Assiniboine Park Zoo is a Canadian zoo facility in the west end of Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Established in 1904, Assiniboine Park Zoo is managed by the Assiniboine Park Conservancy and holds accreditation from both the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA) and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). With a land area of 80 acres (32,3749 m2), the zoo was known for its polar bear exhibit, which was replaced by the Journey to Churchill in 2013.

History

Early years

In 1904, the City of Winnipeg Parks Board purchased native animals, including deer, bison, and elk, to establish the zoo. By 1908, the bear enclosure was built. In 1909, the zoo housed 116 animals representing 19 different species. In 1916, the zoo's budget was $8,000, which included $1,800 for food, $4,200 for labor, and $1,158 for new construction. In 1935, it acquired its first lion, a female. Four years later, a wild orphaned polar bear cub named Carmichael, and in February 1940, Carmichael was joined by a female named Clementine. The Zoological Society of Manitoba was formed in 1956 to provide vision and funding for the zoo. In 1957, the zoo helped develop "Aunt Sally's Farm", a children's petting zoo named after Sally Warnock, a community activist. A scale model was presented in February 1958, and the petting zoo officially opened on August 7, 1959. Initially, admission fees were 10 cents for children over five years and 25 cents for adults, but these fees were dropped in later years.

1960s–1990s

In 1959, the zoo was officially named Assiniboine Park Zoo. The 1960s saw significant additions, including a gibbon and monkey house, a snow leopard, and another orphan polar bear cub. The polar bear enclosure was renovated in 1967, adding an upper story and two more orphaned cubs. By the end of the decade, in 1968 and 1969, the Tropical House, Native Animal Exhibit, and a new south gate were added. In the 1980s, the Zoological Society of Manitoba began to provide money for new signage, exhibits, and infrastructure. The main entrance was reconstructed to include a new gift store operated by the Zoological Society, and the Carousel Restaurant also underwent renovations. In 1995, new enclosures for the camels, yaks, and zebras were built, and the "Camel Oasis" Interpretive Playground opened at the northwest end of the zoo. This was also the first year of "Lights of the Wild," featuring animal light sculptures presented by the zoo and the Society for 3 weeks in the winter. The "Saturn Playground" was constructed in 1997, and the main restaurant facilities were renovated. In 1998, the Saturn Shuttle and kiosk information booth projects were established, and the zoo's electrical infrastructure was upgraded. By 1998, the Zoo's animal collection had increased to include 77 different mammal species (390 specimens), 151 different birds (700 specimens), and 14 reptiles (34 specimens). In total, the zoo housed 1,193 animals representing 271 species. The zoo budget for that year was $2,497,173 ($161,800 for food and supplies and $1,952,707 for labor).

2000s

As late as the 2000s, the zoo was open from 9 AM until sunset at 9PM. However, its hours have since been significantly reduced. In July 2015, the zoo extended visiting hours every Wednesday until 8PM due to visitor requests for later closing times to accommodate working schedules. In 2000, the Zoological Society of Manitoba and the zoo started work on a new Master Plan Development Proposal for the zoo—the first since 1960. Initial proposals were for the redesign of the existing polar bear enclosure, but this eventually grew into a much larger Master Plan Development project. In 2008, the Assiniboine Park Conservancy was created to develop, govern, and manage Assiniboine Park, including the zoo. In June 2009, the Conservancy unveiled a comprehensive $200 million, 10-year redevelopment plan. In 2001, a grant from the DeFehr Foundation funded the renovation of the unused Bison Restaurant Kiosk into the Palliser Interpretive Centre, the headquarters for ICE Camp. An alliance with the University of Manitoba Summer Camps initiated "Mini U Zoo," where campers spend one week at the university and one week at the zoo. In 2004, in part with the University of Manitoba Architecture Department, substantial improvements were made to the Education Centre. In 2009, the Assiniboine Park Conservancy announced a redevelopment plan for both the Assiniboine Park and Zoo, to be completed in several phases. The revitalization of the Zoo was involved in the plan's second phase, with its main attraction being the opening of the "Journey to Churchill" exhibit. In September 2014, the Assiniboine Park Zoo became one of only five Canadian zoos to be accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.

Incidents

Exhibits and facilities

Animals of Asia

The Animals of Asia section of the Zoo contains various rare and exotic animal species, including : An exhibit was opened in June 2010, the Pavilion of Lions, with a pair of African lions becoming the exhibit's first residents. In April 2012, the African lions were replaced with Asian lions in the Pavilion of Lions exhibit, making Assiniboine Park Zoo the very first facility in North America to house a pair of Asian lions. In 2013, a new 26,000 ft2 expansion of the enclosure for the Siberian tigers was constructed and opened. The new enclosure would assist the breeding program.

Aunt Sally's Farm

Aunt Sally's Farm is a child-friendly learn-and-play area of the zoo, which includes a wishing well and sits parallel to a playground. Unlike the current exhibit, the old Aunt Sally's Farm was a petting zoo that operated between 1959 and 1989. It was replaced by the Kinsman Discovery Centre, which opened on March 23, 1990. The current farm includes the following mammals:

Grasslands and Boreal Forests

The Grasslands & Boreal Forest section features animal species that are native to North America. After Journey to Churchill opened in 2014, an enclosure for an additional species of wolves was added. Later, a permanent enclosure was built for them, though originally a wolf exhibit was not planned for. The Grasslands & Boreal Forest exhibit opened in June 2018, and features four male grey wolves and one female grey wolf. As of 2021, species contained in the grasslands and boreal forest include: Mammals Birds

Journey to Churchill

Journey to Churchill is an exhibit representing various habitats of northern Manitoba and is the most comprehensive northern species exhibit of its kind in the world. The exhibit is named for the town of Churchill, on Hudson Bay in Northern Manitoba, which is home to the largest polar bear denning area in the world. The exhibit features expansive habitats for: The exhibit also features the Gateway to the Arctic, which includes: an underwater viewing tunnel called the Sea Ice Passage that houses polar bears and seals, who are separated by a clear wall; a short-film experience inside the 360-degree Aurora Borealis Theatre; and other interactive and interpretive components. Inside the Journey to Churchill exhibit is also the Leatherdale International Polar Bear Conservation Centre (IPBCC), an interpretive centre sponsored by Calm Air that offers information regarding polar bears, the Arctic ecosystem, research in action, climate change, etc. Also located inside the Journey to Churchill exhibit is the Tundra Grill is a 150-seat restaurant, with views of the largest of three polar bear habitats in the exhibit. The International Polar Bear Conservation Centre was opened in January 2012, followed by the Journey to Churchill Northern Species exhibit in July 2014 as a permanent area.

Kinsmen Discovery Centre

The Kinsmen Discovery Centre contains six galleries about different life forms—water, grasslands, air, underground, and two forest galleries—and is the Zoo's 2nd-biggest indoor exhibit with fish, snakes, reptiles, etc. Announced in November 1986 and originally planned to open in the fall of 1987, the center broke ground in June 1988. Costing $1.75 million, the 743 m2 Kinsman Discovery Centre opened on March 23, 1990, two and a half years late and $550,000 over budget. It replaced the old Aunt Sally's Farm, which operated between 1959 and 1989. A statue honoring Winnipeg the Bear—the bear that was made famous as Winnie-the-Pooh—was unveiled in 1992 and has since been relocated to the Nature Playground in the general Park area. , species contained at the Kinsmen Discovery Centre include: Crustaceans and Insects Fish Reptiles and Amphibians Birds Mammals

Open Range

The Open Range section is located at the center of the Zoo and features various animals from around the world, including: Mammals Birds

Toucan Ridge

Toucan Ridge, originally known as the Tropical House, is an exhibit featuring animal, bird, and plant life of the new-world tropics of Central and South America. Constructed in 1971 for $500,000, the original 1230 m2 Tropical House building first opened to the public in November 1972 and almost doubled the Zoo's total species. Temperatures inside the Tropical House would be maintained at a constant 80 F. In 2009, the Zoo contracted with demolition company Klassen Concrete to demolish the early 1970s Tropical House. Instead of demolishing the structure, plans were implemented to repurpose the existing building while reconfiguring its displays. The project took five months to complete, with infrastructure renewal costing $900,000 and exhibit renewal costing $2.1 million. On 20, 2011, the first new exhibit as part of the Assiniboine Park Zoo's redevelopment plans, Toucan Ridge, was opened. As of 2021, species contained at the Toucan Ridge include: Mammals Birds Reptiles and Amphibians Fish

Others

Dinosaurs Uncovered is an interactive dinosaur exhibit that opens during the summer. Outdoors, it features 17 life-size, animatronic dinosaurs along a forested trail; indoors, it features dinosaur skeletons, fossils, and artifacts. It consists of species from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods, including the Tyrannosaurus Rex and the feathered Dakotaraptor. The McFeetors Heavy Horse Centre is a year-round exhibit that is currently home to two breeds of horses (Equus caballus)—Percheron draft horse and Clydesdale draft horse—and includes a barn, pastures, paddocks, and a carriage shed. The 4.7 acre center was announced in September 2014 and officially opened on August 28, 2015. The Shirley Richardson Butterfly Garden, located next to the Toucan Ridge exhibit, is a permanent seasonal exhibit of various butterfly species and is open from late spring to early fall. It was opened in June 2009 and covers 2200 ft2.

Events

Major community events take place annually in both the Zoo and Park. , events held at the Zoo include the following:

Former exhibits and events

Operations

The Zoo hosts summertime day camps for children of all ages, as well as guided school and group tours.

Conservation and research

Located inside the Journey to Churchill exhibit, the Leatherdale International Polar Bear Conservation Centre (IPBCC), named after Doug and Louise Leatherdale and sponsored by Calm Air, is the Zoo's central hub for research projects and conservation, as well as an interpretive center providing wildlife education. Opened in 2012, it was established with funding from the Government of Manitoba as part of the provincial Polar Bear Protection Amendment Act and houses the Conservation and Research Department of Assiniboine Park Conservancy. IPBCC is overseen by an advisory board, currently chaired by Dr. Stephen Petersen, who is also the Zoo's Director of Conservation and Research. The Zoo's conservation efforts are focused on three areas: arctic and subarctic species conservation; Manitoba species conservation; and conservation of international species that are at risk. Current projects (as of 2021) relating to arctic and subarctic species conservation include a study mapping out denning areas of polar bears; the study of polar-bear biology through non-invasive techniques; a collaborative project with researchers at the University of Manitoba into the technologies that enable the identification of individual polar bears; a project collecting and classifying underwater images of beluga whales in the Churchill River, in partnership with Polar Bears International, Zooniverse, and Explore.org, and support by the RBC Foundation; and a project (sponsored by Calm Air) monitoring the response of ringed and harbor seal in the Hudson Bay to changes in sea ice. Current projects (as of 2021) relating to Manitoba species conservation include:

Admission fees

At its inception, the Zoo was made free to the public. Various attempts at raising funds (beyond taxpayer funds) had been made, including coin boxes inside the Zoo and a gift shop. By 1993, it was decided to start charging an admission fee for zoo maintenance upgrading and expansion of exhibit spaces. In 2015, the Zoo had offered discounts on Tuesdays at the cost of $10 for adults. However, in that year, the admission fee was raised to $12 per adult. The Zoo has offered free children's admission during the days of the Christmas break in years 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018.