Valley Zoo
Encyclopedia
The Edmonton Valley Zoo is a zoo
located in the heart of Edmonton
, Alberta
's river valley. The Edmonton Valley Zoo is owned and operated by the City of Edmonton and is open 364 days a year, only closing on Christmas. The zoo is currently accredited by the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums
and is one of three accredited zoos in Alberta .
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
habitat
, aptly named the Makira Outpost after the Makira forest region in Madagascar
. In addition to this cause, the zoo also raises funds and awareness for other endangered animals such as red pandas, through the Red Panda Network, and various other conservation efforts . This facility also actively promotes animal conservation through its participation in the Species Survival Plan
, an international effort led by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association which ultimately aims to restore endangered animal populations to the wild, for a variety of species. They have successfully raised six red panda cubs since 2007
The Edmonton Valley Zoo has just undergone the creation of a new master plan that has been approved by city council. The plan calls for the zoo to be organized into geographical areas focusing on a warm heart and a cold exterior. This means that all of the animals that require tropical temperatures will be focused in the center of the zoo and while all animals that do not require tropical temperatures will be focused on the outside. The Valley Zoo Development Society is currently fundraising for the first step of the master plan, as although the council approved the plan they have not provided any funding for it.
The residence of Lucy the elephant at the Valley Zoo is currently a source of controversy. Animal welfare groups argue that it is inappropriate to keep Lucy isolated because female elephants are highly social and being part of a family/herd is essential to their psychological health and well-being. Also, critics of the zoo argue that Edmonton's cold climate, lack of space at the zoo, in combination with social isolation, has caused Lucy to become unhealthy (with a series of ongoing health issues), lethargic and to develop abnormal stereotypic behaviours, such as rocking back and forth.
In 2009, 36 Canadian authors wrote to the City of Edmonton asking that Lucy be assessed by an independent veterinarian and other elephant experts to determine the most appropriate method and best time to transfer Lucy to an elephant sanctuary.
Also, Bob Barker
, who was involved in the transfer of Maggie the elephant from the Alaska Zoo
to a California sanctuary, entered the debate by writing to the Mayor of Edmonton asking for the transfer of Lucy to a sanctuary where she can be in the company of other elephants and enjoy more freedom and space to roam.
On September 10, 2009, James Oosterhuis, a lead researcher with the Colyer Institute, a non-profit centre in San Diego, California
, for the study of oral disease and nutrition with exotic animals, examined Lucy in her habitat in Edmonton. "[Lucy's] current respiratory problems preclude any thought of moving her and in fact it would (be) life threatening for her to be placed under that kind of stress. It is my opinion that it would be unethical for any veterinarian to recommend moving her and in fact would be malpractice to sign a health certificate for her at this time."
On February 1, 2010, lawyer Clayton Ruby and Tove Reece, a local animal rights activist, filed a lawsuit on behalf of PETA
and Zoocheck against the City of Edmonton. In this lawsuit, they claimed that the City of Edmonton kept Lucy in conditions which caused her to be in distress, which would put them in violation of Alberta's Animal Protection Act. The lawsuit was dismissed by an Alberta judge on August 20, 2010.
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
located in the heart of Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
's river valley. The Edmonton Valley Zoo is owned and operated by the City of Edmonton and is open 364 days a year, only closing on Christmas. The zoo is currently accredited by the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums
-External links:*...
and is one of three accredited zoos in Alberta .
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
Northlands
Northlands is a non-profit, volunteer organization in Edmonton, Alberta. It was founded in 1879, before the official incorporation of the city of Edmonton, or the province of Alberta....
). 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
Lemur
Lemurs are a clade of strepsirrhine primates endemic to the island of Madagascar. They are named after the lemures of Roman mythology due to the ghostly vocalizations, reflective eyes, and the nocturnal habits of some species...
habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
, aptly named the Makira Outpost after the Makira forest region in Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. In addition to this cause, the zoo also raises funds and awareness for other endangered animals such as red pandas, through the Red Panda Network, and various other conservation efforts . This facility also actively promotes animal conservation through its participation in the Species Survival Plan
Species Survival Plan
The American Species Survival Plan or SSP program was developed in 1981 by the 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 wild....
, an international effort led by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association which ultimately aims to restore endangered animal populations to the wild, for a variety of species. They have successfully raised six red panda cubs since 2007
The Edmonton Valley Zoo has just undergone the creation of a new master plan that has been approved by city council. The plan calls for the zoo to be organized into geographical areas focusing on a warm heart and a cold exterior. This means that all of the animals that require tropical temperatures will be focused in the center of the zoo and while all animals that do not require tropical temperatures will be focused on the outside. The Valley Zoo Development Society is currently fundraising for the first step of the master plan, as although the council approved the plan they have not provided any funding for it.
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: American White PelicanAmerican White PelicanThe American White Pelican is a large aquatic bird from the order Pelecaniformes. It breeds in interior North America, moving south and to the coasts, as far as Central America, in winter....
s, CapybaraCapybaraThe capybara , also known as capivara in Portuguese, and capibara, chigüire in Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador ronsoco in Peru, chigüiro, and carpincho in Spanish, is the largest living rodent in the world. Its closest relatives are agouti, chinchillas, coyphillas, and guinea pigs...
, Emus, WaterfowlWaterfowlWaterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....
, SpiderSpider monkeySpider monkeys of the genus Ateles are New World monkeys in the subfamily Atelinae, family Atelidae. Like other atelines, they are found in tropical forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico to Brazil...
and Squirrel MonkeySquirrel monkeyThe squirrel monkeys are the New World monkeys of the genus Saimiri. They are the only genus in the subfamily Saimirinae.Squirrel monkeys live in the tropical forests of Central and South America in the canopy layer. Most species have parapatric or allopatric ranges in the Amazon, while S...
s, AlpacaAlpacaAn alpaca is a domesticated species of South American camelid. It resembles a small llama in appearance.Alpacas are kept in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of southern Peru, northern Bolivia, Ecuador, and northern Chile at an altitude of to above sea level, throughout the year...
, Callimicos, North American River Otters, Red PandaRed PandaThe red panda , is a small arboreal mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It is the only species of the genus Ailurus. Slightly larger than a domestic cat, it has reddish-brown fur, a long, shaggy tail, and a waddling gait due to its shorter front legs...
s, Guinea PigGuinea pigThe guinea pig , also called the cavy, is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. Despite their common name, these animals are not in the pig family, nor are they from Guinea...
s, and also includes a Petting Zoo filled with many domestic farm and pet animals. Only the Otters, Alpacas, and Red Pandas are located in Inner Zoo during the winter. - Makira Outpost. Makira Outpost is a new exhibit just opened up in the summer of 2007 and is home to the zoos lemurLemurLemurs are a clade of strepsirrhine primates endemic to the island of Madagascar. They are named after the lemures of Roman mythology due to the ghostly vocalizations, reflective eyes, and the nocturnal habits of some species...
s. The new exhibit uses many new 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 lots of natural light. The animals housed in Makira outpost include: Ring-tailed lemurRing-tailed LemurThe ring-tailed lemur is a large strepsirrhine primate and the most recognized lemur due to its long, black and white ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of five lemur families. It is the only member of the Lemur genus. Like all lemurs it is endemic to the island of Madagascar...
s, African Spurred TortoiseAfrican Spurred TortoiseThe African spurred tortoise , also called the African spur thigh tortoise or the sulcata tortoise, is a species of tortoise which inhabits the southern edge of the Sahara desert, in northern Africa...
, and Red-fronted LemurRed-fronted LemurThe red-fronted lemur , also known as the red-fronted brown lemur or southern red-fronted brown lemur, is a species of lemur from Madagascar. Until 2001, it was considered a subspecies of the common brown lemur, E. fulvus. In 2001, E...
s. - Carnivore Alley. The Carnivore Alley is home to majority of the zoos carnivores. Here you can see Swift FoxSwift FoxThe swift fox is a small light orange-tan fox around the size of a domestic cat found in the western grasslands of North America, such as Colorado, New Mexico and Texas. It also lives in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta in Canada, where it was previously extirpated...
es, CoatimundiCoatiCoatis, genera Nasua and Nasuella, also known as the Brazilian aardvark, Mexican tejón, hog-nosed coon, pizotes, crackoons and snookum bears, are members of the raccoon family . They are diurnal mammals native to South America, Central America, and south-western North America...
, Snow LeopardSnow LeopardThe snow leopard is a moderately large cat native to the mountain ranges of South Asia and Central Asia...
s, Amur TigerAmur TigerThe Siberian tiger , also known as the Amur tiger, is a tiger subspecies inhabiting mainly the Sikhote Alin mountain region with a small subpopulation in southwest Primorye province in the Russian Far East. In 2005, there were 331–393 adult-subadult Amur tigers in this region, with a breeding adult...
s, Arctic Wolves and an African Serval CatServalThe serval , Leptailurus serval or Caracal serval, known in Afrikaans as Tierboskat, "tiger-forest-cat", is a medium-sized African wild cat. DNA studies have shown that the serval is closely related to the African golden cat and the caracal...
. - Elephant House and Exhibit. The Valley Zoo's Elephant House is home to Lucy, a female Asian ElephantAsian ElephantThe Asian or Asiatic elephant is the only living species of the genus Elephas and distributed in Southeast Asia from India in the west to Borneo in the east. Three subspecies are recognized — Elephas maximus maximus from Sri Lanka, the Indian elephant or E. m. indicus from mainland Asia, and E. m....
who was orphaned in Sri Lanka in 1975 and came to the zoo at the age of two. - Saito Center. The Saito Center is named after the zoo's former veterinarian who died shortly before construction of the building. Originally designed as a new winter holding building it now houses all the zoo's fragile animals. It is winter home to all of the zoo's primate species, as well as the zoo's South American Sea LionSouth American Sea LionThe South American sea lion , also called the southern sea lion and the Patagonian sea lion, is a sea lion found on the Chilean, Peruvian, Uruguayan, Argentine and Southern Brazilian coasts. It is the only member of the genus Otaria...
s, Harbour Seals, reptile and nocturnal wing, and many of the zoo's smaller animals. - African Veldt. The African veldt is home to AddaxAddaxThe Addax , also known as the screwhorn antelope, is a critically endangered species of antelope that lives in the Sahara desert. As suggested by its alternative name, this pale antelope has long, twisted horns. It is closely related to the oryx, but differs from other antelopes by having large...
, Pygmy Zebu CattleZebuZebu , sometimes known as humped cattle, indicus cattle, Cebu or Brahmin cattle are a type of domestic cattle originating in South Asia, particularly the Indian subcontinent. They are characterised by a fatty hump on their shoulders, drooping ears and a large dewlap...
, and Grevy's ZebraGrevy's ZebraThe Grévy's zebra , also known as the Imperial zebra, is the largest extant wild equid and one of three species of zebra, the other two being the plains zebra and the mountain zebra. Named after Jules Grévy, it is the sole extant member of the subgenus Dolichohippus. The Grévy's zebra is found in...
s. - Back Paddocks. The back paddocks are home to the zoos larger hoof stock and include Bactrian camelBactrian camelThe Bactrian camel is a large, even-toed ungulate native to the steppes of central Asia. It is presently restricted in the wild to remote regions of the Gobi and Taklamakan Deserts of Mongolia and Xinjiang. A small number of wild Bactrian camels still roam the Mangystau Province of southwest...
, West Caucasian TurWest Caucasian TurThe West Caucasian tur is a mountain dwelling goat antelope found only in the western half of the Caucasus Mountain range....
s, Guanacos, Bighorn sheepBighorn SheepThe bighorn sheep is a species of sheep in North America named for its large horns. These horns can weigh up to , while the sheep themselves weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates that there are three distinct subspecies of Ovis canadensis, one of which is endangered: Ovis canadensis sierrae...
, Pony rides, and a Sichuan TakinSichuan TakinThe Sichuan Takin or Tibetan Takin is a subspecies of takin . Listed as a vulnerable species, the Sichuan Takin is native to Tibet and the provinces of Sichuan, Gansu and Xinjiang in the People's Republic of China...
group. Sichuan Takins are very rare and only two other zoos in Canada house them. - Birds of Prey. The Birds of Prey area features "non-releasable" raptors in flight shows and outreach programs. Some highlight species include Bald EagleBald EagleThe Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
, Peregrine FalconPeregrine FalconThe Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
, and Snowy OwlSnowy OwlThe Snowy Owl is a large owl of the typical owl family Strigidae. The Snowy Owl was first classified in 1758 by Carolus Linnaeus, the Swedish naturalist who developed binomial nomenclature to classify and organize plants and animals. The bird is also known in North America as the Arctic Owl, Great...
s.
Controversy
In 2009, 36 Canadian authors wrote to the City of Edmonton asking that Lucy be assessed by an independent veterinarian and other elephant experts to determine the most appropriate method and best time to transfer Lucy to an elephant sanctuary.
Also, Bob Barker
Bob Barker
Robert William "Bob" Barker is a former American television game show host. He is best known for hosting CBS's The Price Is Right from 1972 to 2007, making it the longest-running daytime game show in North American television history, and for hosting Truth or Consequences from 1956 to 1975.Born...
, who was involved in the transfer of Maggie the elephant from the Alaska Zoo
Alaska Zoo
The Alaska Zoo is a zoo in Anchorage, Alaska located on of the Anchorage Hillside. It is a popular attraction in Alaska, with nearly 200,000 visitors per year.The zoo is currently home to more than 100 birds and mammals representing some 50 species...
to a California sanctuary, entered the debate by writing to the Mayor of Edmonton asking for the transfer of Lucy to a sanctuary where she can be in the company of other elephants and enjoy more freedom and space to roam.
On September 10, 2009, James Oosterhuis, a lead researcher with the Colyer Institute, a non-profit centre in San Diego, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, for the study of oral disease and nutrition with exotic animals, examined Lucy in her habitat in Edmonton. "[Lucy's] current respiratory problems preclude any thought of moving her and in fact it would (be) life threatening for her to be placed under that kind of stress. It is my opinion that it would be unethical for any veterinarian to recommend moving her and in fact would be malpractice to sign a health certificate for her at this time."
On February 1, 2010, lawyer Clayton Ruby and Tove Reece, a local animal rights activist, filed a lawsuit on behalf of PETA
Peta
Peta can refer to:* peta-, an SI prefix denoting a factor of 1015* Peta, Greece, a town in Greece* Peta, the Pāli word for a Preta, or hungry ghost in Buddhism* Peta Wilson, an Australian actress and model* Peta Todd, English glamour model...
and Zoocheck against the City of Edmonton. In this lawsuit, they claimed that the City of Edmonton kept Lucy in conditions which caused her to be in distress, which would put them in violation of Alberta's Animal Protection Act. The lawsuit was dismissed by an Alberta judge on August 20, 2010.