New Calgary zoo boss promises ‘exceptional care’ for animal safety, conservation

Kyle Burks, the new CEO of the Calgary zoo, unveils the first phase of a transformed Exploration Asia exhibit at the zoo in Calgary on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

The first thing Kyle Burks does when he gets home from work is greet his cat.

“I tell her about my day and she tells me about hers,” said the new president and CEO of the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo.

“And then I kiss my wife.”

The Texas-raised zoo boss took on the role last month after previously serving as chief operating officer at the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans. He’s also held key leadership positions at the Sacramento Zoo, Denver Zoo and the Walt Disney Co. in Florida.

Burks, in an interview with The Canadian Press, said he fondly remembers the school field trips he’d take to a zoo in Houston, roughly 90 minutes away from where he grew up in Huntsville.

“Man, did I love it,” Burks said with a chuckle. “It was my favourite one every year.”

Burks takes over the Calgary job after a rough year for the zoo.

One of its mandrills died in April after undergoing emergency surgery. A polar bear drowned in July when its trachea was crushed by another bear during rough play. Just a few months ago, a young lowland gorilla was killed after a worker closed a wrong door and hit its head.

Burks said the increased attention does put more pressure on the zoo when it comes to the well-being of animals.

“Everybody should expect the highest degree of professionalism and care from us, and that’s what we should deliver on and then some,” he said.

“I’ve worked next to some of the most professional, dedicated people you’ll ever imagine that spend more time with these animals than they do with their own families.”

Burks says going forward the focus will be on animal safety, wildlife conservation and saving species for the future.

The zoo announced earlier this month it would begin an expansion of its Exploration Asia zone next month with larger and improved habitats for some of its more prominent residents like the snow leopard, red pandas and red-crowned cranes.

The project is to be completed by next summer.

Burks said with the Calgary Zoo celebrating its centennial in 2029, work is underway to repair some aging habitats to improve the well-being of the animals in care. Some were built in the 1980s for the 1988 Winter Olympics, he said.

Burks said zoos have evolved over the past 30 years.

“Our public now expects us to not only provide exceptional care for the animals that they come and enjoy ... but they expect us to do conservation work,” he said. “Our future is about saving species and creating a world where people and animals can thrive together.”

After 32 years of caring for animals, he said he understands why the public cares so much about their health.

“We have an emotional connection with animals that makes our lives better,” he said.

“I think we put more pressure on ourselves than anyone else. We can help people better lives by making those connections for them.”

-- Bill Graveland

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 8, 2025.