Calgary Zoo visitors must keep masking in Rainforest enclosure to protect gorillas

Though Alberta is expected to drop its province-wide mask regulations next month, the Calgary Zoo will still be requiring visitors to wear them inside its gorilla exhibit.

Premier Jason Kenney said last week that provincial masking mandates are anticipated to be gone as of March 1, depending on hospitalization rates.

Despite this, the zoo will continue to ask those who enter its Rainforest building to wear a mask to keep the gorillas healthy, specifically pregnant Dossi.

"We think that's a really small ask for people to still come and enjoy it and help us protect our animals," said Jamie Dorgan, director of animal care, health and welfare at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo.

Dossi is expecting her first infant with the zoo’s male silverback gorilla Jasiri in early April.

It will be the first gorilla birth in about six years, and the ninth in its history.

Zoo officials said that risk of transmission and risk of illness for animals in other buildings is considered low, but they are concerned about unknown airflow patterns and the high-risk of COVID-19 to gorillas based on other zoos’ experiences.

"Disease can go both ways. From animals to people and people to animals," said Dorgan.

He later added, "we dont want to put her through any extra level of stress that we can avoid. We are going to do our best to prevent anything like that from happening if we possibly can."

Visitors in the TransAlta Rainforest building on Thursday said they support taking extra protective measures for the pregnant gorilla.

"We dont want to do anything to endanger them. They are already endangered. If there's any chance that we could pass anything onto her I think it's very good to use extra precaution," said Brenda Rousseau.

Willow Carriere, who is also pregnant and expecting her third child, said she especially understands the cautious approach amid the pandemic.

"If the zoo think thats it's the best thing for her and then that's great, and myself as well I definitely have to navigate (the pandemic) carefully."

At the start of the year, officials at the San Diego Zoo said eight western lowland gorillas had caught the West Coast variant of the virus, but made a full recovery.

Last year, nearly all of the Atlanta Zoo's gorillas contracted COVID-19. 

The Calgary Zoo says visitors not wearing masks in the Rainforest building will be asked to leave, and if they become abusive to staff or volunteers they will be escorted out of the park without a refund.