Toronto Zoo African Savanna Review

Zoogoer2000

Well-Known Member
elephant habitat:I think the paddocks have mixed parts.The front yard is okay for two elephants,but definitely not six!Then again,they usually have access to the back paddock so that is ok at best.I've heard the area is seven acres,ya right.Maybe two at the highest.Now seven would be an appropriate size for about 10 elephants so these girls need maybe about 5 acres atleast.When they do expand,i hope they go to atleast 10 elephants on about 8 acres,the zoo has the room but the problem would be alot of money.It would be a roling grassland setting that would look like a larger version of the mixed field area.Right now,in the back paddock,i love the pool,it is a great size an dit must really help.There would be termite mounds to serve as food throughs.There could also be another large pool and a new state of the art barn.It would alos have a walking trail and multiple viewing points.The indoor area would be the current barn (since they'd build a new one).There would be several murals on the walls,thatched roof,mulch or sand floor and multiple showers and a pool.In the viewing areas would be educational stuff.

river hippo yard:I like how ther habitat has a dry river bed feel to it.The pool could be filled with tilapia and maybe a few cichlid from the pavilion could move here.They should also expand the pool and add underwater viewing.Either then that,its great.Maybe even mix in flamingos?

warthog paddock:I have always loved the warthog paddock as its spacious,very natural and i love the cavish area.Maybe they could just add a few trees and a little pool plus they could move kori bustrads and bat eard foxes in with them (they'd switch on and off).Maybe a fake fallen tree would look good to and how could i forget,a glass vieewing area.

mixed savanna paddocks:This area is awesome.It allows the animals to roam so well and its really authentic looking.I'd just like to see maybe a few more species mixed in like eland,sectratary bird,thomson's gazelle and wildebeast.Maybe they could also rotate the animals through the three different fields.a also like the two overlooks.Maybe also add an education area

olive baboon habitat:This habitat is like snowleopard says,really good.I would'nt call it the best but its still great for them.It has great viewing,tons of room,a waterfall,termite mounds and lots of climbing space.The only thing i'd add are maybe a few trees an more rocks

cheetah habitat.This one is another good one.It is very spacious with great viewing but its somewhat bland.They should add a log lookout,boulders,a cave,trees,a jeep parked inside for them to climb all over (they should also do this with the olive baboons) and a chasing lure for them to run after.Another great thing would be two large termite mounds as lookout posts.

lion habitat:This is my favourite cat habitat at toronto zoo.The viewing is astounding,its spacious and has lots a stuff.The viewing in the cave is great but need more signage.Outside on the lookout,they also need more signage.The exhibit is great,maybe just a few logs and a jeep for a llookout post and there pretty much set.THE one thing that would be awesome is a window on the part that goes over the viewing.Maybe add a few boulders up there as well.

caracal habitat.Ok.It looks kind of weird but its big enough.Maybe just expand it a bit more and add a few trees and rocks and a termite mound

hyena habitat:The hyena's have an wesome enclosure.It looks like a rocky savanna iand its really pretty.Maybe jsu tpark another ranger jeep and add a log lookout.Also,a lookout would be great.

giraffe paddock:The giraffe paddock is not excatly my favourite.It is very bland looking and I wish they would make the yard look like the mixed yards.It need more trees and rocks and maybe a little pool to drink out of.A feeding deck would also be fantastic.Once the new house is built they could have thatched roof and indoor viewign indo large rooms with lots of murals and stuff.A education area would also be nice.Also they should mix in gerunuk.

seal beach:The seal habitat actually looks really nice to me.I like how it looks like an actual beach and i also like the underwater viewing.Once the seals move out they should have an african penguin pool instead.I never really got the point of the bleachers and why don't they do the talks anymore?

Additons:They should add new kopje type habitats for klipspirngers,leopards,batleur eagles,red billed hornbills,jackals and a large space for african wild dogs.They should also build an aviary with carmine bee eaters and weaver birds.A new pavilion called Ghosts of Malagasy should also be built housing all sorts of animals from Madagascar,much like the Madagascar at Bronx Zoo.
 
I think the penguin idea would be great! The zoo should add a Madagasgar pavilion. Maybe like the size of Malyan Woods or double? They zoo should also aquire some springbok, to go in the Savanna Exhibits. They should have the animals in those exhibits alternate. (Zebra, Rhino, Kudu, Etc)
 
I love your suggestions! I think a bridge going over the hyena exhibit would be a neat idea, too, like what they're doing for the wolves. I've always thought African Wild Dogs would be a great addition to the TZ.

There is a Secretary Bird, in the savannah overlook area (that gives another view of the mixed species exhibit), which is located around the Pygmy Hippo area.
 
You're very welcome! I wouldn't mind the zoo bringing back the phased out species, like the Gemsbok, wildebeest, Bat-eared Fox etc. I think the TZ had more species in the African section in the past. I can't complain about the current species, though :)
 
gemsbok would be a good species put in the former topi habitat.i've always loved these species horns
 
does anyone remember where the gelada and hamadryas baboon used to live?Just like everthing else at toronto zoo,it was before my time
 
Thats cool.It looks like they had quite a bit of vertical space.I know this i've been asking alot of questions but i was just wondering where the outdoor mandrill exhibit is,what it looks like and what the viewing is like
 
Oh!I never knew it was that far back!I thought you guys meant like along a blocked path acajent to the pavilion!To bad its not accessible anymore
 
Maybe when I go there again in the fall time (I was just there a few days ago and had a brilliant trip), I'll see if I can find it. :)
 
Hi all,
The Hamadryas baboons originally lived in the current lion enclosure (no lions there at the time, though!). After that, they moved to the 'exhibit' currently occupied by the two surplus male mandrills. It is a large mesh tent fairly close to the Canadian Domain zoomobile stop - the zoomobile doesn't drive right by it, but if you look to the left after the zoomobile passes the cheetah exhibit you may be able to catch a glimpse. (...checking in the Maps section to see if I can see it ... Toronto Zoo » ZooBeat Maps If you find the seal pool, go straight south, past the bird/hoofstock and rhino/hoofstock holdings to the round roof of Simba Safari Lodge. A bit further south and you'll come to the service road. Follow it to the left - it forms a loop around part of the old Grevy's zebra exhibit, and at ~7:00 (if it were a clock) is the old baboon exhibit. It is slightly darker green, and you can just see the shadow of the bottom wall).

As I wrote in the "History" section, the geladas were in with the Grevy's zebras.

The gemsbok used to live in the exhibit where the ostrich are now, and the white-tailed gnus in Shaka's enclosure.
 
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