The Zoo Island is split up into roughly 3 areas: Destination Africa, Eurasia and the Conservatory. If you are planning on seeing the tigers which is at the furthest point from the bridge, it can be a good strategy to start there and then work your way backwards.
Destination Africa
In the African Savannah building you can see animals including giraffes and hippos.
Most of the times we’ve seen the hippos, they have been doing their best to impersonate a large rock. This time, they were swimming around and doing back flips in the water.
Take a walk behind the building and you will also find lions and zebras.
Sometimes if it’s cold out the lions are hidden away indoors but sometimes you’ll see them walking around or enjoying their heat rock. This area has been recently improved (2017) with better viewing of the lions and a small play area.
TransAlta Rainforest
To the West you’ll find the TransAlta Rainforest building which is always steamy and warm. The highlight of this area are the gorillas but there are also many other animals to see too.
There are some small aquariums when you first enter which is always a hit with babies. They also have a tortoise that you can sometimes see going for a walk, bats and alligators.
Depending on the weather the gorillas may be inside or outside. There is a spot where you can view them from above from inside the building as well as a lower viewing area.
Flamingos
The Conservatory and Gardens
Stop inside the conservatory and you’ll not only get to see beautiful flowers and vegetation, from Spring to Fall you can also see butterflies fly all around you.
Eurasia
In the former Elephant building you can now find the rhino and komodo dragons. Further to the west you can find animals like Snow Leopards and Tigers.
Playgrounds and Rides
The Zoo has a Zoo themed carousel with a nearby toddler playground. You can buy individual tickets or an unlimited day pass.
There is also a large playground with sections for kids of different ages.
Read more about the Zoo’s Playgrounds and Rides here.