Wilder in the News

CTV News: An Alberta species-at-risk is being given a helping hand from a Calgary energy company. Tamarack Valley Energy has announced a partnership with the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo to help conserve the habitats of burrowing owls, which overlap in many areas where the company works in the province. The agreement will include a $150,000 investment to the Wilder Institute's programs devoted to conserving populations of the subterranean bird.

CTV News: The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo is teaming up with a pair of West African conservation organizations to help advance conservation of the Cross River gorilla. The institute announced on social media Wednesday that it's joining forces with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) and Centre for Biodiversity Conservation Research (CBCR) to help build up the Cross River gorilla population, which is currently estimated to be around 300 remaining in the wild.

Toronto Star: More than 1,900 tadpoles of the endangered northern leopard frog have been released into the wild in the last few months. The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo said it has been working with other conservation groups, governments and zoos in Western Canada to breed, translocate and release the frogs into some wetlands near Kimberley, B.C.

CBC News: Still only owlets when they were brought to the Calgary Zoo last summer, 20 burrowing owls have since been returned to the wild in southeastern Alberta. "They grew up into adults at the zoo over winter," said Graham Dixon-MacCallum, a conservation research population ecologist with the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo.

CTV News: A new festival coming to Calgary next month will celebrate the province's fish, water, wildlife and ecosystems. The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo, Bow Habitat Station and Alberta Environment and Parks announced the first-ever Alberta Biodiversity Festival on Thursday. "It’s so important for Albertans to not only learn about the rich biodiversity of our province but also to truly feel connected with the landscape and wildlife that surround us," said Laura Glick, zoo spokesperson.  

CTV News: The Calgary Zoo teamed up with The Wilder Institute and tribal administration of the Siksika First Nation to sign a memo of understanding Tuesday that they hope will help build a stronger relationship that leads to more opportunities for Siksika people.