Toronto Zoo Toronto Zoo Births, Deaths and Transfers 2024

TZFan

TZFan

Well-Known Member
10+ year member
As our resident record keeper here are the things we can look forward to in 2024 as long as things go as planned. Reminder just because a transfer is in the works doesn't mean the plan might not change for a myriad of reasons.

Expected Departures
1 Kookaburra - Karee to Palm Beach but avian flu may continue to delay it
2 Grevy's Zebra - Obi and Poe to St Louis when they are ready to take the boys at their new facility
1 Sumatran Orangutan - Jingga to Louisville
2 Luzon Bleeding Heart Dove - male to St Louis and female to Miami
2 Golden Lion Tamarin - Dave to another Canadian zoo not in the AZA, Kat will go to another zoo with a male from Topeka but the home has yet to be determined.
2 Masai Giraffe - Kiko to Calgary and Matu to the US
3 Cheetah - Berlioz and Toulouse to Cincinnati
3 Burmese Brown Mountain Tortoise - Big Bertha, Jack, and Rabbit to Disney
1 Red-legged Seriema - Jean to Omaha
4 Ring Tailed Lemur - Rusty, Lasonia, Lilly and Ruby to Winnipeg to eliminate the problem of housing two groups in the winter.
1 Indian Rhino - Kiran to Miami
1 White Cheeked Turaco - 2022 chick to Winnipeg
6 Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnakes - 3 breeding pairs to Oklahoma

Possible Departures
2 River Hippo - A home is still being looked for for Petal and Perky.
1 Spotted Hyena - As a potential founder in with two non breeding females a new home is being looked for for Echo.
2 Clouded Leopards - A new home was still being sought for Pavarti and Mingma but the reopening of the Woods may have changed that and we just might keep them til the end.
2 Victoria Crowned Pigeon - the younger male and female probably will be sent out for breeding but homes have yet to be selected and avian flu might delay it.

Released to the Wild
Black Footed Ferrets to the National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center for pre release training.
Vancouver Island Marmots to Tony Barret Mount Washington Marmot Recovery Centre for first winter hibernation prior to release.
Eastern Loggerhead Shrikes
Blanding’s Turtles
Wood Turtle
Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnakes
Trumpeter Swans - any cygnets hatched by the breeding pair are allowed to go free.
Puerto Rican Crested Toads

Expected Arrival
1 Masai Giraffe - Nabo from Calgary to breed Mstari and Amani
1 Kookaburra - female from Palm Beach to be Jake's companion but avian flu could delay it.
1 Jaguar - Lua or Estrela from Granby
1 Grey Crowned Crane - female from Granby to be Huck's companion
1 River otter - Maybelle from Calgary to be RJ's companion.
1 Blue Bellied Roller - female from Jacksonville but avian flu could delay it.
1 Tawny Frogmouth - female from Sedgwick but avian flu could delay it.
1 Red Panda - Kalden from Edmonton for display only
1 Capybara - male from San Diego potentially to breed with Tootsie down the line.

Possible Arrivals
Black Tree Monitor - a female is being looked for.
Several Spotted Whistling Ducks but avian flu could delay it.
Greater Kudu - male potentially.

And given the 3 surprise new species who knows what else?

Now for what is more speculation because we currently have no confirmed pregnancies but based on breeding plans we know about. I broke down the likelihood of the baby but its a personal opinion as to the ranking.

Breeding Possibilities

Highly Likely Babies
Western Grey Kangaroo - potentially 2, likely one is already in Sydney's pouch given their usual intervals and Tori probably will have another joey late in 2024.
Southern Ground Hornbill - possibly already hatched because most of Catelynn and Biko's chicks hatch in December and few in early January.
Green Naped Pheasant Pigeon
Vancouver Island Marmot
Eastern Loggerhead Shrike
Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake
Black Footed Ferret
Blanding's Turtle
Wood Turtle
Trumpeter Swans

Possible Babies
Pygmy Hippo - if Kindia and Harvey are paired by February or already have been and we just don't know.
Snow Leopard - the zoo might wait for better timed cubs in 2025 but summer cubs are possible.
Painted Terrapin - if eggs were laid last fall.
Przewalski’s Horse - Winona and Winnie were recommended to breed with Dudley.
African Spoonbill
Sacred Ibis
Hamerkop
White Cheeked Turaco
Straw Coloured Fruit Bat
Spiny Turtle
Burmese Star Tortoise
Steller's Sea Eagle - both are now fully mature

Low Likelihood Babies
Sumatran Orangutan - Ramai and Budi have been paired long enough a pregnancy should have happened by now but hasn’t. Hope is slipping away for me a baby for Ramai.
Saki - Madeira and Cora have been paired for years and shes more than old enough to have had a baby by now.
Flamingos - 3.3 have been recommended to breed but nothing has happened in years.
Wombat - I’ve lost hope but would be thrilled to be wrong.

Only If Transfers Happen
Grey-capped Emerald Dove - male arrives San Diego Zoo
Palawan Peacock Pheasant - female
Blue Bellied Roller - female arrives from Jacksonville
Tawny Frogmouth - female arrives from Sedgwick

Pregnancies for 2025 Babies
Grevy's Zebra - Jake could breed Tori and Maizy in 2024 for 2025 foals. Let's hope Jake is put in with them come spring so we get summer foals and not winter foals like we have had for the past 6 foals.
Masai Giraffe - long shot honestly because unless they just breed for a calf whenever in 2025 it would be best to wait til fall 2024 to breed Mstari and Amani to Nabo for spring 2026 calves. But He needs to arrive and clear quarantine before we can even consider that.
White Rhino - if the zoo wants a calf from Zohari but I think its unlikely since Sabi had a boy who might take longer to place than a girl unless Vancouver would like to house him with his big brother/cousin Theo.

I think 2024 will be a pretty dull year baby wise which is a shame for the 50th anniversary. But the other transfers if they all happen will set us up well for 2025 and beyond.
 
TZFan said:
3 Burmese Brown Mountain Tortoise - Big Bertha, Jack, and Rabbit to Disney
1 Red-legged Seriema - Jean to Omaha
Click to expand...

How many Burmese brown's does the Toronto zoo have in total? I never thought of counting them.
Not the Seriema I haven't gone to the Kid zoo in years but the seriema is the best part.(I my opinion)
 
Happy new year to everyone and happy 50th anniversary year of the Toronto Zoo!

I have to wonder if Obi and Poe have been transferred out now that we're getting a new female zebra. Rey left for the Bronx way before we found out she was gone and she was way more prominent than Obi and Poe who spent most of their time in Toronto behind the scenes.

Really hoping that we're finally able to make Summer Home lemurs someone else's problem this year, the reason the main lemur exhibit has been so dead for so long is because of them.

I'm guessing the giraffe program is gonna be on pause for another year. Calgary doesn't wanna let Nabo go because they're fond of him (fair enough) and Matu's foot injury means he probably won't be fit to travel for a while longer.

If the new jaguar doesn't arrive this year there'll be no point to visit the Temple Ruin, plain and simple. Sorry flamingoes and capybaras.

God I hope a kudu male is in the cards for us soon

The pygmy hippos are the species I have my eye on this year same as the white rhinos last year who didn't disappoint. Penelope has been gone for a while and I believe they'd already started early intros between Harvey and Kindia around the time she was leaving. Fingers crossed!

My gut tells me we have one year left to wait for more snow leopard cubs but I'd be happy to be proven wrong

The fact that the sea eagles went back home from their vacation in the Canadian Domain instead of going to Americas where they stayed last winter for breeding doesn't give me confidence but stranger things have happened

I think we can preemptively call it on Ramai. She's older and Budi has been with her for forever and nothing's come of it.

On the other hand getting confirmation last year that the keepers haven't given up on the wombats yet gave me a confidence boost for them that I didn't have this time last year. It's still probably unlikely considering Matilba doesn't seem to be a people person but I'll keep on living in denial.

No shot they breed Zohari until the new arrival is grown up and outta here

Yeah this year doesn't look spectacular baby-wise, which is a shame considering it's the 50th. Good news is we have the new baby rhino going on exhibit for the first time next summer as well as the new armadillos and tamandua, so they can pick up the slack for us.
 
@antilio capra, the zoo only has the three Burmese Brown Mountain Tortoises. I think they were part of a customs seizure at some point.

@hyena142, I kinda hope the zoo just didnt announce the departure of zebras Obi and Poe but they are going to a brand new facility St. Louis is building and not the zoo itself so their space would need to be ready for their arrival. I wouldn't be too surprised if the boys were still with us.

Yes it sucks that Calgary wont just hand over Nabo. I get loving an animal and not wanting to lose them but at the end of the day he can have a much better genetic future in Toronto. He is a top ranked male paired with two top ranked females. Right now he has not breeding options. Moshi is his daughter and is a hybrid no one wants. Emarah seems unable to produce a surviving calf despite multiple attempts with multiple sires. Sure there is the new female coming up from the US and they probably want Toronto to send over Amani instead but overall the SSP made the best choice for the population. I get sentimentality but if you really care about what is best for the species you sometimes have to give up a cherished animal. And you are right Matu likely isnt going until his foot is healed but he is young and can wait. Nabo is getting on in years and moving him to breed and contribute now is more important.

I hear you on the temple. I think the big thing for the jag transfer will be when the zoo plans on doing something with the exhibit. If we cant breed we shouldnt take the Granby female. She should go to the US where her critical genetics can serve a purpose and we can just wait on a breeding pair until we are ready to receive them. Its about what is best for the species not us.

God I hope we get a male kudu too because Rosalita and Ruby are getting up there in breeding age. Even Roux should have had a calf or two by now. We would be waiting a year after arrival to even get the calves. We need the calves, especially females, or I fear we will lose one of my favorites on the savanna because we would need to import a whole new herd in the next few years and that just seems unlikely.

Harvey has rarely taken long to get the job done when introduced to a female. He and Kindia if they have been together are probably already expecting a calf and the zoo just wont tell us until its closer to the due date if then. They might be cautious about the calf given the track record they have had with pygmy hippo calves since Harvey and Abou arrived. Penelope was our only survivor but Abou was cursed and the loss of Kindia's first boy was possibly an accident with a first time mom.

I can see the zoo gunning for poorly timed summer snow leopard cubs for the 50th. I hope we have a year to wait because I want the zoo to get the most bang for the cubs they can. But that does make Pemba another year older. This one would be a hard call on the zoo's part. Good arguments could be made either way.

Winter is breeding season for the sea eagles. We all assumed they moved to the temple last year to provide them with privacy but that was before we knew they were doing work on the snow leopard exhibit this summer. They might have been doing interior work and moved the eagles to give them a chance at breeding without construction stressing them. They moved this year when it was stressing them again and now that its done are home. Dont forget Katya produced an unfertilized clutch a few years back before Alik was mature enough so they are comfortable enough in their exhibit to breed. We just havent heard about other eggs that may have been laid since but that doesnt mean there hasnt been. They are a slow to mature species so it still might take Alik a little more time to get the job done.

I dont wanna give up home on an orang infant from Ramai just yet but hope is fading. With Wali being a boy we desperately need girls from Ramai and Sekali on her next pregnancy if we are going to keep an orang group still or drop to just a male, female and maybe 2 of their offspring. I remember the good old days when the exhibit was alive with orangs. Its just sad now with just one or two in there and if thats the case I dont want the zoo to spend another penny on any further expansions for them. Yes update the indoor exhibit lord knows it needs it but the exhibit over the brewery and an extended O-Line out over the entrance seems pointless. Big exhibits will sit empty if the orangs arent in them.

I'll join you in living in denial about the wombats. I remember as a child seeing Matliba's grandma as a joey. I want to see the next generation of Hamlet and Tessa's line more than anything. A wombat joy would be my number one baby I would want and I want a baby from gorilla Johari pretty darn bad.

The zoo could breed Zohari and house 5 white rhinos, especially when 2 are calves. They happily housed 4 adult rhinos for years before Theo was born and did just fine after his birth. And in this case it wouldnt be as complicated. Sabi's boy could be housed with his little half brother/cousin if Zohari gave birth to a boy. If Zohari had a girl she can stay with Zohari and Sabi. I just dont really think they will do it.

Yeah we really need some transfers to set up breeding space or new pairs. We need to bank hard on a hippo calf, snow leopard cubs and the allure of a several month old rhino calf to carry the summer. Unless the zoo did transfer the cheetah boys to free up space and bred Emarah and maybe Marie to Bakari or performed AI with a male at Parc Safari.
 
Don't seem to remember this being reported last year but a second Guatemalan Beaded Lizard arrived at the zoo eight months ago - a female mate for male Ned Beady. Only just discovered this seeing two lizards in the exhibit. The female seems to be content sitting in the log while the male is (and always has been) quite active.
 
@Kalvin, I dont think the arrival of the Guatemalan Beaded Lizard was posted about. You always have great info to share. Maybe we will hear about lizard babies this year.
 
hyena142 said:
Happy new year to everyone and happy 50th anniversary year of the Toronto Zoo!

I have to wonder if Obi and Poe have been transferred out now that we're getting a new female zebra. Rey left for the Bronx way before we found out she was gone and she was way more prominent than Obi and Poe who spent most of their time in Toronto behind the scenes.

Really hoping that we're finally able to make Summer Home lemurs someone else's problem this year, the reason the main lemur exhibit has been so dead for so long is because of them.

I'm guessing the giraffe program is gonna be on pause for another year. Calgary doesn't wanna let Nabo go because they're fond of him (fair enough) and Matu's foot injury means he probably won't be fit to travel for a while longer.

If the new jaguar doesn't arrive this year there'll be no point to visit the Temple Ruin, plain and simple. Sorry flamingoes and capybaras.

God I hope a kudu male is in the cards for us soon

The pygmy hippos are the species I have my eye on this year same as the white rhinos last year who didn't disappoint. Penelope has been gone for a while and I believe they'd already started early intros between Harvey and Kindia around the time she was leaving. Fingers crossed!

My gut tells me we have one year left to wait for more snow leopard cubs but I'd be happy to be proven wrong

The fact that the sea eagles went back home from their vacation in the Canadian Domain instead of going to Americas where they stayed last winter for breeding doesn't give me confidence but stranger things have happened

I think we can preemptively call it on Ramai. She's older and Budi has been with her for forever and nothing's come of it.

On the other hand getting confirmation last year that the keepers haven't given up on the wombats yet gave me a confidence boost for them that I didn't have this time last year. It's still probably unlikely considering Matilba doesn't seem to be a people person but I'll keep on living in denial.

No shot they breed Zohari until the new arrival is grown up and outta here

Yeah this year doesn't look spectacular baby-wise, which is a shame considering it's the 50th. Good news is we have the new baby rhino going on exhibit for the first time next summer as well as the new armadillos and tamandua, so they can pick up the slack for us.
Click to expand...

What exactly do you mean about the lemurs? Just curious what has happened here and how moving them will help.
 
@Cowdoy1010 So what happened with the lemurs was a civil war broke out between two factions of our core group (why exactly I'm not sure but I've always suspected the zoo breeding them when they weren't supposed to had something to do with it). There was no calming the situation so the zoo had to break them up. This is why every summer for the past few years there's been a separate lemur group in the old lion-tailed macaque exhibit across from the Indian rhinos, that's the other group that can't cohabitate with the group that stays in the main lemur exhibit. This happened in the late '10s but I don't recall exactly when.

The zoo hasn't been able to bring in new lemurs because they don't have space for them because they need to keep the two factions separate in the winter, and as a result we have this massive exhibit in the Rainforest originally built to hold mandrills that has like 6 lemurs in it plus 2 Aldabra tortoises and a gray crowned crane. It just feels empty all the time and I have a feeling that isn't what the zoo had in mind when they originally brought in the lemurs. Losing the second group will give them an opportunity to potentially acquire a younger bunch of ring-taileds to join the main exhibit or add black-and-white ruffed lemurs (the other lemur species with a Canadian population) and make the lemur exhibit feel lively again.
 
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@hyena142, as far as I know there are no plans to bring in other lemurs be they ring tailed or any other species. I wouldnt be mad if they brought in more species of lemur though. I just think its not too likely at this point. The main goal was to provide better living conditions for both groups. I dont think breeding had anything to do with the groups going to war. Two females, Lucy and Ruby, wanted to be the dominant one and their offspring supported them. Interestingly Ruby was the only female from a different source which might have been the reason the war broke out or just dumb luck.
 
antilio capra said:
How many Blue bellied rollers (and Luzon bleeding heart doves) does the zoo already have?
Click to expand...

1.0 Blue-bellied Roller "Leslie"

When the zoo released their animal plan a few years ago, they had 4.2 Luzon Bleeding-heart Doves listed. They are currently exhibited both in Indo and in the Malayan Woods, and on my last visit I counted three, so we probably have somewhere between 3 and 6.
 
Are we not getting another komodo dragon for breeding anymore? I remember they were still trying, but I guess that's dead in the water now?
 
@Flixox101 We were supposed to get a female from Disney but I think covid probably killed that and they're just waiting out Kilat now, he's an old man
 
@antilio capra, unless any of the transfers of the doves have happened and I just dont know about it or if there have been deaths I am unaware of @Kalvin is absolutely correct about the bleeding heart doves. In theory we have 4.2. Kalvin is also correct about the roller. We just have a single lonely male.

@Flixox101, I dropped the komodo transfer because its been about 4 years since it was first proposed. Covid happened and ruined nice things for us. At this point Kilat is 20. Its his birthday today! Komodos are considered too old to breed at 18, plus I remember the zoo mentioning he has arthritis now in his back end which honestly by this point probably would be a problem when breeding. There is no way the SSP will waste a genetically valuable breeding age female on an old man who might not be able to get the job done anymore even if he and his brother are the only descendants of his wildborn mom. Unfortunately its a bloodline that is just gonna die out unless the zoo has a sample of his genetic material and one day far down the line AI is attempted in komodos. I really wont be surprise if after he passes we dont replace him but thats just speculation on my part.
 
TZFan said:
Expected Departures
1 Kookaburra - Karee to Palm Beach but avian flu may continue to delay it
2 Grevy's Zebra - Obi and Poe to St Louis when they are ready to take the boys at their new facility
1 Sumatran Orangutan - Jingga to Louisville
2 Luzon Bleeding Heart Dove - male to St Louis and female to Miami
2 Golden Lion Tamarin - Dave to another Canadian zoo not in the AZA, Kat will go to another zoo with a male from Topeka but the home has yet to be determined.
2 Masai Giraffe - Kiko to Calgary and Matu to the US
3 Cheetah - Berlioz and Toulouse to Cincinnati
3 Burmese Brown Mountain Tortoise - Big Bertha, Jack, and Rabbit to Disney
1 Red-legged Seriema - Jean to Omaha
4 Ring Tailed Lemur - Rusty, Lasonia, Lilly and Ruby to Winnipeg to eliminate the problem of housing two groups in the winter.
1 Indian Rhino - Kiran to Miami
1 White Cheeked Turaco - 2022 chick to Winnipeg
6 Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnakes - 3 breeding pairs to Oklahoma

Possible Departures
2 River Hippo - A home is still being looked for for Petal and Perky.
1 Spotted Hyena - As a potential founder in with two non breeding females a new home is being looked for for Echo.
2 Clouded Leopards - A new home was still being sought for Pavarti and Mingma but the reopening of the Woods may have changed that and we just might keep them til the end.
2 Victoria Crowned Pigeon - the younger male and female probably will be sent out for breeding but homes have yet to be selected and avian flu might delay it.

Released to the Wild
Black Footed Ferrets to the National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center for pre release training.
Vancouver Island Marmots to Tony Barret Mount Washington Marmot Recovery Centre for first winter hibernation prior to release.
Eastern Loggerhead Shrikes
Blanding’s Turtles
Wood Turtle
Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnakes
Trumpeter Swans - any cygnets hatched by the breeding pair are allowed to go free.
Puerto Rican Crested Toads

Expected Arrival
1 Masai Giraffe - Nabo from Calgary to breed Mstari and Amani
1 Kookaburra - female from Palm Beach to be Jake's companion but avian flu could delay it.
1 Jaguar - Lua or Estrela from Granby
1 Grey Crowned Crane - female from Granby to be Huck's companion
1 River otter - Maybelle from Calgary to be RJ's companion.
1 Blue Bellied Roller - female from Jacksonville but avian flu could delay it.
1 Tawny Frogmouth - female from Sedgwick but avian flu could delay it.
1 Red Panda - Kalden from Edmonton for display only
1 Capybara - male from San Diego potentially to breed with Tootsie down the line.

Possible Arrivals
Black Tree Monitor - a female is being looked for.
Several Spotted Whistling Ducks but avian flu could delay it.
Greater Kudu - male potentially.

And given the 3 surprise new species who knows what else?

Now for what is more speculation because we currently have no confirmed pregnancies but based on breeding plans we know about. I broke down the likelihood of the baby but its a personal opinion as to the ranking.
Click to expand...
Where are you getting all of this info from?
 
TZFan said:
@antilio capra, unless any of the transfers of the doves have happened and I just dont know about it or if there have been deaths I am unaware of @Kalvin is absolutely correct about the bleeding heart doves. In theory we have 4.2. Kalvin is also correct about the roller. We just have a single lonely male.

@Flixox101, I dropped the komodo transfer because its been about 4 years since it was first proposed. Covid happened and ruined nice things for us. At this point Kilat is 20. Its his birthday today! Komodos are considered too old to breed at 18, plus I remember the zoo mentioning he has arthritis now in his back end which honestly by this point probably would be a problem when breeding. There is no way the SSP will waste a genetically valuable breeding age female on an old man who might not be able to get the job done anymore even if he and his brother are the only descendants of his wildborn mom. Unfortunately its a bloodline that is just gonna die out unless the zoo has a sample of his genetic material and one day far down the line AI is attempted in komodos. I really wont be surprise if after he passes we dont replace him but thats just speculation on my part.
Click to expand...

Why wouldn't they replace the Komodos? Are they getting phased out as well???
 
Cowdoy1010 said:
Why wouldn't they replace the Komodos? Are they getting phased out as well???
Click to expand...

Say the zoo has space for a breeding pair. If they bring in a female now, like TZfan said she will not get a chance to breed until Kilat passes and a new male can be brought in. And for the same reasons, why would another zoo take in a geriatric male who can't breed, when they could leave the space for a breeding age individual?

Toronto is likely going to let Kilat live out his golden years and then bring in a new pair once he's gone.
 
Cowdoy1010 said:
Why wouldn't they replace the Komodos? Are they getting phased out as well???
Click to expand...

If I recall right the zoo said in past Facebook Live that they were having trouble getting komodos across the border. Memory is foggy on it but I think it has something to do with regulations. I know the zoo tried to replace our last female Kiki for a good long while before she passed. I think they had been trying over roughly the last 10 or so years. Something more the covid prevented success in getting a new female. We might have trouble getting a new breeding pair and in the end the zoo might just decide its not worth the effort. We will have to wait until Kilat passes to see what they choose to do and he could live another 10 years.
 
Based off of the only official documentation, I think Komodo's are hopefully to stay. The Animal Lives with Purpose, although going on 4 years old now does mention acquiring a female with an end goal of 1.1 Komdos and in the longer term plan does discuss an outdoor enclosure for them. The masterplan does not mention anything of an outdoor exhibit, but does consider them an "Iconic Species" of Australasia Pavillion.
 
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