On your next visit to Assiniboine Park Zoo, look out for some new faces!

In the outdoor habitats of Toucan Ridge, we have Julia, the great horned owl! She is five years old and came to us from the Canadian Raptor Conservancy in Vittoria, Ontario. The care team is working closely with her as she transitions to her new habitat, ensuring she feels comfortable in her new space.

Native to North and South America, great horned owls are covered in highly soft feathers to help insulate them from the cold. They primarily hunt small prey like frogs, small mammals, and more. When they’ve trapped their prey, their strong talons require the force of 28 pounds to open!

Right across the way from the Toucan Ridge entrance, we have a new pair of red-crowned cranes! They arrived at the Zoo from The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, USA. Red-crowned cranes are some of the rarest cranes in the world, primarily from East Asia. Because they are from a northern climate, they can withstand the cold, up to -20 degrees Celsius! In parts of the world, they are known to be a symbol of luck and longevity.

Like Kelly, our newest red panda, the cranes were recommended to come to Assiniboine Park Zoo by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Red-Crowned Crane Species Survival Plan®. This program supports maintaining healthy populations of animals in human care, many of which are species at risk.

The Zoo worked with The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and LightHawk, a volunteer conservation aviation program, to help bring the cranes to Pembina, North Dakota. From there, our Animal Care Team drove to the border to bring them back to the Zoo. The LightHawk pilot that flew the cranes to North Dakota donated his time, plane, and resources to do so, which we greatly appreciated.

Make sure to stop by and visit them on your next visit to the Zoo!