April Fools’ Day in Calgary: 5 pranks you might have fallen for

On April Fools’ Day, the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo posted to social media the “exciting news” that the organization had welcomed a House Hippo to the Wild Canada exhibit. (Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo)

Several Calgary organizations celebrated April Fools’ Day on Tuesday by sharing practical jokes and hilarious hoaxes on their social media accounts.

While it would be an arduous task to outline every single one, there are a number worth noting.

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Here’s a look at five funny April Fools’ Day pranks in Calgary for 2025:

Calgary Zoo debuts house hippo

Many Canadians have fond memories of an adorable PSA that ran nation-wide in the late ‘90s, introducing us to the “North American House Hippo.”

The fictional species was used to illustrate the importance of not believing everything you see on television.

On April Fools’ Day, the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo posted to social media the “exciting news” that the organization had welcomed a House Hippo to the Wild Canada exhibit.

“His name is Horton,” animal care supervisor Jax said in a video. “He is an absolutely iconic Canadian species.”

The video then shows a small plastic hippo toy cuddled up in a small open environment built with a popsicle stick fence.

“Stop by Wild Canada to find Horton in the new North American House Hippo habitat, only on April 1,” the video concludes.

SAIT offers adult summer camps

Every year, thousands of Calgary parents sign their kids up for summer camps to keep them occupied while school is out – but SAIT says this year it’s offering summer camps for adults too!

The summer camps are for those over the age of 18, and offer pizza parties and before and after care.

Camps offered include Gear Heads, which gives adults Lego to play with, Chemistry Creations, which teaches attendees to create their own skincare products, and Money Masters, which teaches about managing your mortgage.

Though the adult summer camps aren’t real, SAIT does offer summer camps for kids.

Calgary film festival moves to 9:16 ratio

The Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) says its films will now be screened in a “social media-native 9:16 aspect ratio.”

“The cinema landscape is changing, as is the audience who attend films and support the festival,” said CIFF in a social media post.

“When times change, you can either change with them or be left behind.”

CIFF said the move would allow the organization to better position its screenings for “consumption on the information superhighway.”

WestJet lets travellers post vacation photos on billboards

Calgary-based WestJet announced the introduction of Vacation Flex, which lets passengers post their travel photos on billboards across the country.

“Nothing beats going on vacation, except posting about being on vacation – especially when it’s on a big-a** billboard,” said WestJet in a YouTube video. “Now everyone will know you’re having fun.”

“It feels so good to know they know.”

Caffeinated float

Calgary’s Clear Float Spa on 18 Avenue S.W. announced it is introducing the world’s first caffeinated float.

While the spa typically offers patrons the chance to experience sensory deprivation while floating in saltwater tanks, the new caffeinated float pods are infused with coffee to help people meditate with “high-speed enlightenment.”\