Toronto Zoo New Features for the African Savanna and African Rainforest Pavilion

[Zoogoer2000]

New Features for African Savanna
a new 10 acre outdoor elephant exhibit with two seperate yards
a new indoor elephant exhibit with sand flooring,showers and a small pool
a new elephant barn with multiple large rooms with sand floors and a pool
underwater viewing and an indoor exhibit in the new elephant house for hippos
new species in the mixed fields like eland,thomsons gazelle,gerunuk,dik dik,wildebeast and grant's gazelle
a new pretador area with lions,hyenas,african wild dogs,leopards,caracal lynx,batleur eagle,dwarf and banded mongoose and african porcupine
a forest edge area with okapi,red-flanked and yellow-backed duiker,okapi,patas monkey and aldabra tortoise
a kopje aviary with birds including hammerkop,carmine bee eater and weaver birds
a feeding deck added to the giraffe yard
a new two acre outdoor giraffe yard that would look like the mixed fields
a new giraffe barn with sand or mulch flooring in large rooms
a new indoor exhibit consisting of 5 large rooms with murals,sand flooring and a feeding deck
a safari jeep parked in the cheetah exhibit as a lookout post
a chasing lure for the cheetahs
an african penguin exhibit in the current seal pool
an african marketplace made to look like a street in Kenya
a monorail ride going over all the exhibits in African Savanna

 

[okapikpr]

a forest edge area with okapi,red-flanked and yellow-backed duiker,okapi,patas monkey and aldabra tortoise

It appears that you really want okapi

 

[Zoogoer2000]

I desperatly want okapi at toronto zoo.I can't believe toronto hasn't even flinched to acquire them

 

[Simon Hampel]

which zoo?

 

[Zoogoer2000]

oops,Its toronto zoo

 

[Zoogoer2000]

could you make it so its on the toronto zoo sub

 

[kiang]

I desperatly want okapi at toronto zoo.I can't believe toronto hasn't even flinched to acquire them

Would the cold winters in Toronto, make it difficult to keep okapi, with a large indoor area where they would need to be kept for some of the year.

I realise other cold climate zoos like Denver and Copenhagen keep them, how do they overcome this problem?

 

[Zoogoer2000]

Good question Kiang

Since Toronto Zoo is a more northern zoo, they use a method called Indoor Zoo which consists 4 main pavilions and a few smaller ones

They are much like indoor rainforests contained within a huge glass roof

Toronto also has many expansive outdoor areas (The property is 710 acres) so they have the room

They've also exhibit bongo in the past which are fairly similar. They just had an indoor exhibit in one of the pavilions for the winter and then a large, outdoor year for warmer days

 

[Blondie]

Any word on when this is suppose to have construction started?

 

[Zoogoer2000]

Consturuction on what, the southside pavilion reno?

 

[Blondie]

on any of it other than tundra trek of course seeing as thats practically finished
What are they gonna start next?

 

[Quartz92]

Blondie check out the Toronto Zoo Future Development Thread, it has the list of soon to start projects. The next project would be the South Side of the African Rainforest Pavilion. With new exhibits for red river hogs, mandrills, cichlids, and hopefully pygmy hippos. Starting this winter hopefully.

As for the next project in the North Zoo Site Redevelopment it would be the Eurasian/Canadian Wilderness Exhibits. With new exhibits Eurasian animals such as giant pandas, golden monkeys, wild horses, snow leopards, etc. and Canadian animals such as moose, grizzly bear, bison, etc.

Other projects that will probably start soon would be the renovations to the Greenhouse Gift Shop, and other maintenance around the zoo.

For more in depth conversation see the thread posted above (link below), and we would love to answer any more questions.

http://www.zoochat.com/223/toronto-zoo-future-developments-2008-a-22076/