Are elephants at the Calgary Zoo?

The Calgary Zoo announced a plan Thursday to move its four elephants out of the facility in the next few years. Zoo president Clément Lanthier said the decision to move the endangered Asian elephants to another accredited zoo within four to five years was made in the best interest of the animals.



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Canada has four zoos with elephants, including African Lion Safari in Ontario; Edmonton Valley Zoo in Alberta; and Parc Safari and Granby Zoo in Quebec. All four are using bullhooks in free contact, meaning elephant keepers manage elephants inside their enclosures instead of behind a protective barrier.

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The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo is among the world-class zoos and aquariums that have achieved the rigorous accreditation standards governing zoo operations. We are proud to hold membership of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) and the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA).

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The Calgary Zoo announced in April 2012 that it would relocate its elephants based on their long-term welfare needs. The National Zoo was chosen as the new home for the elephants in August 2013.

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Broadly, some elephant experts say urban zoos simply don't have the space that African elephants, who roam extensive distances in the wild to forage for hundreds of pounds of vegetation each day, need for a normal life.

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The Edmonton Valley Zoo is home to an Asian elephant named Lucy, who has been the subject of great attention. Lucy was orphaned in Sri Lanka and was brought to the Edmonton Valley Zoo in 1977 through partnership with the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage and Colombo Zoo.

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The pandas, adult female Er Shun and adult male Da Mao, were expected to be at the Calgary Zoo until 2023, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic there were issues sourcing a sustained supply of bamboo for them to eat.

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A supply of bamboo imperilled by the global pandemic's disruption of travel left the zoo no choice but to cut short the stay of Da Mao and Er Shun, who would otherwise have been in Calgary until 2023.

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There have not been polar bears at the zoo since 1999, when the controversial exhibit was shut down after the death of Misty. The bear was suffering from arthritis and had reportedly been given Prozac, an antidepressant, to control its pacing and erratic behaviour.

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The Toronto Zoo is the biggest zoos in Canada and is home to more than 5000 animals from more than 450 species.

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