As is tradition at this point here is the year in review. Disclaimer this is based on what I know and have recorded. I might have forgot something or simply be unaware of something.
Births
1 Southern Ground Hornbill (late 2022)
4 Straw Coloured Fruit Bats - Jesse, Poppy, Piper and Pumpkin.
4 Fiji Banded Iguanas
Many Moon Jellyfish
11 Vancouver Island Marmots
11 Black Footed Ferrets - Seal, Squid, Seajus, Sand Dollar, Banjo, Hurdy Gurdy, Valeria, Senor, Madison, Mi Hijo and Chiquito
1 Western Grey Kangaroo - Howie
1 Bactrian Camel - Carrie
1 Southern White Rhino - male
The year went largely as expected with births. It was shaping up to be a light year right from the start. The fruit bats were a bit of a surprise since the zoo hadn't bred in years but the group was getting older and needed to be replenished a bit.
Deaths
1 African Penguin - Greenbird
1 Reticulated Python - Fifi
1 Straw Coloured Fruit Bat - Jessica
1 Wildebeest - Abercrombie (Abe)
1 Grizzly Bear - Samson
2 Raccoon - Fergus and Elora
1 River Otter - Talise
1 Boelen's Python - Prince Theo
1 Jaguar - Luca
This was a year for a lot of the zoos older individuals to go. Wildebeest Abe was the only not elderly animal to pass from the list but even he wasn't a spring chicken.
Notable Departures
2 Amur Tiger - Mila to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and Vasili to Calgary
1 Bactrian Camel - Zuri to Zoo Sauvage
1 Polar Bear - Humphrey to Aquarium Du Quebec
1 Pygmy Hippo - Penelope to John Ball
4 Scarlet Ibis - Rico, Rouge, Blush, and Tut, to Vancouver Aquarium, 1 female (the chick) to the Biodome.
1 Sunbittern - Sonny to Roger Williams
1 African Spoonbill - Rita to Calgary
55 Blanding’s Turtles - Released to wild
1 Wildebeest - Ben to Safari Niagara
11 Vancouver Island Marmots - to Tony Barret Mount Washington Marmot Recovery Centre
9 Black Footed Ferrets - Squid, Seajus, Sand Dollar, Banjo, Hurdy Gurdy, Valeria, Senor, Mi Hijo and Chiquito to Ferret Conservation Centre
1 White Handed Gibbon - Hoot to Winnipeg
2 Red Pandas - Paprika to Vancouver and Suva to Winnipeg.
Species Phased Out
Wildebeest
Boelen's Python
White Handed Gibbon
Jaguar
Scarlet Ibis
Sunbittern
Notable Arrivals
4 Black Footed Ferret- 1.3 from National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center
2 Domestic Rabbits - Gandalf and Frodo from Toronto Animal Services
1 Watusi - Ralph from Magnetic Hill
1 Capybara - Tootsie from Fresno Chaffee
1 Sloth - Netty from Montreal Biodome
1 Raccoon - Macro from Toronto Animal Services
1 Cheetah - Tika from Vancouver
1 Grevy’s Zebra - Maizy from Edmonton
1 Screaming Armadillo - Kronk
1 Three Banded Armadillo - Kuzco
1 Southern Tamandua
1 Snow Leopard - Jita from Granby
1 Red Panda - Sakura from Vancouver
New Species
Screaming Armadillo
Three Banded Armadillo
Southern Tamandua
These ones were huge surprises. I dont think any of us really were expecting new species to arrive. No one is sad to see some new faces.
If I missed or forgot something feel free to add to the list.