Lemurs, meerkats and endangered red pandas are coming to the Edmonton Valley Zoo, which officially revealed its newest addition Friday.
Nature’s Wild Backyard Phase 1 includes the Urban Farm, a new restaurant and the red panda habitat.
“This new phase is all about getting up close,” said Lindsey Galloway, director of the Edmonton Valley Zoo. “I mean it doesn’t get any closer than being able to go in and touch the animals here in the Urban Farm. And then with the red pandas you’re able to get literally underneath them or they walk around you, so it’s a very immersive experience.”
Construction of the newest phase started in 2017 with a final cost of $25.3 million, which was mostly funded by the City of Edmonton.
“If you listen to the rustling of the leaves and the wind and feel the clean air on your face here, you can imagine at this point in the River Valley how connected we all are to life, together in this space and the zoo really helps reinforce that,” said Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson.
The Urban Farm, which opened to the public in March, features a large barn, interactive farmyard, and a green roof – a building covered with vegetation for the local goats.
Plans for a second phase are currently in the works.
