Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2026) - Zodiac Gold Inc. (TSXV: ZAU) (FSE: K19) ("Zodiac Gold" or the "Company"), a West African gold exploration company, is pleased to announce the commencement of diamond drilling at its highly prospective Ben Ben target, representing a major milestone in the exploration of the Company's Todi Gold Project in Liberia. The Ben Ben target lies within a coherent gold-in-soil anomaly that trends from the Arthington Discovery — where multiple high-grade intercepts have been returned — to the Youth Camp target in the southeast. The Company considers this 16 km trend to represent a highly prospective corridor with significant upside for new discoveries.

Two diamond drill rigs have been deployed to complete up to 14,000 m of drilling across the Ben Ben to Youth Camp sections of the 16km trend. Initial holes at Ben Ben will target interpreted southwest-dipping extensions of mineralized shear zones hosted in amphibolite and gneiss, beneath existing trenches and areas of artisanal mining.

Drill targets will be refined as results are received, with additional metres directed toward the most prospective zones. The program will run in parallel with approximately 3,600 m of trenching designed to test soil anomalies ranging from 50 to 4,660 ppb Au (up to 4.66 g/t Au) outside previously trenched areas, ensuring continuous refinement of targets along the corridor.

Highlights of the 2026 Drill Program

• Up to 14,000 m of diamond drilling planned, utilizing two drill rigs.

• Three priority targets to be tested: Ben Ben, Feh Feh, and Youth Camp.

• Approximately 5,000 m initially allocated to Ben Ben, with metreage to be adjusted based on incoming drilling and trenching results.

• Drilling will begin on the southern of two principal trends at Ben Ben, where extensive artisanal mining has exposed mineralization in both oxide and fresh rock. Planned drilling on the northern trend will be refined as results of trench sampling are received.

• The nearby Arthington Discovery, located 1.3 km along strike, was defined with only 6,836 m of drilling and has returned significant intercepts in 37 of 39 holes drilled to date (50-80 m spacing).

David Kol, CEO of Zodiac Gold, commented: "This program represents inaugural drill testing of the southeastern extension of the 16 km corridor that hosts the Arthington Discovery. Surface work to date has confirmed continuity of structure and host rocks along strike, and this campaign is designed to evaluate that potential at depth. With two rigs operating and targets refined in real time, we believe this program positions us to meaningfully advance the district-scale opportunity at Todi."

Map 1: Planned drilling at the Ben Ben target and drilling completed at the Arthington Discovery

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Map 2: Planned drilling at the Ben Ben target, showing gold-in-soil from 50-4660 ppb Au

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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 provided in this release.

About Zodiac Gold

Zodiac Gold Inc. (TSXV: ZAU) (FSE: K19) is a West-African gold exploration company focused on its flagship Todi Gold Project situated 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.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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