For nearly four decades, the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo has advanced conservation through science, innovation, and collaboration to conserve threatened species and restore balance between wildlife and human life. In 2024, thanks to generous supporters like you, this work spanned 15 conservation programs across six countries. From releasing head-started burrowing owls in Alberta to protecting one of the last remaining hippo populations in Ghana, these efforts reflect a shared belief that conservation works – and that together, we can create lasting change.
On July 31, 2024, critical work for conservation was happening around the world …
Date July 31
Location Across Six Countries
World Ranger Day on Mt. Kenya
World Ranger Day on Mt. Kenya
Today, July 31, is World Ranger Day – a global moment to honour the dedication and bravery of rangers who protect the planet’s most vulnerable ecosystems. In Kenya, these guardians of the wild are on the frontlines of conservation, and today, their work is especially visible in the Ragati-Chehe Forest of Mt. Kenya.
Location Ragati-Chehe Forest, Mt. Kenya and Nairobi, Kenya
Patrols set out early, boots crunching along forest trails. Camera traps are checked, tracks are noted, and signs of illegal activity are recorded. At the heart of this effort is the Mountain Bongo Security Site, officially established earlier this year.
This remote base – equipped with solar power, water storage, and accommodations – has become a vital hub for this work. It allows rangers from the Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Wildlife Service, and community scouts to stay longer in the field, covering more ground in their mission to protect the Critically Endangered mountain bongo, of which fewer than 80 remain in the wild. The site also plays a key role in preparing for the species’ future reintroduction into this historic range.
Just beyond the forest edge, students in 22 schools are part of something special. Through Wildlife Nature Conservation Clubs, they’re learning about the mountain bongo and the ecosystems they call home. These clubs, supported by the Kenya Mountain Bongo Partnership, blend science, storytelling, and hands-on conservation, nurturing the next generation of environmental stewards.
As the sun sets over Mt. Kenya, the spotlight shifts to Nairobi. At the Muthaiga Country Club, Donna Sheppard, Conservation Program Manager, takes the stage. Based in Kenya, Donna leads the Kenya Mountain Bongo Partnership’s field-based conservation efforts. Her talk, Reviving a Forest Flagship Species, shares stories from the field, insights from traditional ecological knowledge, and the power of community-driven conservation. It’s a moment to reflect, to connect, and to inspire.
Today isn’t a milestone day – but it’s a meaningful one. A day of quiet progress, shared purpose, and unwavering commitment to a wilder future.
To reintroduce the mountain bongo to their former ranges in Kenya, we will have to go very slowly. First releasing a few individuals into a likely habitat. If we’re able to all come together and have one vision for it, with an understanding of how this can happen gradually, then we can hope to be successful with a reintroduction.
Donna Sheppard, Conservation Program Manager
Marmot Meadows
Marmot Meadows
In the stillness of a high alpine meadow, the Vancouver Island marmot field team fans out across the slope, eyes scanning the terrain for signs of life. The morning begins like many others this summer – with boots on rocky trails, gear slung over shoulders, and quiet hope tucked into every step.
Today, the team is searching for evidence of natal burrows – ones that, based on past data and expert knowlede of the colony, may be used again this year for giving birth and raising pups. They look for subtle clues: fresh soil at the entrance, a cleared path, the absence of spider webs. These signs suggest something might be stirring below.
Vancouver Island marmots are Canada’s most endangered mammal. Each pup spotted is more than a data point – it’s a symbol of progress. So far this season, four litters have been confirmed across the team’s seven study sites. The pups are cautious, secretive, and quick to disappear at the first sign of movement. But that only makes each sighting more rewarding.
At one site, a pup emerges briefly from the burrow, its mother close behind. The team watches quietly, noting the behaviour, the location, the moment. It’s a small glimpse into a fragile world, and a reminder of why this work matters.
Each pup helps refine population estimates and informs recovery strategies. It’s part of a long-term effort to bring this species back from the brink: one burrow, one pup, one field day at a time.
Alongside marmot monitoring, the team also collects alpine plants for an exciting new collaboration with the Toronto Zoo. Fourteen species known to be part of the marmot’s wild diet are being analyzed for their nutritional content – insights that could help improve care for marmots living under human care.
As the sun dips behind the ridgeline, the team begins the hike out. The meadow is quiet again, but it’s not empty. Somewhere beneath the rocks and roots, the next generation of marmots is just beginning to stir.
Location Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Anyone who has slipped and slogged their way up a mountain slope to survey a marmot meadow would likely agree – the joy of seeing Vancouver Island marmots as they lounge on boulders, munch alpine flowers, or play at the entrance to their burrow is worth every step. That joy is made possible by the dedicated efforts of so many who came together to prevent this species from disappearing. I’m proud to play a part in ensuring their future.
Kelly Swan, Conservation Research Associate
A Night on the Prairie
A Night on the Prairie
As daylight fades, the prairie begins to stir. While most of the world winds down, the burrowing owl field team is just getting started.
Tonight’s mission is delicate and deliberate: locate fledgling owlets – both from wild nests and from head-started parents released earlier this spring – and collect the data that will help guide the future of this endangered species. With flashlights in hand and headlamps aglow, the team moves quietly across the grasslands, returning to known burrow sites mapped earlier in the season.
Burrowing owls are small, long-legged grassland birds that nest underground in abandoned burrows. They’ve been part of Canada’s prairie ecosystem for thousands of years, but today, they occupy less than a third of their historical range. In the last four decades, their population in Canada has declined by more than 90%, due to habitat loss, low prey availability, and other pressures.
Location Near Medicine Hat, Alberta
Through the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo’s head-starting program, the youngest owlets – those least likely to survive – are brought into human care for the winter, then released the following spring.
This year’s head-starting cohort has already been taken into human care. Tonight, the team is focused on monitoring the remaining fledglings from both wild nests and those raised by head-started parents – tracking their development and collecting data that will inform future conservation strategies. When a fledgling is located, it’s gently collected and processed. Under the soft glow of lights, the team records weight, feather length, and body condition. Each owl is fitted with a leg band for future identification.
It’s quiet work, done under stars and moonlight. But it’s essential. Each measurement contributes to a clearer picture of how burrowing owls are doing in the wild. Each banded fledgling becomes part of a long-term effort to track survival, movement, and success.
As the night wraps up, the team gathers their equipment and begins the walk back across the prairie. The data collected tonight will help shape decisions in the months ahead – about habitat, head-starting, and how best to support this species on the brink.
Every year I look forward to heading out onto the prairie with the field team to start our surveys for wild owls. It’s always exciting to see how many nests we find, and to see how many offspring from the previous year’s head-started owls have returned.
Graham Dixon-MacCallum, Conservation Research Population Ecologist
Laying Groundwork in Sandy Cove
Laying Groundwork in Sandy Cove
The wind is steady off the Strait of Belle Isle as Donnell Gasbarrini, Conservation Program Manager (Eastern Canada), steps onto the rocky terrain near Sandy Cove, Newfoundland. She’s here with partners from Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Limestone Barrens Species at Risk Recovery Team, on which she serves, to assess a former quarry site – one that will soon become the focus of a major restoration effort.
The limestone barrens are unlike any other ecosystem in Canada. Harsh, exposed, and nutrient-poor, they support a surprising diversity of life, including three endangered plants found nowhere else on Earth: Long’s Braya, Fernald’s Braya, and the Barrens Willow.
Along with these three species, there are seven other plant species-at-risk that have specialized adaptations for life on the limestone barrens.
In addition to being globally rare, this ecosystem faces significant threats – from construction, quarrying, and oil exploration to biological challenges like invasive species and climate change. Decades of disturbance have left parts of the landscape damaged and overgrown with species that don’t belong.
Today’s visit is about building partnerships and planning. Donnell and the team walk the site, take notes, and discuss how to re-establish the barren conditions these rare plants need to survive. They talk through logistics: how to remove debris and unusable soil, plans on collecting seeds and clippings to test propagation techniques, and how to prepare the site for future planting.
This is the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo’s first dedicated priority conservation program for plants – and the first step in a long-term effort to restore one of Canada’s most fragile ecosystems. This project is not just about restoring the land but also about reconnecting communities with cultural practices tied to the landscape and building relationships with our new partners who have been working to preserve this incredible ecosystem for more than 20 years. The project hasn’t been publicly announced yet, but the groundwork is underway.
Back at the trailhead, Donnell pauses to look out over the limestone flats. The site is quiet now, but the potential is clear. With the right conditions – and the right care – this landscape can support life that exists nowhere else. And that work starts here.
Location Sandy Cove, Newfoundland
I’ve always been interested in the ability of life to exist under extreme conditions. These plant species are fascinating because of their unique ability to survive in a, by definition, “barren” landscape, where their adaptations enable them to thrive where most species could not even survive. As climate change continues to alter the world, there will be a lot to learn from these species, but first we must ensure that they do not disappear in the meantime.
Donnell Gasbarrini, Conservation Program Manager (Eastern Canada)
Together for Wildlife
Together for Wildlife
In this year’s report, we set out to tell the story of one day at your Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo. Nothing was unusual or different about July 31. There were the same animals to care for and details to manage to help thousands of visitors create lifelong memories and experience the wonder of our natural world.
On any given day, work crews are enhancing habitats to support animal welfare and enrich visitor experiences. This year alone, Penguin Plunge received upgrades including new flooring, lighting, and a filtration system. Water filtration was improved in the Malayan tapir habitat, viewing windows were replaced and repaired in the indoor western lowland gorilla space, and a major revitalization of the African Savannah Yard was launched to create new facilities for Hartmann’s mountain zebras, ostriches, and more.
On any given day, volunteers create memorable moments and exceptional visitor experiences. They offer directions, share biofacts, support school programs, and even take ‘Sheldon’ the leopard tortoise out for a stroll. Whether helping with special events or habitat care, their passion is felt in every corner of the zoo.
And on any given day, people are coming together to advocate for wildlife – meeting with elected officials to encourage support for important legislation, collaborating with Indigenous knowledge holders and local landowners, and helping to ferry tiny tadpoles back out into the wild.
From right here in your backyard to Kenya and beyond, we are working to create a better future for wildlife. While this report focuses on a single day at your zoo, know that we do this work 365 days a year and YOU make it all happen. None of this would be possible without your generous support. Thank you for supporting wildlife conservation!
A year of milestones and memories
This report captures just a glimpse of all that unfolded in 2024. It was a year marked by new beginnings, heartfelt farewells, and enduring legacies. Joy and hope arrived in the form of remarkable births and hatches, while new arrivals from accredited zoos across North America enriched the diversity of our zoo family. We also bid fond farewells to animals embarking on new adventures, and shared heartfelt goodbyes with cherished individuals, young and old, who touched countless lives and inspired action for their species. Their legacies live on through our unwavering commitment to learn, improve, and pursue excellence in animal welfare and conservation.
