Toronto Zoo Toronto Zoo Future Developments 2014

Glad you had a nice trip.

Perhaps the feathertails haven't finished quaratine? Or maybe they are to rotate until nature takes its course with the sugar gliders?
 
One other thing I forgot to mention is that there was a single cape shelduck mixed with the lemurs and crowned cranes. I found this surprising because I was told by the savanna zookeepers that the shelducks are very aggressive.

I can't wait for the feathertail gliders to go on exhibit. I have always wanted to see one. It will be a little sad to see the sugar gliders go though especially after I saw them today. I spent about 15 minutes watching them climb and jump around their exhibit. If my camera wasn't so bad I could have gotten fantastic pictures of them.
 
Perhaps the duck was in with them because the lemurs are too fast and agile and the cranes are so much bigger so they arent worried about it being in with them. I don't recall is there a pool, even a shallow once for it to at least swim in?
 
TZFan said:
Perhaps the duck was in with them because the lemurs are too fast and agile and the cranes are so much bigger so they arent worried about it being in with them. I don't recall is there a pool, even a shallow once for it to at least swim in?
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There is a pool by one of the viewing windows.
 
Thanks arcticwolf. I've only been able to see the lemur exhibit 3 times since it was done and it's not photographed as often as other features, so its layout isn't firmly in my mind.
Doesn't help that two of those times I was bent on seeing the babies with zero luck.
 
arcticwolf said:
One other thing I forgot to mention is that there was a single cape shelduck mixed with the lemurs and crowned cranes. I found this surprising because I was told by the savanna zookeepers that the shelducks are very aggressive.
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Is it possible that this is the single shelduck that used to live with the Ibis and Egyptian Geese? I had heard that he didn't get along with the geese and at one point there was a small wooden fence put up to divide the bottom of the exhibit in half, with the geese living on one side and the shelduck on the other.
 
adams7 said:
Is it possible that this is the single shelduck that used to live with the Ibis and Egyptian Geese? I had heard that he didn't get along with the geese and at one point there was a small wooden fence put up to divide the bottom of the exhibit in half, with the geese living on one side and the shelduck on the other.
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That is a very likely possibility. The ibis/goose exhibit was not divided and I did not see a shelduck in there. There are also two shelducks in the rhino/hoofstock building in the African savanna, but I don't think it's one of those.
 
It has to be hard for the zoo when they get in animals who just will not get along with their intended exhibit mates. Where do you put them? Who can they get along with? I'm sure the zoo knows its options for everyone but they always hope for the best.

I never really think of ducks as aggressive. Geese sure... got bit by one as a kid. Swans have a reputation for being aggressive. But ducks are supposed to be gentle... at least in my head.
 
Da Mao is back to being cute again. It's not as great as some of the earlier videos but he certainly loves the snow. He will certainly miss his snow when it melts. Hopefully they can find him something he finds equally as fun for the summer. I bet he would be hilarious if they did a couple of snow days during the summer which might be really important when he becomes the only panda on exhibit as Er Shun will den up in anticipation of a birth or just a false pregnancy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psOyfyFL9uQ
 
Some of the material is up for the next board meeting, Mar 27. Many of the info isnt up but there are a few early highlights to mention.

Apparently the Tundra Air Zipline is expected to open in the spring or summer. I had completely forgotten about the zipline possiblity. It's interesting to hear it will become a reality. Its at the end of the document for those interested.

http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2014/zb/bgrd/backgroundfile-67671.pdf

They will also be reviewing the leadership of CEO John Tracogna but the documents arent available due to confidentiality. Sounds like a routine review of 2013 and developing goals for 2014.
 
I just got the latest newsprints in the mail. It confirms that steller's sea eagles, west Caucasian tur and chamois will all be a part of the Eurasian wilds. I was really excited about this news. In addition to the eagles, I am glad that Canada's (possibly north America's) last chamois will still be on display.

Also the new zip line will be called tundra airway.
 
arcticwolf said:
I just got the latest newsprints in the mail. It confirms that steller's sea eagles, west Caucasian tur and chamois will all be a part of the Eurasian wilds. I was really excited about this news. In addition to the eagles, I am glad that Canada's (possibly north America's) last chamois will still be on display.

Also the new zip line will be called tundra airway.
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I took a look through the online version and found 2 interesting things:
1) The baby gorilla's name will be chosen by Charles (the blurb was written the past tense, as if it has already happened)

2) It has a link to the Wild for Life campaign page on the Zoo's website. I think they are still working on the page, as you can apparently only access the page by typing the web address in directly (Toronto Zoo | WILD for Life). There is new information posted about the plans for the Wildlife Health Centre (breaking ground in the Fall and will take 3 years to rebuild) and the Orangutan indoor and outdoor exhibits (supposedly the outdoor exhibit is supposed to break ground in 2014).

I'm not sure how much we should read into the orangutan plans because the details are pretty vague and it seems hard to believe that the outdoor exhibit will start construction in 2014 with Eurasia still unfinished, the new giraffe exhibit construction starting now, and the Health Centre starting construction in the Fall.
 
adams7 said:
I'm not sure how much we should read into the orangutan plans because the details are pretty vague and it seems hard to believe that the outdoor exhibit will start construction in 2014 with Eurasia still unfinished, the new giraffe exhibit construction starting now, and the Health Centre starting construction in the Fall.
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I agree, although the website and the actual newsprint says that construction of Eurasia is complete. It's just not open to the public.
 
I wonder if we got one or two sea eagles. The blurb only uses the word eagle not eagles the way they wrote snow leopards... Welcome home Kota and maybe a first welcome for Sherry.

I kind of wish the space the reindeer have would be used for something else. We already have one reindeer exhibit. I get we are keeping males from females but its just a pity something new cant use the space.

I'm still hoping when the chamois go we get Takin. There's just something I like about them.

Has anyone seen the new zipline going in? Just wondering where it will start and finish.

Interesting to see they are thinking of an O line with possible zip line beside it for guests. Could be a cool feature if they ever do it. And just because I find this amusing, they say, " Building a larger exhibit for our group and improving physical and mental health through access to outdoor spaces should result in a higher fertility rate for our females, as mental and physical health play an important role in reproduction." I don't know but I think the real stumbling block for breeding our girls is the fact that we dont have a mature male. Get one of those and I bet we will increase their reproductive success a lot! Sorry that sentence amused me.
 
cypher said:
I agree, although the website and the actual newsprint says that construction of Eurasia is complete. It's just not open to the public.
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Newsprints does not say that Eurasia is complete, nor does it list a specific opening date, which was rumored to be the May long weekend at one point. Instead, it says that the Zoo is looking forward to re-opening it in Summer 2014. This is the first time I have seen Summer 2014 listed as the opening date for Eurasia Wilds and I'm leaning towards believing that date than what appears to be an incomplete section of the website. Construction delays?
 
The zoo mentions a possibility of having a mixed species exhibit for the orangutans. I would love to see the gibbon and orangutan exhibits combined and expanded, which could also give to gibbons outdoor access. Heck, why not take it a step further and have an Asian short-clawed otter exhibit with access to the moat?
 
I hope they are still on track for the May opening. Any later than June and I will likely miss it on my yearly trip. Considering how long I have waited to see a Sea Eagle it would suck to have to wait another whole year. Sure I could console myself with oddles of babies Im dying to see and enjoy everyone elses photos but that's not the same thing.

Yes to everything you say Gorillafan15. Love it. I am always up for more otters. And combining the gibbon and orang exhibits would give both species... particularily the gibbons, even more indoor space. However they might be hoping current gibbons, Lenny and Holly are gone by the 2018 start date on indoor renos. Why? Because the last time they tried to give them bigger exhibit mates, the babirusas, it didnt go well for the babirusa. Given their advanced ages its not unreasonable to think one or both could be gone by 2018.

I still have little faith in 2014 start date for the outdoor. It was to be all privately funded so unless someone has stepped up big time do they have the money? Plus the Gaurs are still in their exhibit so unless someone has seen crates for them recently its more doubtful. One would assume they would want as much of the spring and summer to do the demo at least. Unless they have changed their minds again where its going.
 
I was only able to quickly look at the newsprint so I missed the information that adams7 pointed out. Even though the information is vague and I don't think construction will start this year, I am so excited about the orangutans! I'm glad that the zoo has finally made an outdoor orangutan exhibit a priority. Hopefully all of the new information on the website will make more people want to donate to make it happen.
 
I wonder what the impact of the health unit and orang constructions might have on the Canadian Wilderness.

On the one hand thats already a lot of construction for the zoo. The health unit being a minimum 3 year project and probably a year to build the outdoor exhibit. But both are kind of tucked away. The health unit is off limits right now so no visitor impact. And the orangs if they are taking over the guar space plus some thats easily blocked off by locking the doors out of the pavilion. Guests wouldn't even know either project was being done. Neither project would see any animals being taken off exhibit except for the guars but my guess is many guests dont even know we have them.

Then there is their funding strategies. The Canadian Wilderness is part of the capital projects where as the health unit and outdoor orang exhibits are for the most part if not totally privately funded.

And I still believe they will really want a big new exciting exhibit to make up for the loss of the pandas in 2018. The returning Amurs wont be enough considering they will only have been gone for 5 years and the zoo still does have Sumatran tigers. The opening of the health unit in 2017ish wont be enough on its own to really drive up attendance. Plus if we believe the zoo that 2018 will see the start of the indoor orang exhibit that means they will lose a pavilion for at least a year but more likely years based on past experience. Sure the orangs will be visible in the summer but that doesnt make up for a whole pavilion being down. The only thing I can think of making up for the loss of the pandas and the Indo Malayan pavilion would be the Canadian Wilderness opening.

We probably will have to wait a couple of years to hear anything definite.
 
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