Zoo de Granby: Continent Asie

Zoo de Granby's Continent Asie section is one of the most impressive themed zones in Quebec's zoo landscape. Located at the Granby zoo — about 90 minutes east of Montreal in the Eastern Townships — the Asia section takes visitors through a series of naturalistic habitats representing Asian ecosystems, featuring some of the most charismatic animals in the zoo's collection.

The big draws are the Amur tigers, one of the world's most endangered big cat species, in a spacious habitat designed to encourage active movement and natural behaviors. The Asian elephant area is another crowd favorite — zoo de Granby is one of the few places in Quebec where kids can see African and Asian elephants. The red panda exhibit consistently generates the longest stop times because the animals are accessible, active, and unambiguously cute.

Orangutans and white-handed gibbons round out the primate offerings.

The section is landscaped with dense tropical planting that makes each habitat feel immersive rather than clinical. This is a meaningful difference from older-style zoos — kids are surrounded by bamboo, rock formations, and water features that create a context for the animals they are viewing.

Because Zoo de Granby is currently open weekends only (Saturday and Sunday), planning requires more coordination than a typical day trip. That said, the full zoo — which includes Océanie (marine mammals), the African section, the aquatic zone with the waterpark, and Continent Asie — is large enough to fill a full day. Book tickets online in advance for a discount, and arrive at opening to catch the tigers and elephants at their most active.