Valley Zoo Development Society

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Valley Zoo Development Society

Nonprofit organization supporting the continued development of the beloved Edmonton Valley Zoo.

The Valley Zoo Development Society (VZDS) is a registered charity and not-for-profit started in 1988 to raise funds and promote awareness to ensure the continued development of the Edmonton Valley Zoo and its education and conservation programs. The VZDS acts in partnership with the City of Edmonton to ensure the continued development of the beloved Edmonton Valley Zoo. Owned and operated by the C

ity of Edmonton, the Valley Zoo is home to over 350 animals and more than 100 species. The Valley Zoo has grown significantly since it opened in 1959, as The Storyland Valley Zoo, in its current location in Laurier Park. Once a 5-acre petting zoo, the Valley Zoo is now an educational facility contributing to global biodiversity conservation.

20/11/2025

Hang in there Luna… the weekend is almost here! 🦥

11/11/2025

It’s time for yet another Trouble Tuesday, and Trouble’s soaking up the fall sunshine! 🍂🦊

This is some of the perfect weather to spot our resident red foxes, so if you’re visiting soon, make sure to swing by first thing in the morning to see if you get lucky.

Let us know: have you seen Trouble and Mischief lately? 👀

09/11/2025

The first snow of the season has arrived, and our wolves are soaking it all in ❄️🐺

08/11/2025

Cozy season has officially begun, and our meerkats are leading the way in comfy living. 💛

29/10/2025

Mmm, fruit 🍌🦇

Bat Appreciation Month has flown by and this is your friendly reminder that it’s the final week to name one of our Jamaican fruit bats through Battys for Baddies!

28/10/2025

We interrupt your doomscrolling to bring you this adorable autumn snapshot for this week’s 🍂🦊

📸: Zookeeper Karyn!

25/10/2025

Orange you glad it’s a beautiful day? Grace sure is! 🌼

📸: Zookeeper Steph!

24/10/2025

Today is International Gibbon Day! 💛 We’re proud to be home to lar gibbons, which are an endangered species known for their arboreal acrobatics and complex vocalizations.

As some of you may know, female gibbon Salju recently joined us from Winnipeg’s Assiniboine Park Zoo as a potential partner for our male gibbon, Sulawe. This pairing is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP), a program designed to maintain a genetically diverse, demographically varied, and biologically sound gibbon population in human care.

Over the past two months, Sulawe and Salju have been getting to know one another. We’re thrilled to see them actively choosing to spend time together, and we hope that eventually they will become a mated pair. In all gibbon species, males and females mate for life. 🌿

21/10/2025

Happy Reptile and Amphibian Awareness Day! Say hi to Orlie, our Florida kingsnake! 🐍

Orlie is here to remind us that snakes can be fascinating, fun, and far less scary than you think. Snakes, reptiles, and amphibians are just as important as other species, even though they are often overlooked. They play crucial roles in ecosystems, from controlling pests to supporting food webs, and help keep our planet healthy.

Ophidiophobia, or the fear of snakes, is one of the most common fears in the world. While fear is natural, it tends to not be proportional to the actual threat that they pose.

Taking the time to learn about them and safely observe them, like at the zoo, is a great way to unlearn fear and appreciate these amazing animals!

20/10/2025

Proof that good things come to those who take it slow. Happy International Sloth Day! 💚

19/10/2025

Meet Kapok, our 28-year-old mongoose lemur, dropping by to remind us that it’s World Lemur Week! 💚

Mongoose lemurs are critically endangered, and the Valley Zoo Development Society is proud to support organizations like the .conservation.fdn who are doing incredible work to protect them and their habitats.

Madagascar is one of the world’s most important biodiversity hotspots, and the only place lemurs are found naturally. Unfortunately, it also has one of the highest poverty rates in the world, with over 80% of people living on less than $2.15 per day.

This poverty drives challenges like deforestation, slash-and-burn agriculture, and bushmeat hunting, all of which threaten lemur populations.

The LCF helps protect lemurs and their habitats by working alongside local communities—supporting sustainable livelihoods, improving food security, and empowering residents through conservation work.

Their programs include forest and wildlife patrols, fish farming, and farmer-to-farmer field schools. By supporting sustainable livelihoods, improving food security, and empowering residents, their efforts create lasting change for both people and wildlife.

We’re excited to celebrate lemurs like Kapok and the incredible efforts being made to protect them and their habitats. 🌿

📸: Zookeeper Rachael

18/10/2025

Smells like you’re overdue for a visit to the zoo!

📸: Zookeeper Talia

Address

Opening Hours

Monday	10:00 - 16:00
Tuesday	10:00 - 16:00
Wednesday	10:00 - 16:00
Thursday	10:00 - 16:00
Friday	10:00 - 16:00
Saturday	09:00 - 17:00
Sunday	09:00 - 17:00

Telephone

+17804966924

Website

https://www.buildingourzoo.com/

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Our Story

As part of the Valley Zoo Revitalization Project, the current Story Land portion of the Zoo will be replaced with “Nature’s Wild Back Yard”. This new area will be a place where the zoo’s youngest guests will have the opportunity to get up close and personal to experience the delight of watching, interacting and bonding with animals. Focused on learning through play, Nature’s Wild Backyard will feature a make-believe veterinary hospital and underground tunnels that will allow guests to come face to face with Prairie dogs and Meerkats in their natural underground habitat. Along with a traditional petting zoo, Nature’s Wild Backyard will also feature other fun and fascinating animals including lemurs and red pandas. The zoo has started the revitalization project with Phase I: a new Arctic Shores Exhibit that is currently under construction and Phase II: a new Entry Way and Wander that will begin construction this year. Nature’s Wild Back Yard will be Phase III of the revitalization and the Valley Zoo Development Society has committed to raising $8 million for this Phase of construction that is likely to cost over $30 million dollars. The newly revitalized zoo will be a world-class facility and a leader in education and conservation... but we can’t get there without your help.