Toronto Zoo Toronto Zoo Births, Deaths and Transfers 2021
- Thread starter TZFan
- Start date
Drama with the kangaroo mob. We now know why the walkabout is closed. Sydney had a joey in late winter and during the reopening they worked hard to get Sydney and probably Tori with Melbourne still in the pouch ready for guests. They thought they had Sydney comfortable enough they reopened the walkabout but in mid August she kicked the joey out of the pouch. The joey is still hairless and far too small to be out of the pouch at all. They sedated Sydney and carefully reattached the joey to a nipple and it seems to be doing well. The walkabout will remain closed likely for the winter which by then the joey will be out an about anyway. There is a cute video of the joey after rescue and the process of getting him or her to latch again. Hopefully Simon sired a girl this time. Our mob is down to only 2 adult females, 1 mature male, 2 young males (1 neutered), 1 male joey and the newest joey.
I know I said recently the clouded leopards werent supposed to be going anywhere for 2 years likely. Gonna change my statement. The zoo is now actively seeking placement for them in the US so its highly unlikely the Woods will ever reopen. Situation changed clearly and for all of us unfortunately. I would suggest anyone who wants to see them one last time consider the Wild Encounter while they can. No new home has been chosen and who knows how long that and arranging transportation might take but we also don't know how long they will continue to offer that encounter too.
Shame the two won't be staying in Canada. Off the top of my head I would imagine both Valley zoo and safari Niagara would be interested in them.
hyena142
Well-Known Member
Well, RIP Malayan Woods then. I really don't like butterflies so I don't think I'll miss that part of it, lol. It's a shame the clouded leopards have to leave though, I have a lot of good memories of them coming up to the window to check me out. Hopefully they'll stick around long enough for the Woods to reopen to the public one last time as unlikely as that is.
That's a shame about the Clouded Leopards. If we are ruling the Malayan woods out now, I hope they have a plan to gradually introduce something new.
Also random question - does the zoo still have warthogs?
Also random question - does the zoo still have warthogs?
Sorry everyone to have had to break the news. It's new info and there is still a tiny chance they could open it back up before a new home is chosen.. However I also know people have deep bonds with different animals and if anyone wanted a chance to say goodbye it was best to break your hearts now. At least you have a chance to do a wild encounter.
I will miss the woods. It was a lush little place and while I am not a big bug person I did like the life the butterflies brought to the building. And who doesn't think clouded leopards are possibly the most beautiful of the cats. While I have never been a fan of the pairing of Mingma and Pavarti thats simply because it was a waste of two animals. They were cousins so they shouldn't have been paired though they were part of the only two litters born that year meaning there was no choice. And I knew bringing them to Canada with the unique needs of the clouded leopard meant breeding was going to be unproductive as well. Cubs need to be in the US soon after birth so either we get the benefit of cubs and have useless clouded leopards like Levy or they go south before anyone even gets to see the cubs. Just not a recipe for success like so many of our other species.
In terms of what might take over the woods... given why its being closed my guess is best we can hope for is a garden or picnic spot. Lame but if the building is at risk of the ground eroding below it they cant put another exhibit there. I don't think anything massive will happen to the area until the Indian rhinos are gone and that isn't happening in the next little while. Its starting with Asha leaving but since Kiran and Vishnu are due to stay on for the next few years minimum it will take time. Unlike the woods biding their time with the rhinos makes sense. We know the next massive project is the entrance and sea otter exhibit so they shouldnt have the funds for a larger scale conversion of the rhino house for a different purpose. Anything else would definitely require a barn retrofit bare minimum because rhinos are so large and whatever they replace them with will be smaller.
And while I am destroying hope lets just rip off this band aid too. I have it on good authority that the transfer plans for the Sumatran tigers is dead. Kemala will stay and Nisha will no longer be arriving from Jacksonville to breed with Hari. Given their ages (Kemala is 14 and Hari is 12) and Hari's overrepresentation, I think at this point nothing will happen and we have them for life. Probably another 6-8 years before we get another breeding pair in. Combine that with the fact that Amur tiger Mazy is now too old to breed again and we are in for a long wait before we see any tiger cubs again. Enjoy Mila while you can!
I will throw you a shred of hope. Calgary is to get a new male snow leopard so they might finally fork over Pemba like they have been asked to do for several years now. Gee if they would just send him before the end of October I think we have a decent shot at 2022 snow leopard cubs and Ena will be young enough when they are mature to have a second litter with him. I have my doubts that will happen but I am gonna be more than thrilled if it does.
Update nope I have other good news... Zoo just posted red panda Adira is going to Edmonton while they send us back Paprika. Its happening soon so you might wanna say goodbye now. But by summer we could have new cubs! Sadly Paprika is just meh genetics. Suva is the number 2 male and Ila was the number 2 female so they were just supposed to churn out cubs as often as possible. Paprika will likely limit the number of cubs we will get if we get cubs (she is unproven and already 4 years old, we have until shes 8 to breed her)... I just wondered if this is a good pairing. It's all kinds of icky. She is Suva's half aunt. Kalden is her dad and his granddad. Wait it gets better Kalden is also a potential mate for Adira so he will breed his great granddaughter. COME ON SSP!!! I know there is covid problems at the border but isn't there a better option for everyone in Canada?
I will miss the woods. It was a lush little place and while I am not a big bug person I did like the life the butterflies brought to the building. And who doesn't think clouded leopards are possibly the most beautiful of the cats. While I have never been a fan of the pairing of Mingma and Pavarti thats simply because it was a waste of two animals. They were cousins so they shouldn't have been paired though they were part of the only two litters born that year meaning there was no choice. And I knew bringing them to Canada with the unique needs of the clouded leopard meant breeding was going to be unproductive as well. Cubs need to be in the US soon after birth so either we get the benefit of cubs and have useless clouded leopards like Levy or they go south before anyone even gets to see the cubs. Just not a recipe for success like so many of our other species.
In terms of what might take over the woods... given why its being closed my guess is best we can hope for is a garden or picnic spot. Lame but if the building is at risk of the ground eroding below it they cant put another exhibit there. I don't think anything massive will happen to the area until the Indian rhinos are gone and that isn't happening in the next little while. Its starting with Asha leaving but since Kiran and Vishnu are due to stay on for the next few years minimum it will take time. Unlike the woods biding their time with the rhinos makes sense. We know the next massive project is the entrance and sea otter exhibit so they shouldnt have the funds for a larger scale conversion of the rhino house for a different purpose. Anything else would definitely require a barn retrofit bare minimum because rhinos are so large and whatever they replace them with will be smaller.
And while I am destroying hope lets just rip off this band aid too. I have it on good authority that the transfer plans for the Sumatran tigers is dead. Kemala will stay and Nisha will no longer be arriving from Jacksonville to breed with Hari. Given their ages (Kemala is 14 and Hari is 12) and Hari's overrepresentation, I think at this point nothing will happen and we have them for life. Probably another 6-8 years before we get another breeding pair in. Combine that with the fact that Amur tiger Mazy is now too old to breed again and we are in for a long wait before we see any tiger cubs again. Enjoy Mila while you can!
I will throw you a shred of hope. Calgary is to get a new male snow leopard so they might finally fork over Pemba like they have been asked to do for several years now. Gee if they would just send him before the end of October I think we have a decent shot at 2022 snow leopard cubs and Ena will be young enough when they are mature to have a second litter with him. I have my doubts that will happen but I am gonna be more than thrilled if it does.
Update nope I have other good news... Zoo just posted red panda Adira is going to Edmonton while they send us back Paprika. Its happening soon so you might wanna say goodbye now. But by summer we could have new cubs! Sadly Paprika is just meh genetics. Suva is the number 2 male and Ila was the number 2 female so they were just supposed to churn out cubs as often as possible. Paprika will likely limit the number of cubs we will get if we get cubs (she is unproven and already 4 years old, we have until shes 8 to breed her)... I just wondered if this is a good pairing. It's all kinds of icky. She is Suva's half aunt. Kalden is her dad and his granddad. Wait it gets better Kalden is also a potential mate for Adira so he will breed his great granddaughter. COME ON SSP!!! I know there is covid problems at the border but isn't there a better option for everyone in Canada?
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Closing the Mayan Woods for good is for the best. Safety first. It sucks, but It's what's needed, especially if the Clouded Leopards are to go. I think you're right @TZFan, garden of picnic spots will take it's place, once they tear down the current structure.
Interested Red Panda development. I wonder if boarder issue are really that much of an issue that they have to resort to this.
Interested Red Panda development. I wonder if boarder issue are really that much of an issue that they have to resort to this.
The zoo has 2 more domestic goats in quarantine, males Moonshine and Romeo. Unlike Easter Bunny and Mollie Bean who were just shown off, these two are full grown adults. Romeo is brown and white with well warn horns, while Moonshine is black with taupe spots and is hornless.
@TheGerenuk announced in the Calgary forum that male hamerkop, Homer has arrived there to breed with their female Stella. I'm gonna miss Homer. Since our other male Hector was always kept in the aviary behind the Nile softshell turtle I never bonded with him. At least we now know who was the male is with the female. Now to just learn our new girls name.
Excellent news @Akula!. Just a pity they would hatch at the wrong time of year to be really seen by most but it also might be smart to breed now when they would be more relaxed and less likely to see guests as a threat. I mean its not like Hector was really used to being that close to guests until recently. Can't speak to the female because I don't even know where she's from.
Lol love the humor in the name! I always have to give credit to keepers who take the time to find a name that is funny. Do you happen to know where MC came from? I have been going from memory on Hector. Maybe it is Herman... Ok I just looked it up it is Herman. Why did I have Hector stuck in my brain? I never looked it up I was so sure. Oh well.
Welcome to the Toronto page Aelita, Adira should go within the Fall months most likely in the next 3 weeks, as when the Zoo announced they were shipping out Mylo and Kita the Snow leopards it was 3 weeks before they departed. I did have the same question so I am just guessing based on when the Snow leopards left. It Depends on the other Canadian Facilities and how genetically valuable there Red Pandas are, Toronto does have Suva the breeding male Red Panda who is ranked within the Top 5 so he is a big draw and needs to be breed.
Toronto does Tend to pop up in other Canadian threads as they are the biggest and house the most species so its almost inevitable they will eventually cross paths with the other Canadian Zoos.
Toronto does Tend to pop up in other Canadian threads as they are the biggest and house the most species so its almost inevitable they will eventually cross paths with the other Canadian Zoos.
@Aelita, let me also welcome you to our group. Hope you stick around and join in on the conversations. We can always use new friends.
The zoo did say they would announce Adira's departure date when it got closer... well not the date but last day on exhibit due to security for the move. They never say what day a move will happen. My guess is it will happen this fall probably as soon as they can arrange the swap and get both girls crate trained which they may already be well on the way with. Breeding season is January through March so we need Paprika no later that December 1. But they aren't just going to spring a very sensitive breeder from quarantine and shove Suva in her face expecting breeding. They would want her comfortable in the exhibit, with her keepers and Suva's presence. Probably should push that back another month to no later than November 1. But I am pretty sure they will want to do the swap as early as possible so shes as comfortable as possible so probably sometime in October and depending on how long they have known this is coming maybe earlier. Just because we just found out doesnt mean they havent known for some time. Now you probably noticed I have only talked about Paprika's arrival and the reason for that is simple it's a swap so the keepers who bring Paprika would likely take Adira or vice versa. Adira likely wont be bred this breeding season. She could be bred but they said Kalden is a possible mate telling me they are waiting to breed her a year likely due to the chaotic full and partial and rearing that was necessary with her. Paprika on the other hand is ready to go and if anything there is a pressure to get her bred as soon as possible because she is already 4 and if a female red panda hasn't bred by 8 she likely never will. If you can breed her before then you will still possibly get litters after that depending on her health. My guess for Adira's departure is probably early to mid October with early November being the latest unless they want to risk loosing another breeding cycle for Paprika which would be insane for Toronto to do in 2022 when hopefully we can return to normal attendance... fingers crossed and knocking on wood. 2022 the zoo needs as many big ticket babies and draws as it can get and red panda cubs while not the biggest pull (that will be the giraffe calf) they are heavy hitters in the cute department.
The zoo did say they would announce Adira's departure date when it got closer... well not the date but last day on exhibit due to security for the move. They never say what day a move will happen. My guess is it will happen this fall probably as soon as they can arrange the swap and get both girls crate trained which they may already be well on the way with. Breeding season is January through March so we need Paprika no later that December 1. But they aren't just going to spring a very sensitive breeder from quarantine and shove Suva in her face expecting breeding. They would want her comfortable in the exhibit, with her keepers and Suva's presence. Probably should push that back another month to no later than November 1. But I am pretty sure they will want to do the swap as early as possible so shes as comfortable as possible so probably sometime in October and depending on how long they have known this is coming maybe earlier. Just because we just found out doesnt mean they havent known for some time. Now you probably noticed I have only talked about Paprika's arrival and the reason for that is simple it's a swap so the keepers who bring Paprika would likely take Adira or vice versa. Adira likely wont be bred this breeding season. She could be bred but they said Kalden is a possible mate telling me they are waiting to breed her a year likely due to the chaotic full and partial and rearing that was necessary with her. Paprika on the other hand is ready to go and if anything there is a pressure to get her bred as soon as possible because she is already 4 and if a female red panda hasn't bred by 8 she likely never will. If you can breed her before then you will still possibly get litters after that depending on her health. My guess for Adira's departure is probably early to mid October with early November being the latest unless they want to risk loosing another breeding cycle for Paprika which would be insane for Toronto to do in 2022 when hopefully we can return to normal attendance... fingers crossed and knocking on wood. 2022 the zoo needs as many big ticket babies and draws as it can get and red panda cubs while not the biggest pull (that will be the giraffe calf) they are heavy hitters in the cute department.
Just a few comments, Paprika at least is already kennel trained, and trained to walk on a harness as well. She's also been extensively socialized with other pandas and people as well, so she'll likely settle in with Suva and her new keepers in excellent time.
As for transport, both girls will just be shipped air freight with Westjet Cargo, no keepers involved. Honestly neither facility really has to wait for the other to ship first, Valley zoo can house a minimum of 6 pandas, and I feel like Toronto has holding space to hold three at a time as well. They'll likely wait until October, as that's when the weather cools down and it is more conducive to shipping the pandas.
As for transport, both girls will just be shipped air freight with Westjet Cargo, no keepers involved. Honestly neither facility really has to wait for the other to ship first, Valley zoo can house a minimum of 6 pandas, and I feel like Toronto has holding space to hold three at a time as well. They'll likely wait until October, as that's when the weather cools down and it is more conducive to shipping the pandas.