‘The Last Of Us’ finale included a ton of Alberta filming locations & a beloved zoo animal

Season 1 of HBOs Alberta-shot ‘The Last of Us’ came to a heartbreaking conclusion this weekend and while the show has made us feel far more than we’d like to admit we’ve loved every minute of it. Episode 9, of course, was no exception and much of that was due to the fact that we got to see even more of the province in all its glory.

From the town of Okotoks to the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, the network has really taken us along on a post-apocalyptic tour of Wild Rose Country and the finale really took it home.

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According to Travel Alberta, this past episode features a ton of recognizable spots and even a beloved Zoo animal with a coat of ’em!

These buildings include the Chinook Centre parkade and Barron building in downtown Calgary, Queen Elizabeth II Ambulatory Care Centre in Grande Prairie and Barrier Lake in Kananaskis.

The highlight though? Seeing Nabo the giraffe, who calls Calgary their home.

As revealed in the featurette The Making of The Last Of Us the hungry giraffe Ellie and Joel feed on their cross-America journey, was real and was actually filmed in front of a blue screen at the Calgary Zoo.

“Yes, you can create a giraffe in visual effects, but it’s just not the same,” said Matt Palmer, a location manager for the show.

“[They’re] pretty massive,” added Bella Ramsey, in the short documentary. “It’s like a spiritual experience almost being so close to such a magnificent animal.”

So there you have it, Alberta. Season 1 is behind us, but it won’t be long until they start filming season 2 – maybe in Alberta once again?

Here’s to hoping they’ll be back in the near future, until then – watch and rewatch all the action (and the “Making Of” short) on Crave TV now.

It’s been a wild ride, but we’d do it all over again!