After visiting Riverview Park and Zoo I'm far from impressed. Now in defense my grand total time to tour was 90 minutes... really thought we would be there longer. The kids voted to waste time on the trains but more on that later. Honestly I'd never go back because its no where near the quality necessary to dictate the time we travelled. I think I managed to see the whole place at break neck speed.
All of the exhibits were small with very small buildings to house the animals. I really didnt see how the emu and wallaby buildings would have enough room to keep them happy over the winter. I hated the constant chainlink fences. As you will see when I post pictures its almost impossible to get a good photo of most animals.
The variety of animals on offer was sad. 1 Bobcat, 1 serval, 2 peacocks, 3 Yaks, 2 somali asses, 2 turkeys (im not sure if they were wild or the zoos), 3 bactrain camels, some meekats and squirel monkeys, otters (that we didnt see), 4 emus, 3 wallabies, 4 Rhea, 2 tortosies, 2 swans, and some other birds and farm animals. I might have missed a few exhibits to be fair. There were several empty exhibits, I couldnt tell you what was even in it as signage is spotty. Theres nothing there that I personally would go their just to see. Was it cool to see a Rhea for the first time? Sure but it wouldnt top my list of animals I would want to see added to Toronto Zoo just so I can see it.
The best exhibit by far was the otters exhibit. Its beautiful. I could see how they would be so happy there. Toronto needs to build an otter habitat that beautiful. Hopefully they can make one that cool when the Canadian Wilds is designed. Just wish the otters had been out to view.
It was neat to be able to walk within feet of the emus and wallabies. Just the chainlink seperated us from them. Although Toronto will have the walkabout open again, I just havent been there when you could go through, pity.
The outside exhibits for many of the animals has way too much wild plants obscuring views. Now I know we need to provide the animals with places to hide but this was really too much. It was exteremely hard to see animals like the monkeys, serval, swans, and several of the exhibits that appeared empty. I like to take pictures and watch the animals. Too much foliage mixed with so much chainlink really makes that near impossible.
Fun fact for anyone going. There was a single Rhea egg in the exhibit. Photo to come. But it wasnt being tended to so I dont know if its just a dud, abandoned, or a fake. Maybe their will be a chick later.
Then there was the trek across the zoo, past some utility buildings (as in power and water buildings for the city), bathrooms, the swans and a fighter plane before ending up at the train. Now I would have been content to skip it but the 12-13 year olds I was with voted for it so I said fine. It was a 5 minute hike in and 5 minute hike out past nothing of value. On a tight timeline this wasnt looking good. We paid for the train and then had to wait 15 minutes for the supervisor to come back, no warning to us it could be awhile, which was stupid considering the number of school groups there who might need to get home soon. And what was more stupid about it was that he was gone to ask about their policy on service dogs riding the tiny train. Seriously, your a freaking supervisor, it cant be the first service dog thats needed to board the train. There has to be a policy on that and a supervisor should darn well know it. The staff at Toronto would know the policy and a man that guys age should too. He was a middle aged man. When we finally got on it was a 10 minute ride across the river and around some land and back. Now I was kind of thinking it would be like the zoomobile and we would go by exhibits or circle the zoo. Oh how wrong I was. It was a kiddie (even 4 year olds would find the story boring) journey where we were to pretend we were searching for a lost puppy as we drove past crappy, and I mean the kids I was with could have done a better job, cut outs of animals who might have scared puppy away. And so getting off the train I had to listen to constant complaints for having let them go on it. Would have liked it if the zoo had kindly looked at the kids and told me they probably wouldnt enjoy it. But they want their 2 bucks a head.
Unfortunately that journey left them with absolutely no time to go on the splash pad. No way they could have changed in and out of their bathing suits in 15 minutes and still had fun. Boys maybe but I had girls.
And then they discovered there was ice cream but the line was too long... more complaints...
Finally I let them play on the playground which they were really too big for anyway but it got them to stop complaining for 15 minutes. Its a great playground for kids under 10. Beautiful, well kept, lots of activities they wouldnt get at their own schools, and huge.
While there were some nice things to the zoo, as a person who loves their zoo experience, this zoo really doesnt stack up. Sure its free... but free doesnt make up for boring and lack luster. Im inclined to agree with Greendottie... its a great place for LITTLE kids. A 6 and under would love it. The older they get the less they will like it. Im well out of that range so its a big no go for me. I will never voluntarily go back because its not for me. Others might love it but Im guessing they will be preschoolers and their parents.
