Toronto Zoo Toronto Zoo Births, Deaths and Transfers 2022

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56 Blanding’s turtles have been released into the Rouge bringing the total turtles they have released to over 500. A momentous occasion and a real triumph for a population that was down to as few as 10 adults when the program began.
 
The zoo posted on Facebook today that the flamingos could be expecting babies!! They said several pairs have built nests since moving indoors and now they're awaiting the first egg to pop up.
 
It appears that a new mob of meerkats has arrived. As a friend who went yesterday said that in the health care center they were doing checkups on them, I believe they are still in quarantine though.

At least 3 of them, two males and a female. Demi is the female, Marvin is one of the males and the other male is named Ashton. Not sure where they came from or there age, but I do wonder if the porcupine mix plan with them is in place again.
 
Very exciting news on both fronts!

I can't recall ever having had flamingo chicks at the TZ in the past so that'd be huge if it happened. Looking forward to having them out at the Temple Ruin again.

I've missed having meerkats in the Rainforest incredibly bad, even though it's only been a year and some change their return is long overdue. I have to imagine they're planning on breeding the meerkats if we only got 3, right?
 
Very exciting news for sure. It'd be interesting if they try mixing the porcupine with the new meerkats.

Hopefully Flamingo chicks work out well, because it's been a long time coming.
 
Maybe the zoo has found the secret to breeding their flamingos... keep them inside. We have 7 genetically valuable animals the SSP has been begging the zoo to breed for awhile now. The last chick hatched in 2008 so if we could get even one chick that would be huge!

A new meerkat mob is great news. We really have been waiting probably due to covid not a desire to be without the crowd pleasers. Not sure if its a good sign that they are doing health checks on the female and both males at the same time. Leads me to think they might be another sibling set which would be a bitter disappointment. But for all I know they could be an unrelated group. Fact its a smaller group could also mean they have breeding animals and the group will grow naturally. Have to just wait until they are introduced to find out.
 
Where has the meerkat exhibit historically been within the African Rainforest pavilion?

I can't think where they would be going. Or is it in one of the areas that have been blocked off during COVID?
 
@Zooer When you pass the Lake Malawi cichlid tank and enter the south side of the Rainforest instead of going left towards the chameleons go right, that's where their exhibit is. There's currently an African porcupine in there but he's usually sleeping
 
That makes sense - I was thinking that would be the spot to make the most sense, and be a draw up to that otherwise quiet corner.

Also I just saw the zoo’s Instagram post about the bison calves everyone was talking about on Monday. They are a cute bunch.
 
Akula said:
It appears that a new mob of meerkats has arrived. As a friend who went yesterday said that in the health care center they were doing checkups on them, I believe they are still in quarantine though.

At least 3 of them, two males and a female. Demi is the female, Marvin is one of the males and the other male is named Ashton. Not sure where they came from or there age, but I do wonder if the porcupine mix plan with them is in place again.
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I can confirm the meerkat are on exhibit as of yesterday/Saturday, and porcupine was off exhibit. From what I could tell there was at least four meerkats, a keeper was feeding them some cooked eggs.
 
Welcome @bubblywums! Nice to have a new member!

They will probably rotate the meerkats and porcupine until the meerkats settle in and then begin the introduction process. It will be the first time porcupine, Mr P, will have exhibit mates and might be the first time for the new mob too. Hopefully they can be blended. It would be nice to have another mixed exhibit.
 
Welcome to zoochat @bubblywums. Nice to hear that the new mob is on exhibit. At least 4 is decent enough. Hopefully we'll see them integrated nicely with porcupine Mr. P, as @TZFan said. Can't go wrong with more mixed species exhibits if they can work.
 
The zoo never planned on getting rid of the meerkats. They were never really a phase out risk. We just had a mob that was super old and all siblings so we had to wait them out first and then because of the joy that is covid wait longer than the zoo would have liked to get replacements. Without covid new ones probably would have arrived for last summer. Biggest hope is we have a breeding group for the first time in forever. If we do it wont be long before we know.
 
For Canada Day the zoo has announced they have announced a number of Canadian conservation breeding successes. This year they have welcomed 15 black footed ferret kits, 3 wood bison, 18 Eastern loggerhead shrikes (with more possible), and Vancouver Island marmot pups have been heard and will be checked on and counted when they are older. They also talked about the 56 Blanding's turtles released to the wild but not about the clutches gathered and the hatchlings they are raising up for eventual release. We also know they had at least 14 Massassaga Rattlesnakes earlier this year. And while no one has mentioned it yet I bet there has been a clutch of trumpeter swan cygnets hatched. What a great year so far for the Canadian species.

The zoo also shared this page outlining their amazing conservation work.
Toronto Zoo | Where is the Toronto Zoo
 
I would have mentioned it earlier but the trumpeter swan pair on Weston pond did have two cygnets a few weeks ago. Unfortunately though, it looks like neither has made it.
 
The bison calves are two girls and a boy. They made no mention of the fourth calve so it must have been miscarried, especially since they were all given AI on the same day and the calves are now 2 and a half weeks old. Seems unlikely the fourth calf will be born.
 
The zoo announced today the arrival of the 3 meerkats already spotted last week. Guess they are keeping the names Ashton, Marvin and Demi. 3 is a good sign we have a future breeding group. We will probably know by the end of summer.
 
Good news on the Canadian lynx front. While the zoo no longer has them I have found out the fate of our last lynx Hamilton who mysteriously disappeared not long after her parents deaths. Hamilton is alive and well at Safari Niagara. She moved there in March of 2021. Shame to have lost the species last year but at least we now know we didnt loose all three lynx to death.
 
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