The Calgary Zoo welcomes the long-awaited Asian Highlands habitat
By Acacia Carol, Layout Editor
While it’s not the first time the Wilder Institute’s Calgary Zoo has welcomed red pandas and snow leopards, the opening of the Asian Highlands habitat means that a new species can now call ‘Cow Town’ home. The Sichuan takin, a shaggy mountain ungulate that shares characteristics with goats, antelope, and muskox, has never been a part of the Calgary Zoo before.
As part of the new Asian Highlands area, the animals are being welcomed into their newly redesigned habitats. The area includes three new habitats that emulate the environment of the Eastern Himalayas.
Kim Walker, the senior manager for animal care and welfare at the Calgary Zoo, said in a press release that the “extraordinary” addition of the new species provides an opportunity for guests to see a species they might not have seen up close before.
The red panda and snow leopard might not be new additions to the zoo, but their enclosures were updated. Currently, the Calgary Zoo’s red panda pair, Udaya and Linus, gave birth to three cubs this past June.
Conservation and species preservation are a large part of the push for the habitat updates and additions, the Wilder Institute wrote in a press release. Currently, Sichuan takin and snow leopards are listed as ‘vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List. Red pandas are endangered.
In their homeland of China, Sichuan takin have the highest level of national wildlife protection, but still struggle with habitat loss and an illegal wildlife trade. Walker writes that providing education and thoughtfully designed habitats while focusing on conservation efforts is an essential opportunity.
“By sharing the story of the Sichuan takin,” she wrote in a press release. “We hope to deepen understanding of the challenges they face in the wild, while also shining a light on efforts to protect them.”
The new enclosure opened to the public on July 15, 2026.
