Zodiac Gold Intersects Near-Surface High-Grade Gold in First-Ever Drilling at Ben Ben, Confirming 1km Mineralized Trend Within a 16km District-Scale Trend

Vancouver, May 13, 2026 - Zodiac Gold Inc. (TSXV: ZAU) (OTCQB: ZAUIF) (FSE: K19) ("Zodiac Gold" or the "Company"), a West African gold exploration company, is pleased to report initial assay results from the first-ever diamond drilling program at its Ben Ben target, part of the Company's flagship Todi Gold Project in Liberia.

Key Highlights:

• Early results at Ben Ben continue to illustrate the strong potential of the 16km corridor from the Arthington discovery, through Ben Ben, to Youth Camp (Map 1).
• Key drilling intercepts of:
  • BDD005: 14.85m at 1.55 g/t Au from 51.4m, including 0.8m at 13.15 g/t Au, 0.93m at 5.82 g/t Au and 1.05m at 2.22 g/t Au
  • BDD009: 17.65m at 0.81 g/t Au from 33m, including 1m at 5.67 g/t Au, 0.65m at 2.74 g/t Au, 1m at 1.33 g/t Au and 1m at 1.15 g/t Au
  • BDD004: 11.45m at 0.96 g/t Au from 10m, including 0.55m at 3.2 g/t Au
  • BDD006: 7.37m at 1.95 g/t Au from 23.4m, including 2.37m at 3.24 g/t Au and 2m at 2.81 g/t Au
  • BDD002: 2.04m at 5.69 g/t Au from 43.96m, including 0.79m at 13.95 g/t Au
• Targeting zones through the amalgamation of trenching and surface geochemical sample results has delivered strong drilling hits (Map 2), and when combined with the on-going geophysical work, will provide key drill targets for the remainder of the 2026 program.
• The Company is planning to scale up to a third drill rig for Phase 2 of the 2026 program.

"This is exactly the outcome we were looking for from the first-ever drill program at Ben Ben," stated David Kol, President and CEO of Zodiac Gold. "To step into a completely untested target and immediately intersect consistent gold mineralization across an entire kilometre of strike, including near-surface mineralization with high-grade zones, is a powerful validation of our geological model. What is even more important is that we are seeing the same host rocks, structural controls and style of mineralization as at Arthington, now confirmed 1.3 kilometres along strike in a greenfield setting. This strongly supports our view that we are uncovering a much larger, connected gold system within the 16km gold-in-soil anomaly. Ben Ben is no longer just a priority target - it is now a potential discovery, and we believe we are only at the beginning of defining its true scale."

Map 1: 16km Arthington to Youth Camp Trend

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Map 2: Drill hole and trench results at the Ben Ben target

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These results mark a major milestone for the Company, confirming the presence of near-surface, shallow-dipping gold mineralization with high-grade intervals in northwest trending zones possibly offset by folding or faulting, across a 1km strike length in an area that had never previously been drill tested. The successful start to this inaugural program validates Ben Ben as a target with significant potential to become Zodiac Gold's next discovery within the 16km Arthington to Youth Camp trend, which also hosts the Company's Arthington discovery (Map 1). The Arthington discovery has already demonstrated strong continuity, with gold intersected in 37 of 39 drill holes. The drilling completed to date further strengthens the Company's belief that the Todi Shear Zone has the characteristics to host a large, district-scale gold system.

Zodiac Gold has drilled 2,551m in the first fourteen holes of its maiden drilling program at Ben Ben and has intersected gold mineralization in all nine holes for which assays have been received along the southern Ben Ben trend. Importantly, mineralization is encountered from as shallow as 10 metres downhole, highlighting compelling open-pit potential and reinforcing the economic significance of the system at an early stage of exploration.

Assays for the remaining five holes completed are expected to be received over the next three weeks, including holes BDD010 through BDD014, with BDD015 and BDD016 currently being drilled. Once approximately 3,000-3,500m are completed, the Company will assess the results and locate the next key drill targets of the overall 14,000m program to be drilled in 2026.

Ben Ben is located just 1.3 kilometres along strike to the southwest, from the Company's Arthington discovery and lies within a 16-kilometre gold-in-soil anomaly extending to the Youth Camp target. Prior to drilling, the target was defined by strong surface geochemistry, trenching results, and exceptionally high-grade channel samples in artisanal workings, yet had never been tested at depth. The successful confirmation of mineralization beneath these surface expressions is a critical de-risking milestone and demonstrates that the system is not only laterally extensive but also continues at depth.

Geologically, the results are highly significant as they confirm that gold mineralization at Ben Ben is hosted within sheared amphibolite; a key host lithology at the Arthington discovery. Mineralization is associated with a sulphide assemblage of pyrite, arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite, and the northwest-trending Todi Shear Zone is interpreted to have a strong structural control on mineralization, along with folding and structural intersections that may localize higher-grade zones. The mineralized zones intersected to date are interpreted to dip at a shallow angle of approximately 30 degrees to the southwest (Map 3), a geometry that is favorable for an open pit development scenario. The replication of this geological setting and mineralization style at Ben Ben, in a previously untested greenfield location, provides strong evidence of continuity along the shear zone and significantly enhances the scale potential of the project. It is anticipated that the on-going drone-based magnetic and LiDAR survey, as well as further drilling, will assist in determining whether the trend of the interpreted mineralized zones is affected by folding or fault offsets (Map 2).

Map 3: Cross section looking southeast, showing drill holes BDD004, BDD009 and BDD015

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The confirmation of multiple mineralized trends, possibly interconnected by folding or fault offsets, over a 1-kilometre strike length at Ben Ben, combined with its direct geological linkage to the Arthington discovery and its position within a broader 16-kilometre anomalous corridor, supports the Company's interpretation that the Todi Gold Project includes a district-scale gold system with the potential to host multiple deposits. This emerging scale is further underscored by the fact that large portions of the corridor remain untested by drilling, particularly along the northern trend extending toward Youth Camp, where trenching has already returned encouraging results.

The Company is continuing to advance an aggressive exploration program across the Ben Ben to Youth Camp trend, with two diamond drill rigs currently active in the drilling of a planned 14,000-metre drilling campaign designed to systematically expand the mineralized footprint. In parallel, a 3,600-metre trenching program is underway to refine drill targeting, and a drone-based magnetic and LiDAR survey covering the entire 16-kilometre corridor is expected to significantly enhance the understanding of structural and lithological controls on mineralization. Drilling and trenching results will be released at regular intervals during the program, along with updates from the Company's on-going 10,500 sample soil geochemistry program in the Bomi South and Bong West licenses. The Company is targeting a Mineral Resource Estimate in the fourth quarter of 2026, which will incorporate both the Arthington discovery and results of the current drilling on the Ben Ben to Youth Camp trend, and represents a key step in demonstrating the economic potential of the broader Todi Gold Project.

Drill hole collar data is shown in Table 1 and significant intersections are shown in Table 2.

Table 1: Ben Ben Target Drill Collar Data

Table 2: Ben Ben Target Drilling - Significant Intersections

Note that significant intersections have been determined as intervals above 0.2 g/t Au with a minimum length of 1m and a maximum of 2m of consecutive samples below 0.2 g/t Au. Intervals are drilled rather than true thicknesses. True thicknesses cannot be accurately estimated given the early stage of drilling. No top cut was applied to the assays.

Drilling, Sampling and QA/QC Procedures

The drilling program at Ben Ben is being completed by two JCD 600 diamond drill rigs with NTW core diameter. Core recoveries for holes logged to date are approaching 100% in fresh rock. Note that mineralization in BDD004 was intersected only 10m below surface, in the oxide zone. Core loss of 0.90m was recorded between 15.90 and 18.50m downhole, and it is not known whether this material was mineralized or unmineralized. The easting, northing and elevation data shown in Table 1 has been recorded using handheld GPS only and will be surveyed by differential GPS.

Drill core was transported a short distance from the drill site to the Company's exploration camp at Ben Ben. After geological logging, the core was cut along the long axis using a diamond core saw, with half being sampled and half retained. Where the core was too soft for cutting (in the oxide zone), the core was split using a spatula. Core sampling was completed by Zodiac Gold's geological team, supervised by senior company personnel.

All samples met the standards for chain of custody without the opportunity for third party access from Zodiac Gold's exploration camp to the Liberia Geochemical Services Inc. sample preparation laboratory in Monrovia, Liberia. Each sample was dried and then crushed to 70% passing -2mm and a representative 1kg split was taken by riffle splitting. The split was then pulverized to 85% passing -75 micron and approximately 200g was bagged and labelled, with the remainder being returned to Zodiac Gold. Analysis was performed by 50g fire assay with an atomic absorption finish (method Au-AA26) at the ALS Geochemistry laboratory in Kumasi, Ghana. ALS Geochemistry is independent of Zodiac Gold and is accredited for method Au-AA26. Samples that returned a grade greater than 10 g/t Au were reassayed by method Au-GRA22 with the results being given preference over the original Au-AA26 assays in the database.

QA/QC procedures included the addition of CRM, blank and duplicate samples to the sample sequence. The assays of these samples are checked regularly to ensure that results meet acceptable standards.

Qualified Person

Tom Dowrick, Director of Exploration at Zodiac Gold, is a Chartered Geologist of the Geological Society of London and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. He has reviewed and approved the technical and scientific information contained in this release.

About Zodiac Gold

Zodiac Gold Inc. (TSXV: ZAU) (OTCQB: ZAUIF) (FSE: K19) is a West-African gold exploration company focused on its flagship Todi Gold Project in Liberia-an underexplored, politically stable, mining friendly jurisdiction hosting several large-scale gold and iron ore deposits. Strategically positioned along the fertile Todi Shear Zone, Zodiac Gold is developing a district-scale gold opportunity with additional iron ore potential, covering a vast 2,316 km2 land package. The Todi Gold Project has undergone de-risking, showcasing proven gold occurrences at both surface and depth, with five drill-ready targets, of which two have been drilled and high-grade gold intercepts.

Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation.

Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections, and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "forecast", "expect", "potential", "project", "target", "schedule", "budget" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's planned exploration programs and drill programs and potential significance of results are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Company's expectations include actual exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital, and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials, and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events, or results to differ from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause such actions, events, or results to differ materially from those anticipated. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

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