Calgary Staycation - The Zoo
Staycations can be both fun and educational!
Photo: The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo welcomed a second Egyptian tortoise hatchling. (Calgary Zoo, 2024)
I’ve been in Calgary two years now, and I hadn’t yet found time to visit the Calgary Zoo. In recent news (August 2, 2024)[1] it was reported that a new (adorable) hatchling of the Critically Endangered[2] (CR) Egyptian tortoise (Testudo kleinmanni) had occurred.
I wasn’t aware that the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo had Egyptian tortoises[3] – so this seemed sufficiently significant for me to find time to finally go. I had recently presented on A History of Egyptian Species at Risk for the staff at the Alberta Wilderness Association, so I felt it was fate.[4]
I immediately purchased a ‘Wild Explorer’ membership for the Zoo, and on Alberta Heritage Day (August 5) made my way there via local transit (you get off the CTrain at Zoo Station).
Egyptian Tortoise (adult)
Found in the Destination Africa section of the Calgary Zoo.
We were told the two newly hatched babies were still in an incubator.
I really love that all the Egyptian tortoises have strong Egyptian and Libyan names (based on their original habitat range). The zoo is home to 3 females - ‘Rosetta’, ‘Minya’, and ‘Alexandria’, and 5 males ‘Zella’, ‘Edfu’, ‘Luxor’, ‘Cairo’, and ‘Nalut’.
Last year I did get to see African Spurred Tortoises (Centrochelys sulcata) at the small zoo at Gezira el-Mozh (Banana Island), near Luxor in Egypt.[5] They are visually quite similar to the Egyptian tortoise but significantly larger in size. C. sulcata is the largest tortoise in Africa, and can obtain “a straight carapace length of 86.0 cm in males and 57.8 cm in females.” [6] T. kleinmanni however, has a maximum carapace length of 14.42 cm.[7]
Photo: C. sulcata at Banana Island Zoo, Egypt (DA Donnelly, 2023)
The Calgary Zoo does have a lot more to offer than just Egyptian tortoises. It spans more than 125 acres situated on an island in the middle of the Bow River, in Calgary. It truly has something to interest everyone.
We arrived just as it opened in the morning (to avoid crowds and also the possibility of rain in the afternoon). I was joined by two friends, one very familiar with the zoo (who acted as our guide) and a foreign student, who like me, was visiting the zoo for the first time. We managed to get through a good portion of the park, including ‘Wild Canada’, ‘Destination Africa’, the ‘Dorothy Harvie Gardens’ including the butterfly section, ‘Exploration Asia’ and ‘Prehistoric Park’.
There is a lot to see in a day, but you can definitely hit most of the highlights. Being a holiday, the crowds were getting much bigger by noon, and hunger was setting in, so we called it a day and headed out to get some sushi! There are several food options at the zoo, but the prices are quite high. If you’re on a budget, I’d recommend bringing lunch if you plan on making a full day of it.
Photos (L to R): Woodland caribou; Ring-tailed lemurs; blossoming Chocolate tree; Tiger Longwing butterfly; Asian camel; T-Rex
The Wilder Institute is a conservation organization working to preserve and restore threatened species. In addition to helping with the breeding program of the Critically Endangered Egyptian Tortoise, [8] they also work on protecting numerous other species at risk, including:
Burrowing Owl
Greater Sage Grouse
Northern Leopard Frog…
The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo really impressed me. I had a fantastic time! I would highly recommend a visit if you are a tourist to Calgary, or you live here and are looking for something to do on your staycation!
Feel free to share with me your favourite thing about going to the Zoo! 🦒🦉🐍🦋🦖
[1] CTV News Calgary 'Significant milestone': Second Egyptian tortoise hatches at Calgary Zoo.
[2] IUCN Red List https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/21652/217969981
[3] Calgary Zoo webpage on their Egyptian Tortoises https://www.calgaryzoo.com/plan-your-visit/animal-zones/destination-africa/egyptian-tortoise/
[4] My presentation is available online here: https://www.debborahdonnelly.ca/blog/egyptian-sar
[5] This species is listed as Endangered (EN). You can see my other photos of C. sulcata on iNaturalist here: https://inaturalist.ca/observations/186239764
[6] Petrozzi, Fabio; Emmanuel, Hema; Gift, Demaya; Benansio, John; Eniang, Edem; Diagne, Tomas; Segniagbeto, Gabriel; Luiselli, Luca (August 2020). "Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises". Chelonian Research Foundation and Turtle Conservancy (5): 13 – via ResearchGate.
[7] Farkas, B.L., Sasvari, L., Buskiri, J.R. (1997) Maximum Size of the Egyptian Tortoise, Testudo kleinmanni. Chelonian Conservation and Biology, 1997, 2(3):415.
[8] Calgary Zoo (2024) Tiny Tortoise Brings Big Joy: A Conservation Milestone Nine Years in the Making, dated July 17.2024. https://www.calgaryzoo.com/news/tiny-tortoise-brings-big-joy-a-conservation-milestone-nine-years-in-the-making/
