2023 was a record-breaking year at the Calgary Zoo

Polar bear exhibit opens at Calgary Zoo The Calgary Zoo held a media preview of its newest exhibit, polar bears. Alesia Fieldberg reports.

The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo hit record-breaking attendance numbers last year.

According to the zoo, 1.54 million visitors headed to the popular tourist destination in 2023, the most in its more than 90-year history.

Clément Lanthier, Calgary Zoo president & CEO, says they are "humbled" by the support.

Last year, the zoo celebrated a significant milestone with the opening of the new polar bear exhibit in the newly redesigned Wild Canada zone, formerly known as Canadian Wilds.

The redevelopment took two years and cost $41 million.

Officials also note the zoo had its busiest wedding season in 2023, with 112 couples tying the knot.

The zoo also held 642 external events, beating its previous all-time record of 540 in 2022.

In total, the zoo says it welcomed 38,000 youth through school programs and 2,250 youth for camps.

The facility also welcomed many new additions in 2023, including Humboldt penguin chicks Rafael and Antonio, king penguin chick Augustus, two Hartmann’s mountain zebra foals named Moco and Otavi, a black-and-white ruffed lemur pup named Sariaka, two red panda cubs (Anshu and Aahana) and western lowland gorilla Okabe.