Calgary zoo conference prioritizes pivot from entertainment to conservation [Video]

Around 2,400 professionals are in Calgary this week for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Annual Conference.

It’s the first time the conference has been held in Canada in 40 years.

The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo is a member of the AZA and is helping to host the event, considered the largest gathering of zoo and aquarium professionals in North America.

“It’s pretty amazing to see the evolution that zoos and aquariums have had, especially in the last 30 and 40 years from a place that really was just there as a great place for people to come with their family to now, really, we feel we’re helping save the world through conservation,” said Jamie Dorgan, interim president and CEO of the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo.

The event includes attendees from 23 different countries and features more than 150 educational sessions and exhibitors.

“Zoos and aquariums face many challenges today. The …