VIDEO – Bears In Black & White: 4 Panda’s Make Calgary Zoo Debut

It’s the event 30 years in the making. On May 7th, 2018 at an event that included dignitaries from China, Federal, Provincial and Municipal representatives, and VIP’s the 14-million-dollar Panda Passage exhibit officially opened at the Calgary Zoo.

The building has long been a staple of the Calgary Zoo – in 1988 when the zoo hosted pandas during the Olympics it was home to elephants, giraffes, rhinos and hippos as the large mammal building. Now completely refitted into a massive home (the building also features Komodo Dragons) the home of Er Shun, Da Mao and cubs Jia Panpan and Jia Yueyue is a sight to be seen. It’s a far different exhibit then the one that hosted pandas three decades ago.

"It is 2 completely different worlds. We went from a smaller space to ones that 6 times the size. There’s more dynamic habitats with streams and plants and topography. Zoos in general, especially world class zoos, have evolved tremendously in 30 years and will continue to evolve," zoo curator Matt Korhonen told GayCalgary at the opening. Korhonen manages the team that oversees the care of the pandas. "We make sure they get everything...