The Edmonton Valley Zoo has recently added Honey Bees to its animal ambassador team. Two hives are located between the Guanaco and Bighorn Sheep enclosures.
Urban beekeeping can help improve pollination for plants in Edmonton, which in turn helps improve the overall biodiversity and resilience of our city. Urban beekeeping can also provide valuable educational and recreational opportunities for people to connect to nature and our food system. Beekeeping is completely safe in residential areas with good management practices. Keeping bees at the zoo also helps conserve the dwindling honey bee population.
In addition to the two honey bee hives, the zoo has also welcomed a number of solitary bee hives to the facility. Solitary bees don’t have the same social behaviour that other bumblebees and honeybees have, instead they live on their own. Because honeybees aren’t native to Canada, it’s important for us to foster the natural pollinators of the Edmonton area too.
If you’re interested in keeping a beehive in Edmonton visit edmonton.ca/bees for more information.