Toronto Zoo Toronto Zoo Births, Deaths and Transfers 2023
- Thread starter TZFan
- Start date
- Status
Ugh more Star Wars related names. No thanks. I know hot take to hate Star Wars but I stand by it. Ill just choose to forget the association.
Im actually surprised they didnt do a naming contest since I think this is the only big baby we are getting for the summer. Seems like a missed opportunity with the only interesting baby that might bring people to the zoo for the summer. Better let us choose the name of the rhino calf!
Im actually surprised they didnt do a naming contest since I think this is the only big baby we are getting for the summer. Seems like a missed opportunity with the only interesting baby that might bring people to the zoo for the summer. Better let us choose the name of the rhino calf!
The zoo has announced that Amur tiger, Mazy, is very sick. She was taken to the health center for a full work up and while bloodwork looks ok they think she has a respiratory infection that is significantly impacting her breathing. Shes on antibiotics but hasnt started eating again. The zoo seems to be preparing for the worst because they were very clear at nearly 16 she is geriatric and asked for peoples thoughts. Historically this kind of statement for the zoo is to let people know the situation is grave and get people ready for a passing. Hopefully Mazy can pull through. We are about to give her and Vasili a big new yard. It'd be kinda sad to have all that extra space and just Vasili.
This is fairly morbid to say, but stands to be said at the same time. Her passing away could potentially be a blessing in disguise. Considering (most likely) Toronto is set to get a very valuable female from outside of North America in the near future, not having to deal with Mazy is a definite asset for them. Less tigers = more available holding space, which potentially = more litters from them overall, since they could more easily avoid running into a Pygmy hippo sort of situation (where despite all of Toronto’s hippos being incredibly genetically valuable, breeding has to be halted until Penelope can be moved to another facility because there’s no additional space for Pygmy hippos at the zoo).
Not having to deal with Mazy means they could effectively hold an older litter while continuing to breed from the new pair, assuming there’s any sort of delay with getting the older litter out to their new facilities.
Of course I wish her all the best and hope for a swift recovery for her, but this is ultimately one of those things, where even if it is a loss, it’s still sort of a gain overall for the zoo (much like the passing of the watusi cattle).
Not having to deal with Mazy means they could effectively hold an older litter while continuing to breed from the new pair, assuming there’s any sort of delay with getting the older litter out to their new facilities.
Of course I wish her all the best and hope for a swift recovery for her, but this is ultimately one of those things, where even if it is a loss, it’s still sort of a gain overall for the zoo (much like the passing of the watusi cattle).
Last edited:
@Hyak_II, I do agree with you Mazy passing would be beneficial IF we get the female coming to Canada from Seoul. But with the new yard they could handle the adults plus one litter. If the new female were to arrive in enough time to be ready for a late fall or early winter breeding that would give us spring 2024 cubs who wouldnt need to be separated for 18-24 months. That would make Mazy by then about 19 and odds of her still being alive would be low meaning free space for those cubs. Totally get your point though because not holding an elderly tiger could free up space while we wait for older cubs to go to their new homes.
You want a truly morbid thought? Let whatever Mazy has take out Vasili too. His genetics are of zero value here in Canada and they are basically useless in North America. If we got the female coming in from Seoul maybe they would send up a male not descending from Tonghua to replace him (since every other male and most females are his descendants in Canada). Being free of all of our current tigers (even the Sumatrans) would be a good thing for the zoo because new bloodlines would be brought in.
That said I'm not insane. I dont want any of the animals at the zoo to ever suffer even a little bit. Hopefully Mazy can pull through because she has been great. If not then I do hope her end comes quickly so she doesnt have to suffer.
You want a truly morbid thought? Let whatever Mazy has take out Vasili too. His genetics are of zero value here in Canada and they are basically useless in North America. If we got the female coming in from Seoul maybe they would send up a male not descending from Tonghua to replace him (since every other male and most females are his descendants in Canada). Being free of all of our current tigers (even the Sumatrans) would be a good thing for the zoo because new bloodlines would be brought in.
That said I'm not insane. I dont want any of the animals at the zoo to ever suffer even a little bit. Hopefully Mazy can pull through because she has been great. If not then I do hope her end comes quickly so she doesnt have to suffer.
Amur tiger, Mazy, has been returned to the tiger habitat. They did additional testing before returning her since she was knocked out anyway. They now believe she suffered from an inflammatory allergic reaction not a respiratory infection but they dont know the cause. Sounds way better than her being seriously ill.
The newest grey kangaroo joey is out of the pouch and exploring now as well.
The newest grey kangaroo joey is out of the pouch and exploring now as well.
I visited the zoo for the first time since 2016 and I have some updates:
Canadian Domain;
-The moose are still at the zoo but their exhibit is undergoing major renovations. Micro, the lone elderly raccoon has moved to the much larger, enclosed exhibit across from the raccoons’ original exhibit. I didn’t see her, and the keeper said she likes to hide a lot. Eventually when the Canadian Domain closes to visitors, all the animals except some of the bison will move to other areas of the zoo where people can see them. Some of the bison will move as well and some will remain in Canadian Domain where visitors can’t see them. The last female elk died last year, I don’t think that was ever mentioned. One of the older male bison, Vlad, also passed away. That leaves only two of the older bison boys left, Clive and Lyle.
-I heard there are no plans to breed the Amur tigers again due to Mazy’s age.
-With the jaguars, Luca will be the only Jaguar at the zoo until he passes away. Luca is at the end of his life now. I was lucky to see him walk a little bit and he moved so slow like an old man. I spoke to a keeper and he said he’s been like that the last few years and he’s on lots of pain medication.
-The kangaroo walk thru is in the process of opening back up. I was lucky enough to get in for a few minutes. The keepers are letting people in for a few minutes at a time and it’s during random times. You may not touch or feed the kangaroos. Also the aviaries in Australasia and Indo-Malaya are in the opening back up soon with mesh in place.
Canadian Domain;
-The moose are still at the zoo but their exhibit is undergoing major renovations. Micro, the lone elderly raccoon has moved to the much larger, enclosed exhibit across from the raccoons’ original exhibit. I didn’t see her, and the keeper said she likes to hide a lot. Eventually when the Canadian Domain closes to visitors, all the animals except some of the bison will move to other areas of the zoo where people can see them. Some of the bison will move as well and some will remain in Canadian Domain where visitors can’t see them. The last female elk died last year, I don’t think that was ever mentioned. One of the older male bison, Vlad, also passed away. That leaves only two of the older bison boys left, Clive and Lyle.
-I heard there are no plans to breed the Amur tigers again due to Mazy’s age.
-With the jaguars, Luca will be the only Jaguar at the zoo until he passes away. Luca is at the end of his life now. I was lucky to see him walk a little bit and he moved so slow like an old man. I spoke to a keeper and he said he’s been like that the last few years and he’s on lots of pain medication.
-The kangaroo walk thru is in the process of opening back up. I was lucky enough to get in for a few minutes. The keepers are letting people in for a few minutes at a time and it’s during random times. You may not touch or feed the kangaroos. Also the aviaries in Australasia and Indo-Malaya are in the opening back up soon with mesh in place.
@Kevin2342, seems like you had a good trip and got lots of talking to keepers in!
Finally confirmation we are out of elk! Thank you! Another species bites the dust. Hopefully when the Wilderness is built we get them back.
Seems like a waste of money to do anything with the moose exhibit. The Domain will have to close in 2024 or 2025 forever when those accessibility laws come into full effect. Just let the moose go chill with the bison or use the old muskox yard for them until they pass.
The coons were moved to the old lynx exhibit I think two years ago when our last lynx Hamilton was transferred out.
The only animals that can easily be moved out of the domain would be the racoon (I would guess to the Discovery Zone) and the bald eagles back to the outreach barn. The moose or some bison could be moved up to the old wisent exhibit but its often used for hoofstock quarantine, though without the domain you could house quartining hoofstock down there. Maybe thats why they are working on the moose exhibit. The only way to bring up the grizzly would be to put Shintay in the polar bear exhibit and give her a yard while the polar bears have the other two yards. Maybe thats why Humphrey is about to move... make space.
Did the keeper you talked to about the bison say that we just have two adult male bison? Because based on what I last gathered from a discussion on Facebook Live with the bison boys they had Vlad, Clive, Lyle as well as two younger males AI (Artificial Insemination) and ET (Embryo Transfer). The zoo also had a male calf last summer, Daniel, who probably will stay with the girls until he tries to get frisky.
The SSP did recommend Amur tigers Mazy and Vasili breed but like you said I thought that was an extremely long shot given her age. They usually stop breeding females at 14 but they seem to have tried to make an exception for her, probably due to her rare genetics. They will just have to rely on her cubs, Youri, Volga, Sputnik and Mila. There might have been a tiny shot at cubs for this spring if Mila had left a little sooner but any idea of having a nearly 17 year old female have cubs next summer would be insane.
Not really surprised the zoo is just housing jaguar, Luca, alone until he passes. Granby can keep holding that female for us. They have the space. I dont think it will be long for Luca. He is up there for a jaguar male. Just means the temple isn't worth visiting anymore. 1 capybara, 1 jaguar (if he decides to come out which the zoo has said he's not fond of in his old age on hot days), and flamingos who may or may not be allowed out due to avian flu. Such a same because the temple is a beautiful spot.
Did you get to see the roo joey or hear if they know its sex yet?
As someone who hasnt been in so long, what do you think of the changes that have been made under the new leadership? Are you liking the general beautification the zoo is going through? What did you think of the America's primate wing transformation? Did you like the new boardwalk? Things like that.
Thanks for your updates. Hope you really enjoyed your visit.
Finally confirmation we are out of elk! Thank you! Another species bites the dust. Hopefully when the Wilderness is built we get them back.
Seems like a waste of money to do anything with the moose exhibit. The Domain will have to close in 2024 or 2025 forever when those accessibility laws come into full effect. Just let the moose go chill with the bison or use the old muskox yard for them until they pass.
The coons were moved to the old lynx exhibit I think two years ago when our last lynx Hamilton was transferred out.
The only animals that can easily be moved out of the domain would be the racoon (I would guess to the Discovery Zone) and the bald eagles back to the outreach barn. The moose or some bison could be moved up to the old wisent exhibit but its often used for hoofstock quarantine, though without the domain you could house quartining hoofstock down there. Maybe thats why they are working on the moose exhibit. The only way to bring up the grizzly would be to put Shintay in the polar bear exhibit and give her a yard while the polar bears have the other two yards. Maybe thats why Humphrey is about to move... make space.
Did the keeper you talked to about the bison say that we just have two adult male bison? Because based on what I last gathered from a discussion on Facebook Live with the bison boys they had Vlad, Clive, Lyle as well as two younger males AI (Artificial Insemination) and ET (Embryo Transfer). The zoo also had a male calf last summer, Daniel, who probably will stay with the girls until he tries to get frisky.
The SSP did recommend Amur tigers Mazy and Vasili breed but like you said I thought that was an extremely long shot given her age. They usually stop breeding females at 14 but they seem to have tried to make an exception for her, probably due to her rare genetics. They will just have to rely on her cubs, Youri, Volga, Sputnik and Mila. There might have been a tiny shot at cubs for this spring if Mila had left a little sooner but any idea of having a nearly 17 year old female have cubs next summer would be insane.
Not really surprised the zoo is just housing jaguar, Luca, alone until he passes. Granby can keep holding that female for us. They have the space. I dont think it will be long for Luca. He is up there for a jaguar male. Just means the temple isn't worth visiting anymore. 1 capybara, 1 jaguar (if he decides to come out which the zoo has said he's not fond of in his old age on hot days), and flamingos who may or may not be allowed out due to avian flu. Such a same because the temple is a beautiful spot.
Did you get to see the roo joey or hear if they know its sex yet?
As someone who hasnt been in so long, what do you think of the changes that have been made under the new leadership? Are you liking the general beautification the zoo is going through? What did you think of the America's primate wing transformation? Did you like the new boardwalk? Things like that.
Thanks for your updates. Hope you really enjoyed your visit.
Does this accessibility law mean the Domain has to close permanently, or is it something that could re-open with the right renovations/modifications to meet these new requirements?
Kalvin
Well-Known Member
@TZFan
I took that to refer to just the older males, as in, what remains of the older generation. From my last trip a couple weeks ago, we definitely still have the younger boys around.
From keepers' instagrams, they seem to be treating the roo joey like a male, calling the joey "he" but I don't know if that's a confirmation of the sex or just force of habit.
@Neil chace the domain doesn't currently reach the standards of the ADA for certification, and while it could be renovated in theory to become ADA compliant, it seems like a pointless effort. Most of the old domain exhibits are barely up to AZA standards now, and with such a dwindling population, the trip down the hill is hardly worth it for most zoo goers. Barring the possibility of cutting down more trees for a new, less-steep path, the zoo could choose to go the way of the Americas boardwalk and have it wind down the hill on the location of the current path, but for the reasons listed above, it just doesn't seem worth the investment. In the current master plan, Wilderness North is set to be built across the river from Eurasia, where the drive-thru exhibits are currently located; this would replace the Domain and provide guests with an easier way to see our native fauna.
I'm still going to miss the Domain though. I don't think any other part of the zoo can match the atmosphere of native wildlife we get around Weston pond, and in my opinion, the zoo doesn't do a great job of highlighting its place and significance in the largest nature park in the GTA. Hopefully they find some use for the domain and open it back up for visitors in the future, but it will never be the domain again.
From keepers' instagrams, they seem to be treating the roo joey like a male, calling the joey "he" but I don't know if that's a confirmation of the sex or just force of habit.
@Neil chace the domain doesn't currently reach the standards of the ADA for certification, and while it could be renovated in theory to become ADA compliant, it seems like a pointless effort. Most of the old domain exhibits are barely up to AZA standards now, and with such a dwindling population, the trip down the hill is hardly worth it for most zoo goers. Barring the possibility of cutting down more trees for a new, less-steep path, the zoo could choose to go the way of the Americas boardwalk and have it wind down the hill on the location of the current path, but for the reasons listed above, it just doesn't seem worth the investment. In the current master plan, Wilderness North is set to be built across the river from Eurasia, where the drive-thru exhibits are currently located; this would replace the Domain and provide guests with an easier way to see our native fauna.
I'm still going to miss the Domain though. I don't think any other part of the zoo can match the atmosphere of native wildlife we get around Weston pond, and in my opinion, the zoo doesn't do a great job of highlighting its place and significance in the largest nature park in the GTA. Hopefully they find some use for the domain and open it back up for visitors in the future, but it will never be the domain again.
hyena142
Well-Known Member
@Kevin2342 Thanks for the update! Love that you talked to the keepers, I'm usually too shy for that lol
Nice to hear the moose are still alive, it's a bit surprising they haven't moved elsewhere though considering this is the second year of their exhibit being renoed, I'm sure there's a spot in the Eurasia drive-thru that'd work for them with a bit of adjustments. Maybe they're just too old for that, I dunno. Totally agree with TZFan that renoing the moose exhibit is a bit weird but I'm guessing it's more for future use as a breeding/flex exhibit than for the moose themselves.
Never did see the elk and I'll always have a mild grudge against them for replacing the musk ox but it's nice the last one lived that long.
There it is, they're already starting to make plans for the Domain's closure, nice. Personally I think the only thing keeping the Domain open is grizzly Shintay. She's the last true headliner animal down there at least while the moose are off (I like the bison but a guest draw they are not), so when she passes they'll be able to find Micro a spot in the Kids Zoo if she's still alive by then, the turkey vulture that's seat filling in the cougar exhibit will be able to go home to the Kids Zoo as well, and the eagles will probably go back to the outreach barn but if they wanna keep them on-exhibit I think there's a few options for that. And of course the bison will stay down there until Wilderness North happens, whenever that'll be. I'd say this is the year to make that one last Domain visit because if Shintay passes away while it's closed for the season like Samson did this year they might not re-open it next summer. As much as the Domain annoys me it'd be a shame to have one of the original zoo "lands" die just one year short of the 50th but it is what it is
No surprise we don't have Amur cubs in our near future especially after Mazy's recent health scare, I think we all figured Mila was probably a one and done
I'll miss Luca when he's gone. I'm very excited that cubs will finally be a possibility for us but still, I'll miss him.
The kangaroo walkabout is finally coming back, that's great! Feels like it's been ages since it's been consistently open, it was closed for the whole panda visit from 2013 to 2018 and then they made a big deal about it finally coming back in 2019 but then covid closed it again lol. Good to hear the pavilions are almost ready for another avian flu summer as well, Indo's aviary especially needs to be ready for June since that's where the entrance to the outdoor orangs is.
Nice to hear the moose are still alive, it's a bit surprising they haven't moved elsewhere though considering this is the second year of their exhibit being renoed, I'm sure there's a spot in the Eurasia drive-thru that'd work for them with a bit of adjustments. Maybe they're just too old for that, I dunno. Totally agree with TZFan that renoing the moose exhibit is a bit weird but I'm guessing it's more for future use as a breeding/flex exhibit than for the moose themselves.
Never did see the elk and I'll always have a mild grudge against them for replacing the musk ox but it's nice the last one lived that long.
There it is, they're already starting to make plans for the Domain's closure, nice. Personally I think the only thing keeping the Domain open is grizzly Shintay. She's the last true headliner animal down there at least while the moose are off (I like the bison but a guest draw they are not), so when she passes they'll be able to find Micro a spot in the Kids Zoo if she's still alive by then, the turkey vulture that's seat filling in the cougar exhibit will be able to go home to the Kids Zoo as well, and the eagles will probably go back to the outreach barn but if they wanna keep them on-exhibit I think there's a few options for that. And of course the bison will stay down there until Wilderness North happens, whenever that'll be. I'd say this is the year to make that one last Domain visit because if Shintay passes away while it's closed for the season like Samson did this year they might not re-open it next summer. As much as the Domain annoys me it'd be a shame to have one of the original zoo "lands" die just one year short of the 50th but it is what it is
No surprise we don't have Amur cubs in our near future especially after Mazy's recent health scare, I think we all figured Mila was probably a one and done
I'll miss Luca when he's gone. I'm very excited that cubs will finally be a possibility for us but still, I'll miss him.
The kangaroo walkabout is finally coming back, that's great! Feels like it's been ages since it's been consistently open, it was closed for the whole panda visit from 2013 to 2018 and then they made a big deal about it finally coming back in 2019 but then covid closed it again lol. Good to hear the pavilions are almost ready for another avian flu summer as well, Indo's aviary especially needs to be ready for June since that's where the entrance to the outdoor orangs is.
Last edited:
The male bison currently are Clive, Lyle, ET and AI in the bachelor herd. Daniel is with the females since he’s still very young. Clive and Lyle are getting up there in years now, while ET and AI I think are only like 5-6 years old.
Thanks guys for explaining the ADA for me.
I kinda took the bison statement the same way but thought it was worth asking. Wonder if they will do more AI or ET's this fall. They obviously took the season off last fall because they didnt highlight it again like they did the year before.
I kinda thought from a Facebook video of the roo joey it looked like a male. Kinda unfortunate. Toronto could use more girls. Tori and Sydney will get too old to breed and their daughter will eventually form the base of the mob in the future.
I havent been down that darn Domain hill in 6 years and I dont plan on going again. It is pretty but it used to be so much better while the monorail still existed. There were the bison, muskox, caribou, white tailed deer, elk, moose, grizzlies, bald eagles, arctic wolves, lynx, cougars, different animals in the coon exhibit. It was just so much fuller feeling. And we all know the monorail was the best. Epic views! Avoid the hill! A/C on a hot day! A nice padded seat to rest on while you zipped around!
@hyena142, dont rule out Amur cubs in the future. There is a female arriving in Canada from Seoul. I dont know which zoo is getting her but Toronto is the strongest contender, especially since we are expanding to have another big habitat. Not much need for it unless we are planning on housing three adult tigers and cubs. Well I mean welfare yes but the zoo could better spend that money on other projects. My gut says that new female is ours.
I have a different view of jaguar, Luca. He and his sister Zambucca just took up a valuable spot. They were inbred so neither of them could ever be bred and Im pretty sure the only reason the zoo got them was because Zambucca was melanistic. If we had got a pair from the SSP instead we could have been breeding and contributing to the species. We might not have breeding space as it is now but with a pair who could have bred there would have been more motivation to fix that. The zoo could have also chosen to size down and go from jags to ocelots and work with that SSP instead. As it is Luca is just holding up us getting a stellar female from Granby who would warrant a good mate coming up from the US and pressuring the zoo to do something to get going with the reno.
I kinda took the bison statement the same way but thought it was worth asking. Wonder if they will do more AI or ET's this fall. They obviously took the season off last fall because they didnt highlight it again like they did the year before.
I kinda thought from a Facebook video of the roo joey it looked like a male. Kinda unfortunate. Toronto could use more girls. Tori and Sydney will get too old to breed and their daughter will eventually form the base of the mob in the future.
I havent been down that darn Domain hill in 6 years and I dont plan on going again. It is pretty but it used to be so much better while the monorail still existed. There were the bison, muskox, caribou, white tailed deer, elk, moose, grizzlies, bald eagles, arctic wolves, lynx, cougars, different animals in the coon exhibit. It was just so much fuller feeling. And we all know the monorail was the best. Epic views! Avoid the hill! A/C on a hot day! A nice padded seat to rest on while you zipped around!
@hyena142, dont rule out Amur cubs in the future. There is a female arriving in Canada from Seoul. I dont know which zoo is getting her but Toronto is the strongest contender, especially since we are expanding to have another big habitat. Not much need for it unless we are planning on housing three adult tigers and cubs. Well I mean welfare yes but the zoo could better spend that money on other projects. My gut says that new female is ours.
I have a different view of jaguar, Luca. He and his sister Zambucca just took up a valuable spot. They were inbred so neither of them could ever be bred and Im pretty sure the only reason the zoo got them was because Zambucca was melanistic. If we had got a pair from the SSP instead we could have been breeding and contributing to the species. We might not have breeding space as it is now but with a pair who could have bred there would have been more motivation to fix that. The zoo could have also chosen to size down and go from jags to ocelots and work with that SSP instead. As it is Luca is just holding up us getting a stellar female from Granby who would warrant a good mate coming up from the US and pressuring the zoo to do something to get going with the reno.
The flamingos are out in the old spider monkey exhibit, they moved there after the spider monkeys were shipped to another zoo. The exhibit the flamingos used to be in is empty. You are correct, Luca is not that fond of being outside in his old age on hot days but he always has access. When I first went he was laying down outside, then I saw him get up and get a drink and then he went back to sleep inside. You can still see him if he’s inside, it’s just not a very good view, just look in the doors at the back of his exhibit. This is probably the last time I’ll ever see Luca due to his age and advanced arthritis.
Nile Hippo Expert
Well-Known Member
Four-year-old Pygmy Hippopotamus Penelope will be moving to John Ball Zoo later this month to breed with their male, eight-year-old Jahari. Penelope was supposed to move to Houston last year, but those plans were canceled. It will also allow Harvey and Kindia to breed again.
Visitors check out new pygmy hippo exhibit at John Ball Zoo
Visitors check out new pygmy hippo exhibit at John Ball Zoo
Transferring red river hogs, Kevin and Denis, isnt out of the realm of possibilities. They were both neutered so they are surplus to the SSP. They could go to any other Canadian zoo and no one would really mind. I doubt that would mean Toronto breeds again. Neither Philip or Tisa are all that valuable. They werent supposed to have a litter after Ginger and Hazel, hence the boys being neutered. But stranger things have happened.
Glad Penelope is finally going. If she does leave around then and they immediately reintroduce Harvey and Kindia for breeding we could get a hippopotamus for Christmas. I couldnt resist. I dont want a hippo for Christmas. I wouldnt get to enjoy him or her at their tiniest. I will take hippo for St. Patrick's Day or Easter... knowing they would keep the baby off display for likely a month or two like they did with Penelope.
Glad Penelope is finally going. If she does leave around then and they immediately reintroduce Harvey and Kindia for breeding we could get a hippopotamus for Christmas. I couldnt resist. I dont want a hippo for Christmas. I wouldnt get to enjoy him or her at their tiniest. I will take hippo for St. Patrick's Day or Easter... knowing they would keep the baby off display for likely a month or two like they did with Penelope.
- Status