March 20, 2025
Get ready to witness the wild side of the Edmonton Valley Zoo as the spectacular new Arctic Wolf habitat opens to the public on Friday, March 21.
The R. Mollot Arctic Wolf Habitat is the new home for the zoo’s three Arctic wolves - Tundra, Aspen and Anuri. The new 5,000 m² exhibit offers a spacious, naturalistic environment for the wolves and reflects the zoo's ongoing commitment to wildlife conservation and enhancing the visitor experience.
“We’re incredibly excited to introduce this wonderful new home for our howling residents and are confident it will be a hit with visitors, as it highlights not only the beauty of our Arctic wolves but also our commitment to educating the public about various species and the challenges they face in the wild,” said Gary Dewar, Director, Edmonton Valley Zoo. “The Arctic Wolf habitat is designed to promote natural behaviours, and we hope it will inspire future generations to take action in protecting these remarkable animals and their environment.”
The habitat is designed to provide a spacious, engaging and natural environment for the zoo’s wolf pack. It includes a main habitat that mirrors the natural Arctic tundra, a holding area, an off-exhibit yard, water features and in-Earth den and digging areas. The yard includes trees, grasses, shrubs, fallen logs, boulders and mulch, creating an engaging, wild-like environment for the pack. This encourages natural behaviours like scent-marking, climbing and foraging.
The project was made possible through the Valley Zoo Development Society's fundraising efforts, with major contributions from the Malliner Charitable Foundation, the Government of Alberta and numerous private donors. The society not only funded the exhibit but also was responsible for construction. “Our Zoo continues its impressive transformation thanks to the Society's amazing contributions,” said Dewar.
“We are thrilled to be able to provide Tundra, Aspen and Anuri with a beautiful, enriching and stimulating new environment,” said Tammy Wiebe, Executive Director, Valley Zoo Development Society. “Thanks to the Malliner Charitable Foundation and our other generous donors, we are able to provide a new habitat for the wolves that aligns with their natural instincts and encourages natural behaviours. We also aim to promote awareness about the need for conservation of Arctic habitats.”
Aspen and Anuri arrived at the zoo last year from a zoo in France to be companions for the zoo’s lone wolf, Tundra, whose partner died in 2022. Although all three reside in the new exhibit, the females remain separated from Tundra. Their introduction is happening in stages to ensure the safety and comfort of all of the animals.
The Arctic wolf, a subspecies of the grey wolf, lives in the Arctic regions of North America and Greenland. Although Arctic wolves rarely face human threat, their greatest threat to survival is climate change. The Edmonton Valley Zoo’s Arctic wolves are ambassador species to help raise awareness of the threats facing their wild populations. Having ambassador species at the zoo allows people to build a personal connection, which helps inspire work towards protecting animals and the environments they live in.
