The Edmonton Valley Zoo (sometimes known simply as the Valley Zoo) is a
zoo
A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes.
The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoo ...
located in
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
, Alberta's river valley. The Edmonton Valley Zoo is owned and operated by the City of Edmonton and is open 364 days a year, closing only on Christmas. The zoo is currently accredited by
Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums and is one of three accredited zoos in Alberta.
History
The Valley Zoo opened on July 1, 1959, as a replacement for a previous Edmonton Zoo (Borden Park Zoo) which was torn down to expand Northlands Park (now
Northlands). The zoo is home to over 350 exotic and native animals and houses over 100 different species. In 2007, the Edmonton Valley Zoo launched the Makira Conservation Fund Initiative in honour of their newly unveiled
lemur
Lemurs ( ) (from Latin ''lemures'' – ghosts or spirits) are wet-nosed primates of the superfamily Lemuroidea (), divided into 8 families and consisting of 15 genera and around 100 existing species. They are endemic to the island of Madagas ...
habitat, named the Makira Outpost after the Makira forest region in
Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
. In addition to this cause, the zoo also raises funds and awareness for other endangered animals such as
red pandas
The red panda (''Ailurus fulgens''), also known as the lesser panda, is a small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It has dense reddish-brown fur with a black belly and legs, white-lined ears, a mostly white muzz ...
, through the Red Panda Network,
[City of Edmonton]
''Red Panda Network'', Retrieved on May 16, 2011 and various other conservation efforts. This facility also promotes animal conservation through its participation in the
Species Survival Plan
The American Species Survival Plan or SSP program was developed in 1981 by the (American) Association of Zoos and Aquariums to help ensure the survival of selected species in zoos and aquariums, most of which are threatened or endangered in the ...
, an international effort led by the
American Zoo and Aquarium Association which aims to restore endangered animal populations to the wild, for a variety of species. They have raised six red panda cubs since 2007.
The Edmonton Valley Zoo's 2005 Master Plan was approved by Edmonton City Council, allocating $50 million in capital funding. With the first project, Arctic Shores completed, the second phase, The Wander Trail, opened in 2013.
Exhibits
Inner Zoo
The Inner Zoo is the area of the zoo that was originally the Storyland Valley Zoo. The vast majority of the area was constructed in 1959. Animals that live within this area of the zoo during summer include:
emu
The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus '' Dromaius''. The emu ...
s,
laughing kookaburra
The laughing kookaburra (''Dacelo novaeguineae'') is a bird in the kingfisher subfamily Halcyoninae. It is a large robust kingfisher with a whitish head and a brown eye-stripe. The upperparts are mostly dark brown but there is a mottled light ...
s,
kea
The kea (; ; ''Nestor notabilis'') is a species of large parrot in the family Nestoridae found in the forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand. About long, it is mostly olive-green with a brilliant orange under its wing ...
s,
black swans, and
striped skunks
Makira Outpost
Makira Outpost is an exhibit which opened in the summer of 2007 and is home to the zoo's
lemur
Lemurs ( ) (from Latin ''lemures'' – ghosts or spirits) are wet-nosed primates of the superfamily Lemuroidea (), divided into 8 families and consisting of 15 genera and around 100 existing species. They are endemic to the island of Madagas ...
s. The exhibit uses many exhibit methods. The lemurs have access to a large outdoor island with two large elm trees for climbing. It also has two outdoor enclosures that have zoomesh (a nearly invisible mesh). The indoor enclosures are huge and benefit from plentiful natural light. The animals housed in Makira outpost include:
ring-tailed lemurs,
African spurred tortoise
The African spurred tortoise (''Centrochelys sulcata''), also called the sulcata tortoise, is a species of tortoise inhabiting the southern edge of the Sahara desert in Africa. It is the largest mainland species of tortoise in the world, and the ...
and
black-and-white ruffed lemur
The black-and-white ruffed lemur (''Varecia variegata'') is an endangered species of ruffed lemur, one of two which are endemic to the island of Madagascar. Despite having a larger range than the red ruffed lemur, it has a much smaller populati ...
s.
Nature's Wild Backyard
In 2019 the zoo opened phase one of Nature's Wild Backyard. Phase one includes an immersive exhibit for the zoo's
red panda
The red panda (''Ailurus fulgens''), also known as the lesser panda, is a small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It has dense reddish-brown fur with a black belly and legs, white-lined ears, a mostly white muzzle ...
as well as the year-round Urban Farm, home to numerous domestic species. In addition to the animal enclosures the Urban Farm has a restaurant, washrooms, and ice cream stand. Phase II of Nature's Wild Backyard is not completely funded.
Carnivore Alley
The Carnivore Alley has the majority of the zoo's carnivores, such as
red foxes,
snow leopard
The snow leopard (''Panthera uncia''), also known as the ounce, is a felid in the genus '' Panthera'' native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because the global population is es ...
s,
Amur tiger
The Siberian tiger or Amur tiger is a population of the tiger subspecies '' Panthera tigris tigris'' native to the Russian Far East, Northeast China and possibly North Korea. It once ranged throughout the Korean Peninsula, but currently inhabi ...
s,
Arctic wolves,
Canada lynx
The Canada lynx (''Lynx canadensis''), or Canadian lynx, is a medium-sized North American lynx that ranges across Alaska, Canada, and northern areas of the contiguous United States. It is characterized by its long, dense fur, triangular ears ...
and
serval
The serval (''Leptailurus serval'') is a wild cat native to Africa. It is widespread in sub-Saharan countries, except rainforest regions. Across its range, it occurs in protected areas, and hunting it is either prohibited or regulated in ran ...
.
Elephant House and Exhibit
The Valley Zoo's Elephant House is home to Lucy, a female
Asian elephant
The Asian elephant (''Elephas maximus''), also known as the Asiatic elephant, is the only living species of the genus ''Elephas'' and is distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India in the west, Nepal in the no ...
who was orphaned in
Sri Lanka in 1975 and came to the zoo at the age of two on May 19, 1977. The elephant house is currently closed due to Lucy's aging condition and
Covid-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
.
Saito Centre
The Saito Centre is named after the zoo's former veterinarian who died shortly before construction of the building. Originally designed as a winter holding building, it now houses all the zoo's fragile animals. It is winter home to all the zoo's primate species as well. It is also home to the reptile and nocturnal wing, froggery (over ten species of amphibians), and many of the zoo's smaller animals. In 2017 an indoor exhibit that houses temporary animal exhibits was created.
African Veldt
The African Veldt is home to non-releasable
American white pelicans and endangered
Grévy's zebras.
Polar Extremes: Arctic Shores
The Arctic Shores replicates an Arctic coast.
Harbour seal
The harbor (or harbour) seal (''Phoca vitulina''), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinniped (walruses, eared se ...
s and
northern fur seal
The northern fur seal (''Callorhinus ursinus'') is an eared seal found along the north Pacific Ocean, the Bering Sea, and the Sea of Okhotsk. It is the largest member of the fur seal subfamily (Arctocephalinae) and the only living species in t ...
s can be viewed swimming underwater.
Back Paddocks
The back paddocks are home to the zoos larger hoof stock and include
Bactrian camel
The Bactrian camel (''Camelus bactrianus''), also known as the Mongolian camel or domestic Bactrian camel, is a large even-toed ungulate native to the steppes of Central Asia. It has two humps on its back, in contrast to the single-humped dro ...
,
reindeer
Reindeer (in North American English, known as caribou if wild and ''reindeer'' if domesticated) are deer in the genus ''Rangifer''. For the last few decades, reindeer were assigned to one species, ''Rangifer tarandus'', with about 10 sub ...
s,
guanaco
The guanaco (; ''Lama guanicoe'') is a camelid native to South America, closely related to the llama. Guanacos are one of two wild South American camelids, the other being the vicuña, which lives at higher elevations.
Etymology
The guanaco ...
s,
bighorn sheep
The bighorn sheep (''Ovis canadensis'') is a species of sheep native to North America. It is named for its large horns. A pair of horns might weigh up to ; the sheep typically weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates three distinct subspec ...
, and a
Sichuan takin
The Sichuan takin or Tibetan takin (''Budorcas taxicolor tibetana'') is a subspecies of takin ( goat-antelope). Listed as a vulnerable species, the Sichuan takin is native to Tibet and the provinces of Sichuan, Gansu and Xinjiang in the People's ...
group.
Birds of Prey
The Birds of Prey area features "non-releasable" raptors, some of which are in outreach programs. Some species include
bald eagle,
peregrine falcon, and
snowy owl
The snowy owl (''Bubo scandiacus''), also known as the polar owl, the white owl and the Arctic owl, is a large, white owl of the true owl family. Snowy owls are native to the Arctic regions of both North America and the Palearctic, breeding m ...
.
Controversy
The residence of Lucy the elephant at the Valley Zoo has been controversial since 2009. Animal welfare groups such as Zoocheck opposed keeping a lone elephant in a zoo, since elephants are a highly social species, and that Edmonton's cold climate is unhealthy for elephants. Groups like Zoocheck have said that Lucy exhibits psychological health issues, including lethargy and abnormal stereotypical behaviours. On page 4 of this report Zoocheck Canada conducted a behavioral study in 2007, which found Lucy to be lethargic, and exhibiting pronounced stereotypic behaviors, such as abnormal swaying and rocking.
A number of North American zoos have phased out elephants, including the Toronto zoo when it moved three elephants in October 2013 to the United States.
The Edmonton Valley Zoo argues that moving Lucy would be detrimental to her health, disclosing a known respiratory issue that is purportedly exacerbated by stress.
Retired game show host and animal rights activist
Bob Barker also advocated for Lucy's transfer.
In February 2021 the
Jane Goodall Institute of Canada, based on an independent third-party review of Lucy's case, released a statement consistent with previous assessments that "...the risks of moving Lucy outweigh the potential benefits to her.”
Gallery
References
External links
*
{{Alberta parks
1959 establishments in Alberta
Buildings and structures in Edmonton
Tourist attractions in Edmonton
Zoos in Alberta
Zoos established in 1959