Magnetic Hill Zoo’s new lemur habitat to open in 2026

Moncton's Magnetic Hill Zoo announces an expansion – dedicated to preserving lemurs.

Moncton’s Magnetic Hill Zoo is getting a major upgrade with the construction of “Discover Madagascar,” a new habitat dedicated to lemurs.

Scheduled to open in 2026, the year-round facility aims to improve the care of the zoo’s lemur population and raise awareness about the endangered species.

“Lemurs are only found on the islands of Madagascar,” explained Jill Marvin, director of the Magnetic Hill Zoo and Park.

“This is giving a better care and a better opportunity for us to manage these animals, but it’s giving them space as well. Since this is an animal that requires warmer temperatures, this new exhibit is going to give our visitors the opportunity to see the lemurs year-round.”

The new habitat is a key part of the zoo’s master plan, driven by the urgent need for lemur conservation.

Marvin says one of the animal’s roles in the ecosystem is dispersing seeds and to build the forests.

“There’s a lot of destruction of forests happening in Madagascar,” Marvin noted. “That’s why it’s so essential to protect these forests.”

This new exhibit will have an outdoor habitat, but when it’s too cold for the lemurs to be outside, visitors can still see them indoors.

“They can see how our keepers interact with them and see how these groups work and we do have a behind-the-scenes area for research and studying reproductive behavior, because this is a species survival program,” says Marvin.

Marvin emphasized the zoo’s role in broader conservation efforts.

“What we’re doing with that program is we’re preserving the genetics within accredited zoos so that if ever the habitat was able to have more species, we would be able to release animals back into the wild. Not the ambassador animals that we have here at the zoo, but it would be a specific breeding program,” says Marvin.

“The second program we have is the Turtle Survival Alliance and recently Madagascar had horrible floods, and there’s a lot of black-market trade with turtles in Madagascar. So that’s the second conservation program that we support.”

The zoo currently houses two lemur species.

“We have three black and white ruffed lemurs,” said zookeeper James Cann.

“We anticipate, with proper nutrition and care, they can make it to 20 years old.”

Cann says lemurs are active animals.

“They like to run and jump and bounce and swing, so they are more of an active animal, which makes them fun for our guests here at the zoo to experience,” he says.

The $3-million Discover Madagascar project is a significant investment, but Marvin sees it as essential for attracting visitors year-round.

“Every single day at Magnetic Hill Zoo is an adventure,” she says.

“With this new lemur habitat, they’ll be able to see the animals year-round. So, with each and every visit there’s an opportunity to see something new.”

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