Our homeschooling association planned the trip, so we got up extra early and drove the 3 hours to get to the zoo. It was so worth it!!! We realized we hadn’t been there since 2018! We were excited to see the new polar bear exhibit, and visit some of our old favourites. Come join us as we tour the Calgary Zoo!
An early start for Calgary Zoo
Our day started at 6am, as we scrambled to get ready and out the door by 6:30am. Since the Calgary Zoo is 3 hours away, we didn’t have much time to spare. I was pleased to be on the road by 6:45am. We didn’t stop for bathroom breaks, so we were at the zoo well before the 10am meet up time. October can be an iffy month for weather around here, but we had a lovely cool day. Warm enough for shorts and a T-shirt, and not too hot.
The great thing about being a bit early, was we got to visit with some of the other families that were on the trip. We met some really nice families with kids the same age as mine. They were also located close to where we live, which is a huge bonus! By the time we were ready to enter the Zoo, we had a group to hang around with. My son had a great time hanging with the other teenaged boys, allowing the rest of us to go at our own pace.
Canadian Wilds Section
We started off our tour by heading into the Canadian Wilds section to check out the new polar bear exhibit. This exhibit just opened in 2024, so we were all excited to see it. The Canadian Wilds section has such a wide range of animals from Mountain Goats and Sheep, Muskox, Moose, River otters, Owls, Golden Eagles, Porcupines, Grizzly Bears, Black Bears, Timber Wolves, and now the Polar bear! Despite venturing to the exhibit twice throughout the day, the Polar bear didn’t want to play. He was inside his den area both times.
Although it was disappointing not to see him, I was impressed with the size of his enclosure and all the amenities it had! I know there are those that don’t like the idea of zoo’s, but for me I love the new respect my family and I get from seeing them in person. I have no plans to visit the Canadian Arctic anytime soon, so the opportunity to have a Polar bear so close is incredible! We also really enjoyed seeing the Panda’s that were on loan from China in 2018. My children are so much more aware of the importance of conservation efforts, because they have had this opportunity.
It’s also less damaging to the natural habitat of these animals for people to be able to see them in zoo’s. Having millions of people traipsing through their natural habitats would be very detrimental to the continuation of their species. The Calgary Zoo is also unique in the incredible care they put into their enclosures, and the enrichment activities they provide the animals.
The African Safari section
Due to most of our kids being teenagers, we skipped the Dinosaur section this time and crossed the bridge to the African Safari section. We were able to see Hippo’s, Tortoises, Wild Boars, Giraffes, Lion’s, and the Lemur Interaction exhibit. Being October, it wasn’t anywhere as hot as the Lemur’s like it, so they chose to stay inside their exhibit and sleep. When they chose to, they can go outside and mingle with the guests. It would have been fun to have them running around us, but I was happy just seeing them up close through the glass.
We then wandered through the tropical buildings and viewed the tropical fish, Gorilla’s, Monkeys, Snakes, Lizards, and tropical birds. The heat and humidity were intense, making our glasses fog up immediately. One of the Gorilla’s had recently had a baby, and was right at the glass showing him off. He was so cute and she was such an amazing mom! It was simply adorable. I absolutely love the variety of birds at the end of the exhibit. The sounds of the water fall splashing, and chirping of the birds is always so relaxing.
The Asian section
After lunch, we headed to the Asian Section of the Zoo. We saw Camels, Komodo dragons, Tapirs, Red Panda’s, Pallas’s Cats, Tigers, and many more exotic animals. The coolness of the day meant they were all active. The Red Panda’s were particularly playful, so if you’d like to see them playing, click here. The Tigers were separated in their enclosure, but remained up close to the visitors. Their pacing and roaring at each other was impressive.
The Butterfly Garden
We stopped into the Butterfly Garden on our way back to check out the Polar bear again. The Butterfly Garden was magical. There were so many beautiful exotic plants, and butterflies to take in. They were fluttering around us, and all over the plants as well. It was so cool to see some caterpillars and cocoons hanging under the leaves. Everywhere you looked there was something new and wonderful to see. The teenagers were just as enamoured by the garden as the adults were, pointing out new butterflies as every turn.
Outside the Butterfly Garden are the Rose Gardens, which even in early October were filled with roses. The landscaping staff were hard at work setting up new garden displays for the fall. They are certainly experts at what they do!
Polar Bear Adventure Attempt #2
We decided to check out the Polar bear exhibit one more time. The Canadian Wilds section is quite large, and the Polar Bear space is right in the middle of it, so there isn’t really a short cut to see him. This time we took the opportunity to go through the fenced in Birds of Prey area. We were not disappointed! The Great Horned Owls, Wood Owls, Snowy Owls, and Golden Eagle were not hiding! They were quite close when we went through, so we got some great pictures. I’ve always been an nature lover, but seeming them up close just makes me fall in love with them all over again.
The Polar bear still didn’t want to play, but the river otters were very happy to see us! It was also dinner time for them, which didn’t hurt. It was great seeing them run, swim, wrestle, and chase the magpies that landed in their enclosure. They are such happy, playful little guys. It’s hard not to smile watching the otters play.
Penguin Exhibit
Although the Penguins were right by the entrance of the Calgary Zoo, we saved them for last. The Calgary Zoo has a variety of Penguins including Humboldt Penguins, Gentoo Penguins, Rockhopper Penguins, and King Penguins. It’s a noisy, but super fun place to be. The penguins will splash you as they dive in and out of the pools. There is one that loves to jump out of the exhibit and walk amongst the guests as well. During the winter, they take the penguins on a walk around the zoo for extra enrichment.
After the Penguins, we stopped into the gift shop and picked up a few mementos of our incredible day. The gift shop is well stocked with all kinds of great gifts, and the proceeds help with the conservation of animals around the world.
In Conclusion
Our field trip to the Calgary Zoo was amazing!!! Not only for the great exhibits, but for the friends we hung out with while we were there. It’s so much fun to be with like minded people that get just as excited by viewing the animals as you do! I’m sure I have missed naming some of the animals that the Zoo has in it’s care, so you’ll have to check it out for yourself to see them all.
I have always loved the Calgary Zoo, and really appreciate how well maintained it is. The last four years have seen a lot of places fall apart, but I’m relieved that the Calgary Zoo has managed to maintain it’s high standard of care for it’s animals and patrons. If you are in the Calgary area, this is a must see, and I can’t wait to visit again!
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