Under grey skies and a trickle of rain, the Assiniboine Park Zoo opened its gates Wednesday morning, hoping to rebound from a delayed start to the season due to the novel coronavirus.
The zoo has been closed for eight weeks to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, and during that time made a long list of adjustments to comply with public health orders.
“It’s been tough, and we’re looking forward to the community coming back and supporting us in a big way in order to maintain that pride of Winnipeg and keep our zoo up and mobile,” says COO Bruce Keats.
Social distancing markers begin before you even enter the main South gate entrance, and continue throughout the interior exhibits. Directional floor markers ensure foot traffic moves only in one direction, and visitors will exit through a different gate than they enter.
“Any of the interior exhibits or spaces that we have will be capacity-controlled,” Keats says.
“So we’ll have someone counting folks coming in or out of those buildings, to again maintain that social distancing.”
Keats adds the zoo is taking steps to protect its residents as well, as per guidance from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
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“We’ve had to make some actual animal-to-human social distancing requirements to ensure the safety of our animals,” Keats says.
“In some of the enclosures you’ll see a yellow marking that indicates a barrier in between the human and the animal inside the exhibit. Mostly our primates and our cats are susceptible to COVID-19, so we’ve taken that extra measure to ensure that social distancing requirement is in place for them.”
Several exhibits where it may be difficult to keep people separated remain closed however, and include:
- Prairie Outpost
- Kinsmen Discovery Centre and barn
- Leatherdale International Polar Bear Conservation Centre (LIPBCC) Cub Care Centre
- McFeetors Heavy horse barn (outdoor area remains open)
- Toucan Ridge
A full list of what’s open and closed can be found on the zoo’s website.
The zoo has been connecting the public with its animals during the shutdown over Facebook Live, in what it dubbed the “Creature Feature,” a program Keats says they plan to continue.
“They’ve been absolutely, incredibly popular,” Keats says.
“We’ve had over 270,000 views of the Creature Feature while we’ve been in our closed period.”
Some of the latest online shows featured snow leopards, muskox, and camels.
Beginning Wednesday, the zoo resumes regular hours and will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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