Toronto Zoo Toronto Zoo Animal Collection Plans

animalman0341

animalman0341

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
Hello all! I hope everyone is staying safe!


Since I’ve had some time on my hands, I decided I would make a series of posts detailing which species will be staying at the zoo, which species will be leaving, and which species will be potentially arriving, based on the Animal Lives with Purpose: Institutional Animal Plan for the Toronto Zoo. I’m sorry to all the fish and invertebrate folks, but I haven’t included those species in my lists. You’ll find all the mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians! The plans could change at any given moment rendering the posts irrelevant, but I thought it would help to show which species the zoo is going to focus on and which species the zoo will be letting go. Enjoy!


African Rainforest Pavilion

Mammals (6 Species)

Meerkat

Pygmy Hippopotamus - current Pygmy Hippo, Red River Hog and Nile Softshell Turtle indoor exhibits will be enhanced and amalgamated to form a rotational or mixed species exhibit; outdoor space could include current Red River Hog exhibit, current Warthog exhibit, and current River Hippo exhibit, with the addition of a wildlife crossing; underwater viewing with the addition of Cichlids is possible

Red River Hog – current Pygmy Hippo, Red River Hog and Nile Softshell Turtle indoor exhibits will be enhanced and amalgamated to form a rotational or mixed species exhibit; outdoor space could include current Red River Hog exhibit, current Warthog exhibit, and current River Hippo exhibit, with the addition of a wildlife crossing

Ring Tailed Lemur – current Wattled Crane/Grey Crowned Crane outdoor exhibits will become Lemur Walk-Through

Straw Colored Fruit Bat – potential relocation to current Hornbill aviary which is to be expanded over current Spoonbill/Ibis exhibit

Western Lowland Gorilla – potential updates to outdoor exhibit and day room

Phase Out/Surplus:

Naked Mole Rat

Spotted Necked Otter

Birds (14 Species)

African Spoonbill – possible relocation to renovated, current Spotted Necked Otter exhibit; walk-through wading bird aviary

Black Crake

Blue Bellied Roller

Golden Breasted Starling

Hammerkop

Sacred Ibis – possible relocation to renovated, current Spotted Necked Otter exhibit; walk-through wading bird aviary

South African Sheduck

Speckled Mousebird

Speckled Pigeon

Superb Starling

Violet Turaco

Wattled Crane

White Cheeked Turaco

White Vented Bulbul

Reptiles (7 Species)

Aldabra Tortoise

Dwarf Crocodile

Gaboon Viper

Nile Softshell Turtle - current Pygmy Hippo, Red River Hog and Nile Softshell Turtle indoor exhibits will be enhanced and amalgamated to form a rotational or mixed species exhibit

Northern Spider Tortoise

Radiated Tortoise

Veiled Chameleon – will take over all current Chameleon space

Phase Out/Surplus

Meller’s Chameleon

Nile Monitor

Amphibians (6 Species)

African Clawed Frog

Betsileo Mantella

Congolese Giant Toad*** - possible new addition to complement relationship between toad and Gaboon Viper; current Royal Python exhibit

Golden Mantella

Painted Mantella

Sambava Tomato Frog
 
African Savanna

Mammals (11 Species)

African Lion – possible expansion into current Eland exhibit

Blue Wildebeest – current exhibit to be merged with current Ostrich exhibit to form drive-through exhibit; possible relocation to expanded/amalgamated savanna

Caracal*** - returning to the collection; current Porcupine exhibit, though I hope they expand it

Cheetah – exhibit and complex to be expanded

Eland – possible inclusion in expanded/amalgamated savanna; current exhibit to become extension of Lion exhibit

Greater Kudu – possible inclusion in expanded/amalgamated savanna

Grevy’s Zebra – possible inclusion in expanded/amalgamated savanna

Masai Giraffe – possible inclusion/access to expanded/amalgamated savanna

Spotted Hyena – zoo will become a non-breeding facility to support elderly SSP animals

Watusi – personally I wish they would leave the collection so the space could be used for a more valuable species of large mammal

White Rhinoceros – possible inclusion in expanded/amalgamated savanna, though I have my doubts based on the zoos history

Phase Out/Surplus

African Crested Porcupine – current exhibit for returning Caracal

Olive Baboon – current exhibit potentially for new acquisitions of African vultures (I’m hoping for Lappet Faced and White Backed)

River Hippopotamus – current outdoor exhibit to become rotational or mixed exhibit for Pygmy Hippos and Red River Hogs

Warthog - current outdoor exhibit to become rotational or mixed exhibit for Pygmy Hippos and Red River Hogs

African Lion (White)

Birds (6 Species)

African Penguin

Grey Crowned Crane - possible inclusion in expanded/amalgamated savanna

Ostrich - current exhibit to be merged with current Wildebeest exhibit to form drive-through exhibit; possible relocation to expanded/amalgamated savanna or giraffe exhibit

Southern Ground Hornbill - possible inclusion in expanded/amalgamated savanna

White Breasted Cormorant

White Headed Vulture - possible inclusion in expanded/amalgamated savanna
 
Indo-Malaya

Mammals (4 Species)

North Sulawesi Babirusa – exhibit space will expand once Rhinos are phased out; possible mixed species exhibit

Sumatran Orangutan – new outdoor exhibit under construction; indoor exhibit renovation to happen in the future; possible mixed species exhibit with Gibbons

Sumatran Tiger – exhibit to be expanded with the addition of a training wall and overhead walkway

White Handed Gibbon – possible mixed species exhibit with Orangutans

Phase Out/Surplus

Clouded Leopard – demolition of Malayan Woods Pavilion

Indian Rhinoceros – exhibit will be repurposed for Babirusa and others (just speculation on my part but we could see the return of the Malayan Tapir); potential addition of Asian Small Clawed Otters based on the last master plan, though it also included the Rhinos, so nothing is set in stone

Lion Tailed Macaque – living out their days in former Japanese Macaque exhibit

Birds (13 Species)

Blue Throated Laughing Thrush

Crested Wood Partridge

Fairy Bluebird

Great Hornbill

Green Winged Dove

Indian Peafowl – free roaming

Luzon Bleeding Heart Dove

Mandarin Duck

Nicobar Pigeon

Palawan Peacock Pheasant

Pheasant Pigeon

Pied Imperial Pigeon

Western Cattle Egret

Phase Out/Surplus

Malayan Crested Fireback

Red Billed Blue Magpie

Wrinkled Hornbill

Reptiles (10 Species)

Black Breasted Leaf Turtle

Boelen’s Python

Burmese Star Tortoise

False Gharial

Malayan Painted River Terrapin

Monacled Cobra

Reticulated Python

Spotted Pond Turtle

Tentacled Snake

Tokay Gecko

Phase Out/Surplus

Asian Brown Tortoise

Chinese Crocodile Lizard

Chinese Softshell Turtle

Spiny Hill Turtle

Amphibians (2 Species)

Chinese Giant Salamander – to be relocated from Panda Interpretive Centre/Special Events Tent

Emperor Newt
 
Hi all, quick question does the Expanded/Amalgamated Savanna mean that all the animals will live in one exhibit?
 
Eurasia

Mammals (6 Species)

Amur Tiger – possible exhibit expansion and addition of tug of war feature!

Bactrian Camel

Markhor*** - possible addition to replace other mountain goats; likely current Tur/Tahr exhibits

Przewalski’s Horse – to be relocated to current Mouflon exhibit; current drive through exhibit will be home to relocated Wood Bison

Red Panda

Snow Leopard

Phase Out/Surplus

Barbary Macaque

Barbary Sheep

Chamois

European Mouflon

Himalayan Tahr

West Caucasian Tur

Yak - current drive through exhibit will be home to relocated Wood Bison

Birds (1 Species)

Steller’s Sea Eagle – possible exhibit expansion to improve breeding conditions
 
Australasia

Mammals (5 Species)

Bennett’s Wallaby – current Tree Kangaroo exhibit and bird wing could become indoor walk-through exhibit

Koala*** - potential acquisition of brush fire victims

Short Beaked Echidna

Southern Hairy Nosed Wombat

Western Grey Kangaroo - current Tree Kangaroo exhibit and bird wing could become indoor walk-through exhibit

Phase Out/Surplus

Brush Tailed Bettong

Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo – current exhibit could become indoor kangaroo/wallaby walk-through exhibit; also potential Koala exhibit space

Birds (4 Species)

Kookaburra – possible mixed species exhibit as part of indoor kangaroo/wallaby walk-through; potential outdoor access in old Lorikeet aviary

Scarlet Chested Parrot

Tawny Frogmouth

Victoria Crowned Pigeon – possible mixed species exhibit as part of indoor kangaroo/wallaby walk-through

Phase Out/Surplus

Galah

Ring Necked Pheasant

Reptiles (8 Species)

Black Tree Monitor – possible expanded exhibit

Emerald Tree Boa – possible expanded exhibit

Fiji Banded Iguana – possible expanded exhibit

Fly River Turtle

Green Tree Python – possible expanded exhibit

Komodo Dragon – addition of outdoor exhibit

Prehensile Tailed Skink – possible expanded exhibit

Red Bellied Short Necked Turtle – possible expanded exhibit

Phase Out/Surplus

Red Tailed Green Ratsnake

Stimson’s Python

Amphibians (2 Species)

Solomon Island Leaf Frog

White’s Tree Frog
 
Americas

Mammals (10 Species)

Armadillo*** - species unknown for outreach programs

Beaver - whether they remain in their current exhibit or are moved is dependent on the accessibility of the Pavilion; all tropical species could be removed (though I think this would be a terrible mistake)

Black Footed Ferret – expanded exhibit

Capybara – barrier between current exhibit and flamingos will be removed for expanded habitat

Golden Lion Tamarin – expanded exhibit into former Marmoset exhibits; all tropical species could be removed (though I think this would be a terrible mistake)

Jaguar – exhibit to be expanded into former Spider Monkey exhibit; possible underwater viewing

Linnaeus’ Two Toed Sloth – new sloth for outreach programs

North American River Otter – whether they remain in their current exhibit or are moved is dependent on the accessibility of the Pavilion; all tropical species could be removed (though I think this would be a terrible mistake)

Vancouver Island Marmoset – possible exhibit

White Faced Saki - all tropical species could be removed (though I think this would be a terrible mistake)

Phase Out/Surplus

Black Handed Spider Monkey – current exhibit to be expanded home for Jaguars

Marmoset – current exhibit to be expanded home for Tamarins

Prehensile Tailed Porcupine

Birds (17 Species)

American Flamingo - barrier between current exhibit and capybaras will be removed for expanded habitat

Blue & Yellow Macaw

Blue Crowned Motmot

Eastern Loggerhead Shrike

Great Horned Owl

Green Aracari

Green Winged Macaw

Opal Rumped Tanager

Paradise Tanager

Plush Crested Jay

Rufous Collared Sparrow

Scarlet Ibis

Silver Beaked Tanager

Spectacled Owl

Sunbittern

Turquoise Tanager

White Lined Tanager

Phase Out/Surplus

Blue Throated Piping Guan

Double Striped Thick-Knee

Red Crested Finch

Reptiles (17 Species)

American Alligator

Blanding’s Turtle

Boa Constrictor

Desert Grassland Whiptail

Dwarf Caiman

Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle

Gila Monster

Guatemalan Beaded Lizard

Jamaican Boa

Massasauga Rattlesnake

Mata Mata Turtle

Midland Painted Turtle

San Esteban Island Chuckwalla

Snapping Turtle

Spotted Turtle

Wood Turtle

Yellow Spotted Amazon River Turtle

Phase Out/Surplus

Eyelash Viper

Honduran Milksnake

Pacific Gophersnake

Amphibians (11 Species)

Axolotl

Blue Dyeing Poison Frog

Green & Black Poison Arrow Frog

Lemur Leaf Frog

Marsupial Frog

Panamanian Golden Frog

Puerto Rican Crested Toad

Splash Backed Poison Frog

Suriname Toad*** - possible acquisition

Yellow & Blue Poison Arrow Frog

Yellow Banded Poison Dart Frog
 
Wilderness North

Mammals (8 Species)

Arctic Wolf

Cougar

Grizzly Bear – relocated to extensively renovated former wisent exhibit; training wall

Moose

Pacific Walrus*** - possible addition to current polar bear area but not likely after the passing of the female walrus we were set to acquire

Polar Bear – possible rotational exhibit with grizzly bears; creation of bear centre

Porcupine Caribou – potential drive-through exhibit

Wood Bison – relocated to current Eurasia drive-through

Phase Out/Surplus

Canada Lynx

Elk

Eurasian Reindeer

Birds (2 Species)

Lesser Snow Goose

Whooping Crane*** - possible addition; would reside in refurbished arctic fox exhibit

Phase Out/Surplus

Snowy Owl
 
Discovery Zone

Mammals (6 Species)

Alpaca – current exhibit to become part of goat walk-through

Goat – current exhibit to be expanded to become a walk-through exhibit

Miniature Donkey

Raccoon – relocated from Domain

Striped Skunk

Woodchuck

*** dig barrier in former prairie dog exhibit to be installed prompting the question of another addition (perhaps the return of prairie dogs, but entirely speculation on my part)

Phase Out/Surplus

Ferret

Guinea Pig

Rabbit

Birds (12 Species)

Abyssinian Ground Hornbill – kid’s zoo/bird show

American Kestrel – bird show

American Peregrine Falcon – bird show

Bald Eagle – bird show

Eastern Red Tailed Hawk – bird show

Eurasian Eagle Owl – bird show

Harris’ Hawk – bird show

Raven – kid’s zoo

Red Legged Seriema – kid’s zoo

Secretary Bird – kid’s zoo/bird show

Trumpeter Swan – free roaming

Turkey Vulture – bird show

Phase Out/Surplus

Lanner Falcon

Reptiles (7 Species)

Ball Python - outreach

Bearded Dragon - outreach

Eastern Fox Snake - outreach

Great Basin Gopher Snake - outreach

Hog Island Boa - outreach

Mali Spiny Tailed Lizard - outreach

Western Ratsnake – outreach


Animal Health Centre

Amphibians (1 Species)

Oregon Spotted Frog
 
Akula said:
Hi all, quick question does the Expanded/Amalgamated Savanna mean that all the animals will live in one exhibit?
Click to expand...
Hi @Akula , as per the latest master plan the Savanna is supposed to join a variety of species together, however seeing as this project is likely over a decade away there is no guarantee we'll see these exact species
 
For those interested, I have attached links to both the most recent Master Plan and the Animal Lives with Purpose Plan.

https://www.torontozoo.com/2017-01-24_TZ-MP Final Report_web.pdf

https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2020/zb/bgrd/backgroundfile-158681.pdf

There are a lot of contradictions between the two documents, but it's helpful to see which areas and which species the zoo is prioritizing. I didn't even mention the addition of Sea Otters in any of my posts, and that goes to demonstrate how quickly these plans can change; for better or worse.

I hope you all find the posts useful!
 
Seeing this list makes me really upset. Some of my favorite animals are set to being phased out, like the Greater One-Horned Rhinos and especially the Clouded Leopards.

What does it mean for a species to be phased out? Are they planning on removing them in the next year? The next five? Is this species going to be gone for good?

I don't know when the next time I'll be able to visit the zoo due to Covid. Some of my favorite memories from childhood to now has been seeing the Clouded Leopards at the zoo.

This news makes me extremely sad, it seems like they are phasing out a lot of charismatic animals... I hope its not soon so I can have plenty more visits to the Clouded Leopards before they are gone....
 
Phase outs can be conducted two ways. First you can go for the quick phase out and just find new homes for the animals at other zoos. Well its quick if you can find homes that is. Sometimes that takes awhile. The zoo is going for that option with the hippos for example. They are currently available for adoption by another zoo. It would be faster to have them go somewhere else then waiting on option two. The second way to phase a species out is to first stop all breeding and then take care of the animals until they reach the end of their lives and you eventually just have the last one die. This can be a much slower process. Chamois for example are a species were the zoo is doing that. They haven't bred in forever and they have slowly died off leaving us with just two elderly chamois. In the next few years these last two will pass and their exhibit will be free for a new species. Sometimes they are used in combination. The barbary apes are a good example of this. They sent their younger animals away to free up space sooner but they have two elderly females the zoo felt were better off just being kept at the zoo until they passed. Its been years since the younger apes left and the old girls are still going. If they hadnt sent the younger ones away we might still have barbary apes 10 -20 years from now and thats not the zoos goal. The reasons for phases outs can vary widely but some examples might be the costs of redesigning exhibits to improve welfare or meet requirements, lack of interest, needing the space for other species, health concerns, ability to get breeding stock or disperse young, ect.

When it comes to the animal plan for Toronto the plan I think is probably a 10 to 15 year plan. The tree kangaroo will likely head south as soon as the border opens and transport is arranged. The Indian rhinos though on the opposite end of the scale would likely be one of the last things they look at sending out. Redevelopment of their area was about 15 years down the line for the last master plan. Now that could change with the new SSP but I would assume they will be around probably for most of Vishnu and Asha's lives. They will keep breeding and nothing will change until they are ready to redevelop the area. And any species where they are just waiting for them to die off its impossible to say for sure when that will happen. Tahr, barbary sheep, mouflon, lion tailed macaques, barbary apes, chamois are all examples of species that have been on phase out for a decade or more already.

The clouded leopards unfortunately are being cut not necessarily because its what the zoo wants to do but right now has to do. They did a site survey around 2014 and discovered that the Malayan Woods is sitting on ground that isnt entirely safe. The weight of the building combined with erosion on the cliff behind makes the woods a potential hazard in the years to come. It would be cost prohibitive or down right impossible to rectify the situation to keep the building. The safest thing the zoo can do for the animals, guests, staff and the environment is to take down the building before the situation forces their hand. Its safe for now but long term its going to become a problem. While the birds, bugs, fish and reptiles are easy enough to fit in Indo Malaya, the clouded leopards pose a problem. They need far more space then is available in the pavilion and it sits in a spot where its unlikely they can just add on to accommodate them. The rhino house already is too small for what they have there so its not an option. And the peafowl/lemur seasonal home isn't in good condition itself. It is supposed to be ripped down in the coming years as well. There just isn't a good place to put them. Further complicating the issue is the problem of breeding clouded leopards in Canada. Clouded leopards are almost always hand reared so that they can decrease infant mortality and pair cubs with their future mate by the age of 6 months. Male clouded leopards can be very aggressive with females while breeding which resulted in an unacceptable rate of accidental deaths in the females. They found by pairing a male and female prior to to 6 months of age they could vastly reduce violent interactions and increase breeding success. Thats all well and good in a US zoo with other US zoos to swap cubs with to create pairs with but in Canada we need to get that cub across the border in less than 5 months so they have one month for quarantine before introduction. Thats a lot of red tape to cut through. Its the reason the last cubs went no where. The zoo just couldnt get them to mates fast enough. It means that any leopards sent to Canada need to be surplus to the population. They really shouldn't have got Mingma and Pavarti. It would have been better to get a lone male or female or same sex sibling set. But then again Mingma and Pavarti are poor choices for mates anyway because they are cousins.

I have heard through the rumor mill that the woods may never reopen. Due to covid and the inability to safely distance in the building they may accelerate their plans to knock it down. I doubt they would make a firm decision though until things start to go back to as close to normal as we can get again. They definitely cannot ship them south for the foreseeable future.
 
Thanks for the response.
I understand why they are doing it, but I'm no less sad.
Hopefully by the time I am vaccinated and able to visit the zoo they will still be there and the exhibit will still be open.
Or hopefully another Canadian zoo will take them, like Levy at Safari Niagara, and hopefully they get put on exhibit.
 
Oh dont feel alone on the sadness. Im not happy about it either. They are so striking. We all have animals on this list we are upset about. It differs from person to person. Im still upset about the hippos, tree kangaroos and Im enraged about the rhinos.

I do hope it opens back up or if they dont reopen it they consider putting them outside for the summer instead of the lemurs so people can say goodbye before they go. Its not really built for predators so thats unlikely. The girls used it but they were hand reared cubs with their keepers. Keepers cant just go into the same physical space with the adults.

Given their low value it is possible they may go elsewhere in Canada. They arent really needed breeding back in the states but that will be up to their owners to decide if placement at a non AZA Canadian zoo is ok with them. Calgary might be a nice home if they can live in the indoor panda exhibits. But that supposed to be converted for orangs so I dont know. I could see Parc Safari angling for them too.
 
I was heartbroken when reading the hippos, greater one horned rhinos and clouded leopards were on the phase out list, but the greater one horned rhino is now considered a vulnerable species, and if the clouded leopards aren’t breeding then the zoo is not sticking to their conservation message at the start of every Facebook live since they aren’t breeding the clouded leopards. As well, the hippos just don’t have the space plus the exhibit is not in the best shape. It’s a shame that the Eurasia wilds is not that old and they already have new plans to connect it to the Canadian Wilderness/Asian Highlands. But hopefully this Summer the Orangutan project will be done, Mazy may have Cubs and they try again with the AI techniques for the bison herd. I believe they did AI on 17 females but nothing came of it, does anyone know what happened with the AI process this past summer/fall?
 
The fall 2020 AI attempt on the wood bison appeared to have failed. They did ultrasounds on all 17 cows and couldn't detect a fetus in any of them. Would be nice if they just missed something in one of them but don't hold your breath. They are working to prefect their techniques so its not all that surprising the breeding season was a bust. The zoo would never have tried with 17 of the cows if they thought there was a chance they would get more than a few calves. Another attempt will likely be made in the fall and hopefully this past attempt will teach them something new and they can increase their odds of success.
 
Oh forgot to mention that a few months back the zoo put new glass for the underwater viewing in the main polar bear exhibit, could this be a step ahead?
 
I think the new glass was just needed, lifespan and all. And didnt Juno crack at least one pane? It was part of the retrofitting plan for the walruses too so instead of one pane they probably just decided to do all of them now.
 
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