Edmonton Valley Zoo

The Edmonton Valley Zoo (sometimes known simply as the Valley Zoo) is a zoo located in Edmonton, Alberta's river valley. The Edmonton Valley Zoo is owned and operated by the City of Edmonton and is open 364 days a year, closing only on Christmas. The zoo is currently accredited by Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums and is one of three accredited zoos in Alberta.

The Valley Zoo opened on July 1, 1959, as a replacement for a previous Edmonton Zoo (Borden Park Zoo) which was torn down to expand Northlands Park (now Northlands). The zoo is home to over 350 exotic and native animals and houses over 100 different species. In 2007, the Edmonton Valley Zoo launched the Makira Conservation Fund Initiative in honour of their newly unveiled lemur habitat, named the Makira Outpost after the Makira forest region in Madagascar. In addition to this cause, the zoo also raises funds and awareness for other endangered animals such as red pandas, through the Red Panda Network, and various other conservation efforts. This facility also promotes animal conservation through its participation in the Species Survival Plan, an international effort led by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association which aims to restore endangered animal populations to the wild, for a variety of species. They have raised six red panda cubs since 2007.

The Edmonton Valley Zoo's 2005 Master Plan was approved by Edmonton City Council, allocating $50 million in capital funding. With the first project, Arctic Shores completed, the second phase, The Wander Trail, opened in 2013.

The Inner Zoo is the area of the zoo that was originally the Storyland Valley Zoo. The vast majority of the area was constructed in 1959. Animals that live within this area of the zoo during summer include: emus, snowy owl, and burrowing owls.

The Makira Outpost, a primate exhibit, opened to the public in 2007 and is named after the Makira forest region in Madagascar. The exhibit focuses on housing lemurs and raising awareness of Malagasy wildlife conservation.

The design and construction of Makira Outpost were carried out by Group2 Architecture Engineering. The exhibit consists of three indoor enclosures, each connected to an outdoor habitat. Two enclosures lead to separate fenced outdoor yards, while the third connects to a larger island habitat. The island and moat were created from a pre-existing paved area, with mature elm trees incorporated into the design. The habitat relies on a water moat rather than solid walls, making use of lemurs' natural aversion to water to maintain a barrier-free appearance. Railings are positioned to keep visitors out of the habitat, rather than confining the animals themselves.

The architectural structure of the Makira Outpost features a tent-like floating roof supported by concrete columns wrapped in textured rope. Steel tube branches connect to laminated wood beams overhead. The building is designed to be climatically responsive, supporting naturalistic living conditions for its animal inhabitants.

As of 2025, Makira Outpost houses ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta), a mongoose lemur (Eulemur mongoz), and a black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata). Each primate group shares its enclosure with an African spurred tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata).