No matter the age, a visit to the zoo is always fun and can bring refreshment in your otherwise occupied lives. Some see the soothing nature of the animals and translate that into their own life; others see the elegance or the brute power some of the animals possess and stand in awe. Some just like to go to the zoo for the fun of it. Whatever may be the reason, a visit to the zoo provides a unique experience you cannot find anywhere else.
Calgary Zoo is one of the biggest zoos in Canada, being second only to Toronto Zoo, with over 1,000 animals and over 290 species spread across over 0.12 square miles (1.3 square km). The entire collection is divided amongst several different exhibits called “Destinations”. These destinations are based on the original geographic location of the animals that reside in them. Because of this, they are appropriately named: Destination Africa, Australia, Canadian Wilds, Botanical gardens, Prehistoric Park, Eurasia and South America.
Even though the zoo is open throughout the year, with the exception of Christmas (25th December) and Zoogala, certain days are better for visits than others. With several annual events, weather discounts, group purchase bonuses and many more attractive offers, Calgary Zoo tries to remain at the top of their service.
Check to see if you qualify for a Bad Weather Coupon
If the weather isn’t sunny or is considered bad in any other way, you might want to check and see if you could get a Bad Weather Coupon. By doing this, you are giving yourself an opportunity to see the zoo from a perspective you may not have seen it before in. Animals behave differently during rain and respond to weather changes in different manners. If you are an avid animal lover, you will appreciate these little moments even more.
Calgary zoo offers a wide variety of different tickets and attraction coupons and most of them can be purchased both online and in the zoo itself.
- Early Brunch Bird Admission – visitors can get a discount and take advantage of Calgary Zoo’s Early Bird Admission Special. However, this discount only applies to those tickets purchased together with a Brunch Meal.
- Single Rides – a single ticket for Wildlife Carousel or Train. These tickets are only valid for one ride and are usable on any date. However, the operation of the rides may be restricted by weather, height and age.
- Wristband Rides – work the same way as single rides, but the wristband allows for unlimited number of rides both on the Wildlife Carousel and the Train. Wristband Ride tickets are only valid on the day of the purchase, but the ticket itself is valid on any date.
- Zoolights – one of the largest holiday light shows in the zoo and probably in the entire West Canada. Over 1.5 million lights are lit throughout the zoo and celebrate the holiday season starting from November 25 up until January 7. This excludes December 25 when the zoo is closed and New Year’s Eve which is a different event altogether.
- Zoo Year’s Eve – offers the visitors a chance to experience New Year’s Eve surrounded by millions of Zoolights and fireworks that start at around 8:30 PM. The entire event is over by 9:00 PM so those who have further plans can still continue to enjoy them.
Even though all of these events are attractive on their own, zoos are there to show off animals. Calgary Zoo has recognized the need to make them more accessible to the visitors. This is why they created specialized events called “Animal Encounters”. And while visiting the zoo and viewing the animals on your own might be exciting, approaching living animals and being able to touch them is far more fun and exhilarating.
At the moment, Calgary Zoo offers these “encounters”:
- Behind the Scenes Tigers
- Breakfast with Hippos
- Behind the Scenes Lions
- Behind the Scenes Giraffes
- Preschool Animal Adventures – Reptiles
- Preschool Animal Adventures – Birds
- Elephant Encounter
- Elephant Bathtime
- Breakfast with the Penguins
These encounters allow for visitors to see how the animals are fed, how elephants are washed, discover what the color of Giraffe’s tongue is and learn a lot in the process. These encounters give everyone a chance to see how these animals are treated and discover something they did not know previously about them.
The zoo also offers a chance to purchase any available item as a gift to someone else, ranging from gift certificates all the way to elephant painted art and animal check-ups. This way if you are only visiting the zoo once you might have something to remember it by, or even better – you can surprise someone else by bringing them a gift.
For all other information visit Calgary Zoo official website and find out more.