Toronto Zoo Toronto Zoo - Developments 2016

We all met at the admin building. Go Tours Canada staff does a group lesson then 1:1 "test" with you on the Segway. Training doesn't take as much time as you'd think. There's only 8 participants per session & 3 trainers.

When everyone's ready, you follow the Zoo's program leader on the actual tour. The 3 trainers went too, to make sure everyone/everything was OK. We used both the public paths & staff only roadways. Once you're in the savannah you get introduced to the animals & get information about the species. I was on the the later tour on the first night, so there were a couple glitches, but still worth it!

You do have to sign a liability waiver, which includes a repair/replace clause if you damage/destroy the Segway.

TZFan said:
LDTZ thanks for the clarification. Since you were on the sunset tour would you mind giving us all a run down of it. I know the website gives a general idea but its always nice to hear reviews.
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What savanna animals are included or is it all of them? Any special additional things you get to do?
 
Aside from the segway ride itself & seeing the animals after hours, there weren't really any special activities.

We saw...
Watusi
Hyena - hiding
Sable antelope
Tawny Lions - hiding
Baboons - either hidden or indoors
Cheetahs
Greater Kudu
Marabou stork
Egyptian geese
Cape Shelduck
Tony the White rhino
Lloyd the white-headed vulture
Hippos
Southern ground hornbills
Peacocks
Ostriches

We were supposed to see the giraffes too, but we ran long elsewhere & didn't make it before they went in for the night.

There was commentary on the watusi, hyenas, sables, baboons, cheetahs, ostriches, hippos & rhinos. Mostly the usual tour type/conservation info, some pieces of individual animal histories.

TZFan said:
What savanna animals are included or is it all of them? Any special additional things you get to do?
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I've noticed this growth for quite some time now. It's been around for a couple years I think. Must've gotten to point were it was no longer safe to leaft alone. It says if was affecting her ability to walk. Well, it's good everything went accordingly. Always risky doing surgery on older animals.
 
Just watching the news and they said on July 26 a single Burmese Star Tortoise hatched from incubation. Check out the zoo's facebook page for more info
 
Toronto no longer participates in the Lion Tailed Macaque SSP. I think it's fairly safe to say they are going to be phased out if they aren't participating. Shame they are not trying to find homes though for them. Guntur may be sterilized but Vina and Screamer could be breeding. Si Nikel would just go with the group... but maybe they aren't looking for a home yet because of her advanced age. Perhaps they will seek homes once Si Nikel has passed.

I wonder what they would bring in to replace them. The exhibit is a good size for a small to medium sized mammal. It's totally enclosed so maybe birds. But their night house doesn't seem that large. It'll probably be awhile before the zoo even needs to think about it.
 
So my ex-coworker treated me to one of the Serengeti Bush Camp's Adult Night's as a treat for abandoning me, learnt a bit, nothing terribly exciting, but new;

-Holly, the Nigerian Goat from the Kid's Zoo appears to have past. The volunteer usually assigned to the Kid's Zoo hasn't seen her in about a week and Holly was really old. Couldn't find a KZ Keeper to ask about, but based on how she has been "racing" in the shows and her age I would not be surprised

-In some happier news, two new Outreach animals have arrived from San Diego Zoo, a pair of Sudanese Uromastyx, Earl (M) and Fran (F). They were confiscated by authorities and stayed at SDZ until papers cleared. They're cute little guys full of personality and very alert, I recommend checking them out if you see them out

-The zoo might be keeping the Sables, apparently keepers and the people with power have been talking about an expansion in the Savannah, and moving the Sables and other species to it. Not entirely sure of the merit, but if they plan to go ahead with their drive through Jeep idea from awhile back, might make some sense

-The new zebra foal should be making an appearance towards the end of the month

That's all the new-ish/time sensitive info I have
 
Great info Sealife357.

Quick question about this possible expansion of the Savanna and Jeep idea. What's this about? First time hearing about it.
 
The jeep idea was announced as part of the zoo's strategic plan about a year ago. They want to get jeeps and do a drive through of the savanna exhibits. Any potential of that was not supposed to take place until well into the forthcoming master plan's execution... some time in the mid 2020's I think. It's an exciting idea but right now how practical is it? I don't think very based on current lay out. One could drive through the giraffe exhibit but where to go from there? I really don't think they would risk going through the hippo exhibit. No zoo I know of allows guest to be in the same physical space as a hippo. Then turning to the other exhibits. The kudu exhibit is too hilly to drive through. You could drive from the rhinos through the zebras and into the sable/eland I suppose. With a change like a bridge I guess you could go from zebra to ostrich then wildebeest.

I think it would probably be best if the zoo does hold back on it. Complete the other necessary projects first, orang outdoor, Indo-Malaya, Canadian wilderness, gorilla outdoor, front gate, Americas conversion, Mayan temple. Then once they have been through the zoo once its time to turn attentions back to the savanna. At that point expand the savanna with the focus on moving the hippos and utilizing as much wasted space as possible. While doing that you can specifically design exhibits for drive through. You could go from giraffe and zigzag through the back half of the savanna. Maybe some species get moved. Maybe some don't. Definitely add new ones. I could see several big open mixed exhibits much like Eurasia but also having them visible from pathways because not being able to see them from anything other than the zoomobile ticks me off.

Honestly I think talk of the jeep and any savanna expansion is a long way off. And I think creation of any additional space for the sable at this time is highly unlikely. Look how long it has taken to scrap together the cash for the orangs and the health unit. Look at the short cuts taken with the Eurasian Wilds. I don't think there is the cash available for expansions when so many other projects are waiting in the wings for revitalization of existing facilities. A Canadian Wilderness drive through with elk and bison is far more likely to happen much sooner, provided that project will still go ahead with the potential reintroduction of the monorail. For now we just have to await the master plan to get a glimpse of the direction the zoo intends to go and possible timelines. Oh that master plan we have been waiting for for over a year. It was supposed to be done in June or July... I do wonder when we will get to see it... part of me is now wondering if we will ever see it.
 
I'm completely in agreement with you TZFan and further, I'd hate to see money spent on yet another ride/drive through when it could go somewhere else. There are a number of projects that need the money and attention as you have mentioned, personally looking forward immensely to the America/Mayan Temple section getting a very well deserved update, even if it is terribly far down the line. But they will need to think about the Savannah when it comes time for the hippos so they aren't "in the way" if they insist on the Jeep ride.

I would like them to keep the Sables, they are such magnificent animals, it would be a shame to lose them to after we lost the Oryxes in the Eurasian "update".

A side note to on the Giraffes; we probably won't see them getting any new exhibit mates (other species) anytime soon. While testing feeding the giraffes as part of the Bush Night experience some fool with a big flapping coat jumped the moat on the main paddock and startled the pair, who took off and ran into the wire that kept the elephants in. This resulted in some deep wounds and now scars across their chests and an increasingly flighty Mistari. It's one of the reasons the Elands are now sharing with the Sables.

Earl (M) the Sudanese Uromastyx is missing a toe on one of his front feet due to his previous owner's lack of attention to tank humidity. In case you see one of them out, they are visually different from each other in that respect.
 
A panda cam kicks off today in partnership with Telus!

I would like to see the jeep drive through. However that can be done once other things get the attention they need.

I would like the sables to stay as well. Savannah is a descendant of the zoo's original sables who were there on opening day. I just don't think its a realistic option though based on the zoo's space constraints and availability of more sables.

Poor Mstari and her skittishness. I think she lost Twiga a little too young. She probably needed more time with mom to build her confidence and Kiko is too young himself to help reassure her enough. Too bad its extremely unlikely we will get another adult female who could be a calming influence on them.
 
Excited for the panda cam, but it's long overdue. It should have really been ready when the exhibit opened, but hey it's better late than never.
 
Hopefully they keep the cam after the pandas leave and the Amur tigers return. It would make another good cub cam.
 
Toronto Zoo | Giant Panda Cam for the panda cam.
Didn't see it mentioned earlier, the female pygmy hippo has arrived and spotted Harvey in the adjacent river hog exhibit with the female where Harvey formerly resided.

I think a drive-through through the Savannah would be difficult/expensive to do, and definitely other projects could really use the funds. The large paddocks in the Domain seem like a good place for that, though...
 
Toronto Zoo announced the birth of the new Zebra filly. They have pictures of her there for those interested.
 
Glad to see a Panda cam finally up, but it took too long to build up the hype. This should've been up when they first went on exhibit.
 
Perhaps related to the Telus sponsorship of the panda cam, there's a Telus branded lockable phone-charging station at the Peacock Café now. Didn't spot any others.
 
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