Toronto Zoo If You Bought Toronto Zoo...

I know we are a nutty group. If your keeping a Norther america section in the area its not too out of place. And with enough landscaping no one would ever know. I can totally understand your reasoning for keeping European animals near the Asian ones. It was all I could do to come up with a couple European animals just so I could say Europe was represented a little. I think part of the problem we have with that is that some Euopean animals can be found in Asia (Russia mostly), or North America. They have lynx, we have lynx. What one will a north american zoo display? Most likely our native one. And while a lot of the species you would put in the tundra zone are Canadian they are also found in Europe (scandanvian countries) and Asia as well. Its a tricky zone.

I miss seals too but I just think of walruses as giant seals with really long teeth and a lot of fat. I think what impressed me the most about the seals when I was young was the huge size of Timo. It seemed like he was enormous and yet he was so graceful in the water. I think thats probably why I perfer the walrus. Its massive yet so graceful in the water.
 
Continuing my rebuilding of the zoo... Had to go back a page an see where I left off.

Now to transition from the arctic to our Canadian woodlands I would have a small native village. Here I would like to build several buildings representing prominent tribe dwellings from across the country. There would be a trading post gift shop. A fire would be constantly burning in the center of all of the homes. Each home could house goods made in the traditional way of their reprehensive tribe. It would be a way to help promote Native Canadian business and goods. The things sold in the village market would be sold by the businesses and they would run their own shops and keep the majority of their profits. Naturally there would be a rental fee and small percentage of sales given to the zoo but just enough to help us maintain the buildings. There would also be food sold here with beaver tails being featured because they are so good and so Canadian.

Switching things up I would have people head into the Canadian Wilderness. The area would start with animals from the woodlands and wetlands then transfer to the plains. The wilderness would take over land now housing the animal health center, its parking, the green house and part of Tundra trek. Its entrance signs will be two large totem poles with beavers at the bottom as if they carved them. Photo Op.

before I even start placing animals in here I need to point out that while Im calling it the Canadian Wilderness there will be some American animals mixed in. I didn’t want to call the area the North American Wilderness because its a mouthful. And American Wilderness would give the wrong impression. I think a few miss placed animals won’t give people the wrong impression so long as my signage is clear about where each animal is from.

Also because almost all of the animals I plan to exhibit here can survive cold winters or hibernates there’s no need for any indoor winter viewing.

First on the list would be a good sized mountain exhibit featuring big horned sheep and mountain goats. It would look as close to the rocky mountains as possible.

Next up would be a woodland predator complex. This would be the home of grizzly bears, black bears, lynx and cougars. They would all have good sized naturalistic exhibits. They could rotate exhibits throughout the day to provide stimulation. I would like to have a running stream flow through all of the exhibits so it looks like its all one space. I think it also might be cool if the exhibits were sloped and their barn was hidden beneath the hill but that would be up to the exhibit designers and keepers. I would want the grizzly bears and cougars main exhibits closer to the mountain exhibits and to be more hilly then the other two exhibits which would gently slope down into even ground. The plan would be to house orphaned or problem bears in non breeding groups and if that means sterilizing the animals fine. Breeding really isn’t encouraged by the AZA anyway. The cougars and lynx could be bred to fill the needs of other AZA institutions but breeding isn’t necessary.

Nearby would be a complex for red foxes, swift foxes, coyotes, and red wolves (yes American but critically endangered). The coyotes and red foxes would only be orphaned or problem animals. And they wouldn’t be breeding. The swift foxes and red wolves on the other hand would be encouraged to breed.

Given the need to grow the red wolves’ population I would have two breeding pairs in exhibits here and offer to have one or two other pairs down in the breeding center. I don’t know if they are shy breeders so I might just have one exhibit for them up in the Canadian Wilderness for post reproductive animals and keep the breeders and pups down in the breeding centre. All of these animals will rotate exhibits as well unless pups are being raised by the wolves then they will stay put until their parents are ready for changes.

I would have a big pen for moose, elk and deer in a mixed exhibit that could be driven through (unless the moose are too aggressive). They would get a big deep pool in the exhibit so the moose could wade in and feed like normal. This would exhibit would also offer a home to orphaned animals who cannot be returned to the wild, with minimal breeding allowed. If that means the males are kept separate during the rut no problem. Mixed in would be various wild duck and swan species who could utilize the simulated lake for breeding. We would build sights to encourage breeding on the zoo grounds and if necessary raise hatchlings to think of the zoo as their summer home. The zoomobile will go through this exhibit too.

There would be a cluster of small animal homes sharing the same barn for convince. It would house American badger, black footed ferrets, prairie dogs, porcupines and martin. I don’t want raccoons or skunks because they are so run of the mill. If someone calls the zoo the take in an orphaned skunk or raccoon then we will take it in and either rehabilitate it, use it for an educational animal or ship it off to another zoo. I like the sloped prairie dog exhibit in the discovery zone with the little bubbles in the exhibit and tunnels running underneath. I think I would copy that for all of them. The black footed ferrets would be bred in mass down at the breeding centre and post reproductive animals would live in the Canadian Wilderness. Everything else will be bred as needed. The badger is endangered in Ontario so if we can breed some for release that’s cool.

With lots of space still available I think we could manage to put in flight pens for great horned owls, barn owls, bald eagles, golden eagles and turkey vultures. Each would have its own space but have the ability to rotate with at least one other bird species for fun. I think most of these animals would be orphaned or injured animals. Big flight pens for the eagles but smaller pens for the owls who I’d prefer to be non releasable birds who probably can’t fly and wouldn’t need the space. Depending on the rules for releasing captive born animals I might let all of them breed and send the grown chicks to a rehab center to be released when ready. Why not if they can make it? Especially since chick rearing would provide stimulation while the chicks could be a boost to threatened or endangered populations such as the barn owls, bald eagles and golden eagles.

There would also be a massive exhibit for bison and pronghorn. Unlike a lot of my other Canadian exhibits this one would encourage breeding. The more babies the better for these animals. If more species could be included with them great. If not well I’m ok with that too. This exhibit would be another drive through exhibit and as such probably should be right next to the Moose, elk, deer exhibit for an easy transfer between spaces.

As part of their space there would be a separate enclosure for burrowing owls. Since they would spend part of their time out of sight I would like it if it was a sloped exhibit with glass on one side where you could look into the tunnels. It also might be neat if we could provide mini web cams in the tunnels so people could watch them scurrying around.

I would also have a wetlands exhibit. Here you would find my otter and beaver habitats. I would love to see them living in the same exhibit. A nice big one with deep pools, slides for the otters a gentle waterfall and a lodge for the beavers. I’d like to try them together first but I would have plans to divide the exhibit in place should the experiment fail. Otters have been kept with beavers before at other zoos but one never knows. I might even have the ability to divide the exhibits in the event of babies for either species. There would be an underwater viewing spot of the beavers and otters in a wetlands pavilion under the ground. It would sort of be like the America’s pavilion. There would be a big winter indoor pool for the otters and a much larger window into the beaver lodge that the zoo currently has.

Also in the wetlands pavilion would be exhibits for frogs, salamanders, newts, snakes, lizards and turtles. Many of the species in here would be endangered or threatened in the wild and the goal would be to breed and release as many as possible. The focus would be on Ontario wildlife forget what the AZA wants. We would work closely with the ministry of natural resources to collect breed and release animals. If necessary we would also take in injured animals. That probably means lots of breeding space down in the breeding center but lots of the animals would be kept up in the pavilion too. Depending on my ability to get the animals I would try to get, Allegheny mountain dusky salamander, jefferson’s salamander, northern dusky salamander, small mouthed salamander, blanchard’s cricket frog, Blue racers, butlers garter snakes, eastern fox snake, eastern hog nosed snake, grey rat snake, lake erie water snake, massasauga rattle snake, queensnake, common five lined skink, blanding’s turtle, eastern musk turtle, northern map turtle, snapping turtle, spiny softshell, spotted turtle and wood turtle. Breeding would be strongly encouraged and we would work with wildlife officials to release the majority of the hatchlings. If necessary there could be lots of space in the pavilion that was off exhibit reserved strictly for breeding purposes.

Though a wetlands focus should be maintained here I would like to exhibit little brown bats and northern long eared bats as both are endangered in Ontario. They would get their own spot and it would be a night exhibit like the burrows now in the African pavilion.

In the center of the building would be a big floor to ceiling circular aquarium with fresh water fish in it. On the surface it would just look like a nice sized natural pond. I would avoid putting endangered fish in it because I want the exhibit open on the surface so natural predators in the area would be a threat to the fish. If necessary in the winter it could be moderately heated to keep the fish alive. The pond would be another place for wild waterfowl to congregate. I would however actively prevent geese and swans from nesting around it thus keeping visitors safe from angry birds protecting nests and young.

Under here I would also have a big exhibit for the king of the swamp, alligators. They would likely be in an exhibit much like the turtle tank in the Americas pavilion. A pond for swimming that has under water viewing all the way down to the floor but a ground level haul out space higher up near the exit of the building with stairs along the side so you see progressively less water and more land as you go to leave. I think I explained that ok.

In this area to increase educational awareness would be an education center with conservation tools and touch tables. It would be staffed with people who have worked in conservation throughout the province. There would be a working bear trap so kids could get trapped like a problem bear. Things like that. There would be a space with exhibits for alien invaders like zebra mussels so kids could be taught about the dangers to Canadian wildlife. There would be several presentation rooms above the main rooms. These would be used for school trips, zoo camps, small functions, ect. It would be designed to look like a log wilderness lodge.

And in summer when the monarch butterflies emerge from their cocoons the zoo would have a big monarch release party. People could show up at the lodge and pay small fee to get a little container with a monarch in it to release during the celebration. That way we are helping the monarchs and people are paying us for the opportunity to just release one but its helping to pay for the program. But during the summer then the zoo should have lots of monarchs flying around which would be nice.
 
That brings us to the end of the Canadian Wilderness and shifts us into the final section of the zoo the new Mayan Ruins. This area would take over part of Tundra trek, the Americas pavilion, the current Mayan temple and all space around it, the picnic area that’s never used, and the breeding centre. A pair of huge trees with a pair of brilliantly coloured macaws holding a Mayan Ruins sign would welcome visitors to the area. Last chance for a photo op.

Due to the fact that many of my outdoor exhibits will likely be empty most of the winter the first thing in the area would be the Amazon pavilion so guest don’t have to walk through the cold and see nothing for awhile to get to the pavilion. First thing I would do is bring the pavilion onto the surface. I’m thinking something big with tons of glass like the African rainforest but still bigger.

Inside the pavilion I would want it to look like you just walked into the Amazon. I have some cool thoughts on this pavilion to make it look as authentic as possible. First up I would want it to look like the Amazon River flows through the pavilion. Guests would have to walk over bridges in a number of places. Under the bridges could be dividers preventing animals from getting into other exhibits and glass can chop it up in other places. It would only need to be deep in a couple of places for certain animals.

Another really cool feature I’d like to include throughout the pavilion is rain. Now I would avoid rain on visitor paths because frankly I wouldn’t want to get soaked myself any other time of the year but summer and I could destroy cameras and cell phones. So in the animals exhibits I would have the ability to turn on a misty little rain shower or a steady down pour. It might provide much needed stimulation to animals who in their native environment get wet all the time. It might also help to simulate natural seasonal conditions.

At the center of the pavilion would be an enormous tree reaching to the ceiling. Its purpose would be to help support the roof but also to be a really cool lookout post. Guests can enter the trunk of the tree and climb the spiral stairs to the top where they can exit through a hole in the trunk and walk around a lookout. This would enable people to view the entire pavilion from above. Hopefully it would offer some unique perspectives. Also going up inside the trunk would be little windows disguised as hollows in the tree. And to take into account disabled individuals an elevator would run in the core so wheel chairs and scooters can go up. I would provide parking at the bottom for strollers and parents would be encouraged to walk up but if they take the elevator I wont stop them.

I would like as much mixing and matching amongst species as possible but single exhibits might have to do.

I think near what would likely be the main entrance to the pavilion I would like to impress right off with a massive aviary. It would be full of colour and plant life. Since it is unlikely I can grow the big thick trees that would be in the rainforest my exhibit builders would build false trees to look like perfect copies.

Now considering the large number of big birds I’ve chosen for the bird wing I have no idea how they would inter mix and how safe they would be for guests especially during breeding season. Based on my keepers’ suggestions I would divide the birds up into as few compatible groups as possible. Ideally they would all be together. For guest safety with such big birds I would have a mesh tunnel guests travel through. This would enable them to see everything and give the birds a chance to fly over head. However if they need to be divided up into a bunch of small pens because they cannot get along guest will be on an open path and the birds kept behind mesh. I’d prefer the big free flight aviary. I’d leave the specifics to the exhibit designers and keepers.

Species I want to see include Hyacinth Macaws, Blue and gold macaws, great green macaws, green winged macaws, scarlet macaws, sun parakeets, golden parakeets, rose ringed parakeets, blue bellied parrots, yellow headed amazons, plate billed mountain toucans, channel billed toucans, keel billed toucans, toco toucans, black curassows, white winged guans, sunbittern, trumpeters (I don’t care what kind), purple gallinule, scarlet ibis and roseate spoonbill.

I’d also like some ducks in there but also scattered throughout the pavilion in exhibits where they will do well with the other inhabitants. With no idea what the AZA is keeping I would I defer to my keepers. Some that might be cool would be yellow billed teal, cinnamon teal, puna teal, coscoroba swans, black necked swans, ring necked duck, and knob billed duck. Again I’d listen to keepers.

There would also be a really big summer aviary for the birds or several of them as needed. During the winter unfortunately the exhibits will likely be empty.

Heading out of the aviary I would like to see a really big water exhibit dedicated to the giant otter. It’s the pavilions featured exhibit. They are incompatible with any other species so they would live by themselves. The family group would have a big pool that looked like it was being fed by the river. I think it would be a nice feature to have a waterfall. The waterfall would provide hidden housing for the otters while offering a beautiful feature to the exhibit. Underwater viewing would be available in a space that would also house Amazonian fish species. The key species there would be the red bellied piranha. Fish experts can do the rest.

Alongside the otters would be a tank for caiman. It would have a little bit of underwater viewing but it would also be alongside the stairs as you return to the main exhibit spaces. I’d like to keep a couple of them. If they can be kept with some species of turtle and possibly fish that would offer a much more enriching example of Amazonian River life. I don’t want anything to get eaten though.

The rest of the exhibits in the pavilion would depend on what species I can mix and match with each other safely. If they must all be separate so be it. I would have two toed sloths, tamanduas, pygmy marmosets, geoffery’s marmoset, emperor tamarins, golden lion tarmarins, cotton top tamarins, Goeldi’s Monkeys, owl monkeys, capuchins, squirrel monkeys, and Brazilian Agouti. I would like the capuchins and squirrel monkeys to have access to the river. I can see them goofing off in the water or near it.

I would work with groups in South America that rescue orphaned animals to hopefully acquire new breeding stock from unreleasable animals. Of particular interest to me would be getting different species of sloth. I would be happy to take in orphans or injured sloths which couldn’t be returned to the wild and provide them with a home. For species not kept in AZA zoos I would see if a deal could be arranged to ship any babies back for release if possible. If not then I would prevent breeding in all species except AZA stock.


For my small carnivores I would have Coati, kinkajous, ringtails and some species of opossum. I don’t care what species of opossum we kept I just think its important to have the only marsupial outside of Australia.

The coati would live in large enclosures with indoor and outdoor access, with several females and a lone male to start. The male will be kept either off exhibit or in the opposite exhibit to the females while young are in the picture. Ideally all offspring will go to other zoos but if new homes cannot be found the males will be neutered and allowed to live with their father while the females live together with their mothers.

The ringtails, kinkajous and opossums will be kept as a pairs with offspring when necessary so they will have smaller indoor enclosures. An outdoor exhibit will be built for them to rotate in. One species will rotate the outdoor coati space too.

I also want a nocturnal animal wing. It will be called the caves. It would probably be a space under the main level of the pavilion. In it I would have prehensile tailed porcupine, giant armadillos, hairy armadillos and long tailed chinchillas all of which will also be trained for educational purposes. Keepers can then take one or two out of their exhibits for special keeper talks where kids can pet them. I think in particular the chinchillas will delight kids when they have their dust baths.

Also here would be a bat zone with Common Vampire bats, pallas’ long tongued bats, bulldog bats and Greater Spear nosed Bats. Between the four species I would have blood eaters, insectivores, frugivores and nectarivores. They wouldn’t live in the same habitat for obvious reasons.

At the side of the pavilion where the river would finish on that side there would be a big pool. This would be the winter home for my flock of Caribbean Flamingos and whatever waterfowl will live nicely with them. Outside they would have a summer pool.

Mixed in amongst the other exhibits I would like to have exhibits for frogs, snakes, turtles and lizards. I would let my reptile and amphibian expert pick for me but some kind iguana would be nice, maybe an anaconda (safety of the staff would be paramount in this decision), and as many kinds of poison dart frogs as possible because they are so colourful.

Outside I would like to build my exhibits around barns that are decorated to look like mayan ruins much like they currently are.

First up I would have my flight pens. In here there would be Harpy Eagles, white and black hawks (I don’t know if they are part of the AZA but they look amazing), Ornate Eagle Hawk and Spectacled Owls. Each would get a decent sized pen and inside their temple they would have smaller viewing rooms for winter. If they can be rotated they will be. If not thats fine.

And I would have to replicate the waterfall. It’s a must. I love listening to the rushing water and feel the mist. And who doesn’t like walking behind it. My only change would be to make it even bigger. Not so much by height but by width.

The waterfalls would send water cascading down into my Brazilian tapir, rhea, capybara, giant anteater, waterfowl exhibit. There would be the big pool for the capybara and tapir to swim in and lots of land for the rhea and anteaters to walk around. The land would loop around part of the water so people weren’t too far from the rheas and anteaters. They wouldn’t have winter viewing as their barn will be built under the waterfall. Lots of room will be provided for winter though.

On the other side of the waterfall would be a monkey temple. There would be exhibits for the larger monkeys both inside and out. Howler monkeys, white faced saki, spider monkeys would be at home here. I considered adding bald uakari but they are pretty rare and on phase out, plus they are pretty scary looking for a monkey. I would like a fourth monkey out here but I don’t know what. Maybe just an alternative exhibit for everyone or to solve squabbles. Maybe the sloths could summer out there. Indoor exhibits will be available inside the temple with lots of space provided... perhaps equal to their outdoor space.

I would also like mara, pudu and chacoans Peccary. Hopefully in the same exhibit but if they need to be broken up thats fine too. No indoor viewing for them though.

After that would come a common exhibit for Llamas, alpacas, vicunas and guanacos. I’d like the exhibit to be a little hilly to simulate their natural environment. Their barn would be hidden under their hilly exhibit and there wouldn’t be winter viewing for them unless it was warm enough for them to be outside.

The next section would house my predators, Jaguars, Andrean Bears, ocelots, Jaguarondi, maned wolf, bush dog. I think I would divide them between two temples. The jaguars, bears and mane wolves would be grouped in one complex, while the ocelots, jaguarondi and bush dogs lived in another one. All would have two exhibit spaces available, one indoor and the other outdoor. Males and females would rotate as necessary.

I think given the distance from my first splash pad this would be another good spot for one. It would be south American themed with caiman, river dolphins, giant fresh water sting rays, ect as features. Parrots could dump water buckets. I think it would also be cool if there was seating for the parents that were long anaconda benches.

And that would bring us to the end of my physical changes to the zoo.
 
TZFan: all of your ideas are amazing! Your ideas have actually helped me plan many of my exhibits. The only suggestion I have for you is actually including raccoons and skunks in your Canadian Wilderness area. When I was at zoo camp a keeper told me that even though raccoons and skunks are common to us, they're very unusual to many of the zoo's international visitors. Also, Toronto is the raccoon capital of the world so it is important to display them.
 
Im glad you enjoyed many of my ideas. Frankly I know Im a little light on the birds and extermely light on the reptiles, amphibians and fish and totally absent on all mannor of bugs ect. but I've always said all animals I lack an interest in could be filled out by keepers. Im a mammal fan, in case you couldnt tell, I like birds but then my interest trails off. So why not leave those big decisions on those collections to the experts who will get me the coolest animals?

I could be persuaded to keep them only if space allowed and keepers wanted them. And the animals would only be rescued animals who could not be returned to the wild. Its just hard to get behind the little buggers who keep trying to get into your garbage and are willing to fight your dog, or worse spray it. Fun fact for you arcticwolf if a skunk sprays your dog in the face because she was stupid enough to put her head under the BBQ cover to see what the smell was her burps will smell like skunk the rest of her natural life... That was 5 years of rancid burps. And i cant even begin to tell you how that ruined Thanksgiving... well I can... First skunk sprays dont smell immediately like youd think... nope your dog has time to get your mother to let it in and rub its face all over the carpet before she thinks hey whats that smell... ya had to rip out the carpet that day and pray the garbage collectors took it... have you ever tried finding tomato juice or coke at 4 am on thanksgiving? Ya not so easy... white dogs with brown spots look stupid when they turn into pink dogs with brown spots... Have you ever been asked to leave a vet office because you smell so bad they cant risk you being near other people? We have... its pretty embarassing when your grandparents show up to just say happy thanksgiving because you now cant leave your house because you all stink too bad to be around others and you cant close the windows in your house or all of your belongs will be ruined, and your grandparnts say oh its not too bad, then go tell the rest of the family they think you should move because that smell is never going away... i guess they were right because every time she burped it was back. Ya I have a think against skunks.

I have more ideas coming. None of them are animal related but just other ways I could help revitalize the zoo if I owned it. One of them I believe may actually be genius.
 
That's a very funny skunk story. When I was a little kid my dog got sprayed by a skunk too, but I don't remember it being that bad. Anyways, I can't wait to see your other ideas. Especially the one that is genius.

I'm still trying to figure out my ideas. Today I thought of a new one that I think is pretty good, but it involves completely changing all of the exhibits that I've already posted. I'm still trying to decide whether I should stick with the idea I have now or abandon it and start a new one.
 
With all of my geographic zones complete I will turn my attention to other aspects of the zoo.

First up for changes would be the zoomobile. I love it but the old zoomobile would be retired. It looks old and dated. Since money is no object I?d get a newer sleeker looking model. If possible I would like electric or solar powered ones to help tie into the zoos new greener outlook. Maybe a hybrid is best to start. I was thinking of going with some kind of vehicle like the current model but now that I think about it I would prefer something more like the trucks used at Disney?s Kilimanjaro Safari. It looks like a proper safari truck. Its high for better views of animals in exhibits further away. It has doors to keep guests in during the ride (very important during the drive through exhibits). It helps to give the safari feel, not the extended golf cart train feel.

I?d still avoid padded seats because it will be easier to clean and less likely to be damaged.

A key feature would be good audio equipment. No more crackling, static filled voices that cut out since it drives me nuts.

And thinking of parents the zoos rental strollers can be left at any stop and with a scan of a stroller card showing your last stroller was checked in you can pick up an new one at another stop. On a side note I would have cooler strollers. I initially thought animal shapes but now I?m thinking jeep shaped. It would be cooler looking therefore more fun. It would give the kids shade. It could be designed for one to 4 kids. It would give mom and dad space for a packed lunch, swim suits, diaper bag ect. For infants maybe a carrier holder like on shopping carts.

As always the zoomobile will run May through October. No matter how wicked the zoo is it just wont be visited by enough people to make getting a winter worthy vehicle worthwhile.

I?d have the guides and drivers learn about the animals at the zoo along the route not a script. I?d like them to just talk to the guests about the animals they see. Use names, even if you?re wrong about who it is. Can I tell the difference between Asha and Vishnu? Nope but it helps to build the relationship between the guests and the animals. I want people to bond with and remember Twiga not just one of the giraffes. It will make getting them to return easier if they feel like they know the animals and increase the odds of memberships and animal adoptions.

For the most part the zoomobile will drive on widened pedestrian pathways. The back areas are cool to see when an animal is present but most of the time you see barely anything. Theres no big secret location you can see because you go on the zoomobile. Sure you can see the Tahr but that?s it special animal wise. If you?re going to pay me $8 for the privilege of riding I want you to get your money?s worth and feel you got something you couldn?t have had without riding. What will that something be? Closer views of more animals, some with no barriers between you and if I work it right a trip to a special place.

I?d still have it travel clockwise around the zoo. For the most part the zoomobile will travel on pedestrian paths that have been widened to allow for easy passage. If we have to cross a pathway a quiet ding will sound and crossing arms will slowly lower.

The zoomobile will meander through the ocean section passing behind the building where there will be off exhibit pools for surplus ocean mammals and perhaps anything we are working on rehabilitating.

From there it will go come back out onto the paths and drive by the Antarctic exhibits. Hopefully the African penguins can be seen.

Next up it will meander through the desert section until it hits the hoof stock yard where it will for the first time enter an animal exhibit.

After that it will cross its own bridge into the African rainforest section driving past the outdoor exhibits as it heads into the savannah.

In the savannah it will drive through the hoof stock exhibits making sure to point out to guests where the giraffe feeding station is, so people can come back and pay to feed the giraffes.

Here I would have to decide based on my ability to lessen the slope down to the former Canadian Domain if the zoomobile can go down there. If it can I would like it to do a loop around the health centre, particularly the quarantine area, and green house. Give people a nice slow look at the hidden part of the zoo. If its not safe then skip it.

After leaving the area it will loop around the carnivores exhibits and head through the woods towards South America. Here it will pass through the llama exhibit and by other exhibits.

From here we would go into the Canadian Wilderness and drive through the bison and moose exhibits (if safe) and head through the village towards the tundra.

After looping through the tundra it would go into the caribous, mouflons, horses and camels exhibits before existing near the Amur tigers.

It would loop around all of the Asian and Australian exhibits before going past the Antarctic exhibit again and heading through the children?s zoo, arriving again at the main station.

Stations will be included in every zone.

Another thing I thought I would add to the zoo is more cultural stuff. In each zone I would like to include a gift shop with a cultural bend, a restaurant with some ethnic foods but most importantly cultural entertainers. For instance in the summers there would be Chinese acrobats, dragon dancers ect in the panda plaza. Other zones would have similar entertainment or activities which speak to the culture of the area. Maybe one weekend outside the Japanese Macaque exhibit there will be free origami lessons. Another weekend an African drum festival. All kinds of things to embrace the cultural diversity of the city.

Now I know I didn?t include much for visitor amusement and dining but I think some tastefully designed and thematic things could be included throughout.

There would be a restaurant in each zone, designed to fit in with the region. Several vendor type carts would also be available for ice cream, popsicles, beaver tails, pop ect. Nothing will be sold that people might feel inclined to feed the animals with like popcorn. I think I would also like to try going nut free to help prevent allergies. At least one restaurant in the zoo will offer gluten free and vegetarian options on its menu.

Picnic areas, benches, gardens and patches of grass for kids to just be silly on will be available all over based on my designers recommendations. I?ll also embrace the Disney policy of having people no further than 20 feet from a trash can. Why let things get dirty? Pavilions wont have trash cans inside though as eating will be forbidden in them.

I?m happy to include gift shops all over. I would set aside space in each pavilion for a small gift shop selling only things relating to the animals in that pavilion. In the big land zones there would be small gift stands near some of the big seller animals exhibits. Want a white lion stuffed animal? Why not pick it up right at the exhibit. They would also have other species things if they lived nearby. Sure the stand is by the lions but they would have a couple things for hyenas, wild dogs, cheetahs and leopards. Never want people too far away from stuff to blow their cash on. In the winter the outdoor stands would all close and their merchandise would go into the pavilion shops until spring.

Two activities I haven?t included yet would be a zip line and a canopy walk. I don?t know where the zip line would go. I?ll leave that to the experts but I would like it going over some exhibits. It would be a premium experience demanding a heftier price. The canopy walk would meander through the forest at the heart of the zoo. Give people a chance to experience the Rouge Valley from a unique perspective. Obviously both would be summer only activities.

Throughout the zoo I would like to add more touch tables, displays, interactive activities and mascots.

Kids love touching so I would love to be able to get more touch tables going where they can feel what different animals feel like. They like holding skulls, teeth and claws. Let?s face it I?m not about to let them actually pet a lion so its parts are about as close as they will come.

I want them to be able to hold an ostrich egg (likely fake) and compare it to a hummingbird egg. Why can?t I have a life sized chart around so kids can see the real size of the eggs compared to their parents for a number of key species?

I can install screens and xbox kinect like games all over so kids can practice things like foraging. Heck if I played my cards right I could get xbox to give me all that stuff free and maintain it just to have their name associated with the stations.

I would also like to have mascots in each zone both of the goofy over sized character and real varieties. Each zone should have a person or two in suits. Kids love it at Disney and Sea World why not here? In the oceans it would be a sea otter and a shark. In Antarctica... gee this is hard... a penguin! In the desert a tortoise and meerkat. In the rainforest a gorilla. In the Savannah a lion and hippo (I love hippos). In South America a jaguar and macaw. In Canada a moose and an otter. In the tundra a polar bear and a Christmas only caribou... or 9? In Asia our present panda twins, and an orangutan. In Australia a koala and a platypus (if I could get one. If not a kangaroo). The goal of people should be to get a photo with each one. For holidays special ones could come out like an easter bunny, a bat for Halloween, special costumes for others. The mascots would only be available April (or snow being gone) through Halloween. Special appearances at Christmas and for march break but only in pavilions, restaurants or giftshops so the suits don?t get ruined. Santa would visit every weekend in December.

Real mascots would be animal ambassadors who during the summer could be out amongst zoo guests on walks or at meet and greet stations. I would like a representative from each zone where possible. In the oceans it would be the touch tanks. In Antarctica it would be a winter walk of the penguins where they could come out and march around a little. People eat that stuff up. In the desert maybe the camels do a tour around. In the rainforest some kind of reptile station. In the savannah I?d love to train cheetahs for a walk around with companion dogs. But if not them then Im not sure. In South America the llamas and alpacas could easily do the job. In Canada maybe a frog station. In the tundra the caribou. In Asia the camels or snakes. Maybe a babirusa? In Australia the kiwi.

Another fun thing to do at the zoo for a fee would be back stage tours. How most of them would pan out would depend on keepers. One tour I think would be a must though is a back stage look at the health centre, breeding centre, greenhouse and research labs. Keeper for a day would also be heavily promoted even if it means hiring a spare keeper for certain areas who pretty much just do the keeper for a day program.

With every birth comes an opportunity for a contest or fund raiser. The first option is very desirable. Look how much we all loved naming Hudson! The summer of cute people loved the contests to name the lions, penguins and babirusa. Lets keep that going. Several big animal births a year would be part of naming contests. Animals like the pandas, koalas, tigers, lions, bears and other big draws would be good candidates. And maybe not even the whole litter or clutch. Other baby names could be auctioned off to the highest bidder from a list of names chosen by the staff or in consultation with the staff. Dont need 100 Bobs at the zoo. It would be a great fundraiser though. Imagine getting to be the one to name a stellar sea eagle or a komodo dragon.

Massive changes would be made to the zoos website, facebook page and twitter account. For many they are the first impression of the zoo. All events, births, research programs, conservation successes and promotions should be pumped big time. All visitor information should be extremely easy to find on all things. The cute alert would be constantly updated, daily if necessary! Animal facts pages would have well done professional photos, names, bios and identifying marks for each animal under a meet the ... spot. Webcams would be installed for the gorillas, pandas, koalas, penguins, polar bears, lions and tigers (which type depends on who has cubs). Additional cams would be added for any big draw species which has babies that need to be off exhibit for several months. Keepers would also write blogs (or writers write them on behalf of keepers who give them information and stories). People reading them can write comments as well so they can build a community of animal lovers and share information with each other. I want the bonds between my animals and guests to be strong. The more they feel connected to the zoo the more likely they are to visit.

On the tech front I would also develop an app that would use GPS to lead people around on a guided tour. For a small fee the app will talk to you and tell you about each animal as you pass them. Now it might require some input on your part, like clicking on a photo of the animal in the exhibit to get the right info. Its not like GPS is perfect and can see what you?re looking at, especially in a multiple species exhibit. Click on the Bactrian camel picture based on a selection of animals closest to you, and you can either read or have stuff read to you. Basic stuff that would be on the signage, the names of the camels at the zoo, if there is a baby info on it, and maybe a fun story about one of them. For a couple of bucks you can have your own private, individualized, guided tour. I might just be brilliant for this one.

In it I think I?ve done a lot of good things for the zoo and zoo going public. The exhibits are realistic, animal species mingle or at least rotate exhibit space, keepers are consulted, more activities have been added, the zoomobile has been modernized and made more fun, there?s more interactive stuff. Collection wise I feel I?ve done amazing things for the zoo. While we lost the elephants (still wish I could rationalize keeping them), I would be displaying a far more impressive collection. All species of bear, all of the big cats (and all species of tiger kept in North America), a lot of cool primates, an impressive collection of canines, a decent hoof stock collection and a pretty cool bird collection. Not too shabby. The number of endangered and rare species to find in North America is up significantly too. I think my changes would take it from merely a good zoo to one of the top zoos in North America if not the world.

I;ve really enjoyed redesigning the zoo...I wonder what I can do next for fun?
 
Arcticwolf your a billionaire you can do whatever you want. If you change your mind rip it down and start again. No worries money is no object.

That gives me another thought. I would obviously have to rip down and build in stages. Because im a billionair like you it can be done much faster than normal since money is no object. But once I've completed this master plan I would turn around and start back at the first region again. Now will it need to be levelled? No but updates, improved technology, improvements in animal care ect will be looked at and incorperated to keep the zoo fresh and at the cutting edge. I dont want it to ever look as old and tired as some of the areas look today.
 
I decided that I will be going with the new idea. Even though some exhibits will stay fairly similar to my old design, many will be changed and moved around. This time I'm going to add more detail so expect longer posts that take me longer to make.
 
I look forward to your changes. Dont forget a parking structure instead of a big lot could buy you tons of room to go nuts. I certainly went overboard leveling the zoo, adding 5 pavilions and adding so many other species, even dreaming big enough to buy a pair of platypi! Ah to be a pretend billionaire.

I'm kind of surprised with all the people looking at the thread this really has just turned into a discussion between you and I. Hopefully more people will join us.
 
I'm also surprised that it's only you and me commenting on this thread. Hopefully some more people post their ideas soon.
 
Zoo Entrance

Zoo visitors would park in a multi-level parking garage. Each level would be themed around a different continent. For example the African lot would have a savanna mural painted on the walls and all of the parking spots would be divided into sections with different animal names like giraffe, lion, gorilla, naked mole rat, etc. It would be a fun way for kids to learn what animal species live in each continent. It would also help them remember where they left their car. The parking garage would be a great idea for the zoo because it would give them even more space to use for animal exhibits.

After the parking garage, visitors would arrive at a new zoo entrance. After passing by the membership offices and guest services station, people would pay at the ticket booths. The zoo would participate in the quarters for conservation program like many other zoos do. This means that 25 cents from each guest's admission would be donated to the conservation program of their choice. Some examples of the zoo's conservation programs that they would be able to donate to are the black footed ferrets, vancouver island marmots, native turtles, ngege, and puerto rican crested toads.

After paying admission and donating their quarter, visitors would enter the large entrance plaza. A garden would be at the centre of the plaza. Animal shaped hedges in the garden would allow for great photo opportunities.

Close to the zoo's exit would be a gift shop with two floors. The bottom floor would sell zoo and animal themed clothing and small souvenirs like magnets, keychains, and postcards. The top floor would sell a variety of toys and books. There would be a great selection of books for both children and adults. The gift shop and almost all of the zoo's other buildings would have green roofs.

Also in the entrance would be a new carousel that would feature even more exotic animal species like giraffes, tigers, polar bears, and rhinos.

Beside the carousel would be a new zoomobile station. The zoomobile would be given a new look. It would be painted with animal patterns like tiger stripes and giraffe spots instead of the boring green and white. The zoomobile station would also include stroller and wheelchair rentals along with lockers that the visitors could use for an additional fee.

The new entrance wouldn't include a large restaurant like the current one does. Instead there would be a small coffee shop selling hot drinks and pastries. This means that if guests want a full meal, they'll have to venture further into the zoo. All of the zoo's coffee would come from sustainable coffee farms.

Before entering any of the exhibit areas, people would pass a small stage where zoo staff would bring out education animals like parrots, birds of prey, skunks, and snakes.
 
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This is an amazing start. Just one question. Since your gaining space by building a multi storie parking structure are you moving the enterance out into the parking space? Or is it staying put and your just trying to increase parking close to the zoo?

I love your parking garage idea. Its so simple yet brilliant. I hadnt worried about people finding their car in my own plans but you found a perfect solution that fits with the zoo so seemlessly. Very clever.

I like the donation idea.

A better organized gift shop was a must. I like how you cleverly put the toys upstairs to force people through the whole gift shop, hopefully adding to sales.

I like the idea of painting the zoomobiles in animal patterns. Each car being different would be neat.

Your resturaunt strategy is good too. Eveyrone would pick up a coffee to start their day and be deep in the zoo by the time lunch rolled around anyway. You dont really want to encourage them to come back to the enterance and leave.

Its a great start. I can really envision what your building. Im very interested to see what comes next.
 
Thanks for the compliments! I'm glad you like my new zoo so far.

The main entrance would be located in the old parking lot and it would be located closer to where indomalaya currently is. The current entrance would be used partly for animal exhibits and partly for the new entrance. Most of it would be taken up by the animal exhibits.

I have my next exhibit ready but I can't post it until I get home from my family dinner tonight.
 
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South America

The South American area would be the first region that visitors encounter. It would be where Indomalaya is currently and the surrounding area including the part of the entrance. Before seeing any animals, they would walk past signs with information about South America's wildlife and habitats.

After reading the signs, people would walk to a small building with the words "Research Station" at the entrance. Before going inside, there would be an outdoor exhibit home to Galapagos giant tortoises. The exhibit would resemble a dry forest with rocks, sand, vegetation, and a small pool. For an additional fee, visitors would be able to feed the tortoises with help from a zoo staff member. Inside the research station zoo guests would find signs with information about the Galapagos islands and evolution. There would also be an indoor exhibit for the tortoises that would look similar to the outdoor exhibit.

An exhibit home to Humboldt penguin would connect the Galapagos section with the rest of South America. The penguins would have a realistic coastal exhibit with a rocky beach and large pool. The pool would include a wave machine and underwater viewing. Zookeepers would do a daily penguin feeding so visitors can watch the penguins dive for their food.

Following the penguins there would be exhibits home to South America's mountain and grassland species. The first exhibit would be themed around Inca ruins and be home to llamas. Even though llamas are a domestic species, they are important to South American culture and deserve to be exhibited. After the llamas there would be a covered flamingo aviary that has enough room for the birds to fly around in. It would be themed around a mountain lake with a nice sandy beach and a large pool. Giant anteaters and maned wolves would live in a mixed species across from the flamingos. There would be tall grass and artificial termite mounds to replicate their natural habitat.

The final section in the South American area would be the Amazon pavilion. Outside there would be two exhibits. The first would be home to jaguars. The exhibit would be located in a forest and it would have a pool for them to cool off in. There would be large glass viewing windows that would allow visitors to get up close with the big cats. The second exhibit would be home to Brazilian tapirs and black spider monkeys. The monkeys would have tall trees to climb on and the tapirs would have a pool to swim in.

Inside the Amazon pavilion visitors would first see signs with information about deforestation. After the signs there would be a small area separated from the rest of the pavilion. It would be home to free flying butterflies and hummingbirds. There would be plenty of facts about the importance of pollinators in the Amazon and the rest of the world. Across from the pollinators would be a river area with exhibits for dwarf caimans, caiman lizards, yellow anacondas, and red bellied piranhas. All of the exhibits would have large pools and fake roots to make it look like a flooded forest. An indoor exhibit for the tapirs and spider monkeys would be located in the centre of the pavilion. It would have a mix of real and artificial plants. Surrounding the tapir and spider monkey exhibit would be small animal exhibits home to species like cotton topped tamarins, golden lion tamarins, emperor tamarins, pygmy marmosets, macaws, and toucans. All of the exhibits would look pretty similar with plants on the ground and branches for the primates and birds to climb and perch on. There would also be a nocturnal cave area with vampire bats, three banded armadillos, prehensile tailed porcupines, tarantulas, and other invertebrates. Other exhibits in the pavilion would be home to boas, poison frogs, milk frogs, marine toads, and other reptiles and amphibians. Free roaming around the building would be a variety of species such as sloths and birds like ibises, motmots, tanagers, sunbitterns, and ducks. One of the most popular features of this building would be a restaurant overlooking the spider monkey and tapir exhibit. It would serve a combination of family and exotic foods. There would also be a variety of healthy, locally grown, and vegetarian food options.

Zookeepers would be walking around the South American area with education animals like llamas, sloths, armadillos, macaws, boas, and tarantulas. There would also be daily penguin and flamingo walks where zookeepers walk the birds around the region.
 
I like these plans. It never occured to me to move South America but I like my African animals a lot so a chance to expand on them was too good an opportunity for me to pass up.

Inside your research station did you consider keeping marine iguanas? They are pretty cool and even though they arent part of the AZA I believe, your a billionaire. I totally forgot about the Galapagos. It would be cool to see some of the unique species living there. You could exhibit marine and land iguanas (the land ones could be Jamican Iguanas as an endangered place holder if necessary), lava lizard, boobies, frigate birds, galaapagos penguins, galapagos fur seals and or sea lions. I do think a tank and land space for marine iguanas would be amazing. They look so cool going through the water. You just dont expect to see a lizard doing that.

Im a little surprised you didnt mix anything in with the llamas. They get along with so many other species.

I like the big flamingo pen. Great idea. Covered is brilliant.

We have long needed anteaters! Mixed with the maned wolf is fine. But what happened to capybara? Have you gotten rid of them?

I like the jungle home for the jaguars with a deep pool. Nice touch.

Mixing spider monkeys and tapirs is interesting. Done well its a cool combo.

The butterfly hummingbird area sounds kind of nice. I just hope theres enough in there to really be eye catching. And I dont know about south american hummingbirds but the ruby throated hummingbirds we get up here are pretty territorial. They go to war over our feeder every year. One was killed last summer after a battle lead him into our window and this year we thought we were going to have one die on 4 different occasions when they ploughed into it. They get so involved with fighting each other they dont pay attention to anything. They even go to war with bees over their feeders. They are cool with people but other hummingbirds or insects not so much. If the other species are similar that might not be a wise combo with the butterflies or other species of hummingbird.

I like that you have similar exhibits for all of your smaller animals. It means you could rotate them through the exhibits to give them some variety.

A cave area is cool. Great spot to stick bugs.

All of your reptile and amphibian choices are nice.

Im sort of surprised at the animals you left out. Your getting rid of the capybara, saki and agouti? Your not adding some big draw animals like giant otters, other species of monkey and ocelots? Theres tons of others I thought you might include. I can tell your trying to pick endangered animals to focus on but your leaving out some great animals. Otters are a huge draw why not have as many kinds as possible? Bonus the giant otter is endangered. I could go on. Theres definitely the room in the space you've set aside to go big with your plans and collection. Just look at how much they have crammed into the Americas pavilion and mayan temple as is. Even with bigger exhibits you can still do so much more.
 
Even though I'm a billionaire, I'm still trying to keep my zoo kind of realistic which means no marine iguanas or other Galapagos species.

I don't really want to mix anything with the llamas. Their exhibit is only there to represent South American camelids. I chose them because they don't need a ton of space and they're the most popular of the four species. If I'm going to mix anything with them it would be alpacas so visitors could compare the two species.

I know that there are quite a few other zoos with aviaries for hummingbirds and butterflies so it should work out.

I know that there a many species I left out. When I plan my exhibits I still try to keep them realistic for some reason even though I don't have to. That's why I choose a few main species that I think represent the continent well. I know it might sound weird, but my dream zoo wouldn't include all of the animals I want. It would include less species with greater diversity that can all be found in captivity. Keeping my zoos realistic lets me think that they could possibly happen which is why I do it.

Also I don't want to "cram" as much as I can into one area. I gave the South American area lots of space so the animals would have larger exhibits. Also I'm trying to keep as much native forest in the zoo as possible.
 
Being realistic is no fun. LOL.

If your keeping to realistic goals I can see some of your decisions, particularily with the galapagos. I do think you could have more mixed species exhibits as they are a realistic trend in zoos now that I dont think Toronto embraces as much as it should or could. They could seriously do with more mixed exhibits particularily in Africa. Why the hoofstock and ostriches arent combined baffles me. They get along at other zoos. They live together in the wild. Hopefully we will see some shifting around when the elephants go this fall and the giraffes can move over to their new home in a while.It would be cool to see the giraffe, zebra, storks, ostriches, hornbill, kudo and sable with them. Or some combination of that plus impala or gazelle or genenuk. Its my hope that there will be some others with them but Im not going to hold my breath. Just like I wont be surprised when the hippo reno happens and we dont get underwater viewing. It will make perfect sense to do it making the hippos a bigger draw to help with the loss of the elephants as a draw but it will get cut from the plans because it costs too much. Reality is so depressing.

And your right you dont want to cram. But honestly look at the space you have available, especially with the addition of at least part of the parking lot. You have lots of space. I assumed most of my pavilions would be double the size of the African pavilion. I used current exhibits to figure roughly what I would have for new bigger exhibits or similar sized ones. And I managed to keep most of the woodland intacted and forest over a chunk of the Canadian domain. But I did take over the whole parking lot and moved my parking across the street into the overflow parking giving me roughly the space of the Eurasia Wilds to play around with too. In fact even with an oceans pavilion and kids zone on the parking lot I probably still could have fit the antarctic pavilion with ease.

I liked dreaming big because I know that if someone with deep pockets and vision bought the zoo so much could be done to make it into something fantastic. The potential is there. It just goes untapped under the citys poor leadership and financial constraints. Toronto could be the next San Diego Zoo if given the right conditions. I throughly enjoyed running wild. But if being realistic is your goal then your right you have to make some cuts. Toronto would never be able to finance any of my wild my plans but yours are a possiblity. Its a very fair arguement to make. If you are making reasonable changes because they could happen then I'd agree with many of your decisions.

I'd keep the capybara and saki though since we have them in breeding pairs. The agouti being non breeding I would put in with others until natural attrition takes its course. The capybara could go with the anteaters and maned wolf easily. The saki could potentially go with any of the primates or birds.

I didnt know if there were other hummingbird butterfly exhibits out there. Glad to hear they arent all so mean to each other and insects. Mine are bullies. Even with feeders on different ends of the house they fight. Just cant share. Though it is amusing to watch. Especially when they take on bees.

Im looking forward to what comes next in your zoo journey. Where do I go from here? Just have to wait and see.
 
I don't know why but I get really annoyed when I try to make an unrealistic zoo. I'm just weird. :D:D:D

I guess I can find somewhere to put the capybaras and sakis somewhere in my South American area.

The addition of a parking garage will give more space for animal exhibits, but not South American species. I'm still trying to decide what I will do with all the extra space.

I think you'll like the ideas I have for the rest of the zoo as long as you don't mind more "realistic" exhibits.
 
Now that I know your trying to keep things reasonable I can better understand your plans. I had thought you would have just gone wild like me but knowing your goal things make more sense.

You dont have to find room for the capybara and sakis just to satisfy me. I just figured its completely realistic to keep what we presently have. It would be much harder to source new species particularly rarer species.

Im glad your using up most of the parking lot for more animals. I think things that could go well in this space might be a penguin facility, kids zone, an ocean pavilion, or maybe move Australia. But then again if South America is near the enterance perhaps thats a good spot to work on North america. It is hard to decide what to put in that new space especially with so much of it avaliable. You'll make a good decision.
 
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