Toronto Zoo Toronto Zoo Births, Deaths and Transfers 2025

Jefferson said:
The great Canadian Gorilla shuffle is complete!
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At least we have three Gorilla holders in Canada to form a shuffle, but Orangutans are not that lucky, Toronto is the only holder in Canada, and the Jane Goodall Act (probably?) prohibits other Canadian facilities from joining the Orangutan keeping, Jingga is 19 years old now still doesn't have certain future for breeding
 
StellarChaser said:
At least we have three Gorilla holders in Canada to form a shuffle, but Orangutans are not that lucky, Toronto is the only holder in Canada, and the Jane Goodall Act (probably?) prohibits other Canadian facilities from joining the Orangutan keeping, Jingga is 19 years old now still doesn't have certain future for breeding
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For now the Jane Goodall Act is dead. It died before becoming a law when Trudeau prorogued parliament earlier this year. I explained it all already in a previous post. Im pretty sure its in the development thread, maybe the discussion thread.

Orang, Jingga, does have a future and its at Fresno as planned. Just takes time to get an orang across the border.
 
TZFan said:
For now the Jane Goodall Act is dead. It died before becoming a law when Trudeau prorogued parliament earlier this year. I explained it all already in a previous post. Im pretty sure its in the development thread, maybe the discussion thread.
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But the Liberal is still in power now. Is there a possibility that parliament might reinstate this bill in the future?
 
StellarChaser said:
But the Liberal is still in power now. Is there a possibility that parliament might reinstate this bill in the future?
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Yes the Liberals are back in power under a different Prime Minister facing very different priorities. Sure they could revive the bill by starting at square one again but I think we have much bigger problems that need to be looked at right now. The world in which the Jane Goodall Act was first proposed in is insanely different than the world we are in now. In the end I think parliament will be spending the next 3 and a half years fending off constant attacks on our economy, our security and our very sovereignty. Honestly we have bigger fish to fry right now. I think it would be a waste of time to have them try to push the act through now. I personally would rather they bicker in parliament about how to keep the economy going, keep us housed, fed, employed, and most importantly safe. The act has valid things it wanted to address but it feels like something that doesnt need to be as prioritized in a time of great turmoil. Its unfortunately for the animals it sought to protect an act for a time of relative peace and calm. Its also something that would probably best left for a majority government to pass not a minority government that could be toppled at any time, resetting the whole process again. It's not as simple as lets just reintroduce the bill. Sure they can do it. They might. But is right now the time? I would guess no.
 
The zoo has announced that all 18 Black Footed Ferret kits born this year and all breeding aged adults will be transferred to the Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center in Colorado. It will likely be later this fall as they usually do their transfers in the fall. The only ferrets staying would be the female currently one display in the Americas pavilion and any adults too old to move. It's what I thought would happen when they announce they were ending the program but they hadnt firmly said all the adults would head south. Now we know.

This years 18 kits were born to 4 litters.

Seal and Domino produced 8 (6 males, 2 females).
Kraken
Sockeye Sam-on
Bufflehead
Wolf Eel
Narwhal
Irukandji
Coral
Minnow.

Sheepstealer and Lil G had 6 (2 males, 4 females)
Mugsy
Bannock
Nanaimo
Poutine
Tourtiere
T-Dot

Sea Cucumber and Talo had 3 (1 male, 2 females)
Barnacle
Pocket Shark
Abalone

And lastly Madison and Umlaut had just one female.
Kyla

If we had to end the program at least the zoo went out with a bang. This is one of the most successful years I can recall.
 
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@TZFan Have they provided rationale for ending the breeding program, and if we have to why send them south in the current climate of funding cuts to conservation and science. Did they only custodially hold them and they belonged to someone else or are they Torontos animals?
 
@kingoffreaks, nothing I have read indicates why the zoo is backing out of the black footed ferret program. My guess would be its getting harder to get the ferrets across the border and if the kits are to be released the clock is ticking once they are born. Also there was someone who used to fly them down for the zoo. If they have decided to retire that might be impactful too. But there is also the zoos general downsizing that might be a factor. The zoo might want to get out of a conservation program that is really only benefitting an animal thats being released in the US. That huge investment in space and time, the zoo might feel is better spent on a Canadian species. They could be eyeing the ferret space for a marmot expansion. Maybe they want to use the space for more Massassauga rattlesnakes or Blandings turtles. They could also be eyeing a new Canadian program. Someone may have to ask some keepers to find out the rationale. Or we can just wait it out to see what they do. That may tell us a lot.

As for ownership... Naturally the zoo would own at least some of the animals. Not every one. Every year while many if not most kits head south for release or to join the breeding program down there, there are also a handful of adults that move south while others head north to mix up genetics. It would be a mix of ones we own and others that various other US holders own. But in the end ownership matters only a little bit in the zoo world. As a member of the Black Footed Ferret SSP Toronto will pretty much do whatever is requested, unless they thought a home wasnt a good fit for their animal. Less likely to happen with a little ferret off exhibit no one knows but their keepers than a bigger animal guests know well like a gorilla or an orang and even then eventually something will likely happen.
 
Cowdoy1010 said:
Sad news - the zoo announced iconic zoo resident Petal was humanely euthanized today after determining there was no further support they could provide based on her infection.

Petal was 1 of 2 remaining River hippos at the zoo.
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Nooooo, rest in peace, Petal. We will miss you. It is very hard for everyone, especially the keepers, to lose an animal that has been with them for 30 years. Thank you to the Zoo team that tried to save Petal from the infection.
 
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Cowdoy1010 said:
Sad news - the zoo announced iconic zoo resident Petal was humanely euthanized today after determining there was no further support they could provide based on her infection.

Petal was 1 of 2 remaining River hippos at the zoo.
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Aww that's sad. Really feels like we are approaching the end of an era at the zoo with her passing. I dont know the zoo without river hippos and it feels like with Petal passing that day is closer than ever. I really thought we would have both of them for another 20 years.

I do wonder if this will mean Canada looks at making some shifts. I know we dont want them long term but will the zoo keep Perky on her own. She's always been with her sister. I mean their brother Samson always as solo so its possible. But he had visual contact with his sisters. If we werent so bent on phase out I could see moves happening in Canada to break up issues. Maybe someone will take Perky now that shes solo. Who knows.

My heart goes out to her keepers and long time guests who loved her dearly. Ill fondly remember my Wild Encounter with the girls forever.
 
Cowdoy1010 said:
Sad news - the zoo announced iconic zoo resident Petal was humanely euthanized today after determining there was no further support they could provide based on her infection.

Petal was 1 of 2 remaining River hippos at the zoo.
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Very sad news. I was hoping when I saw her about a week ago that something had changed with her condition. At least I got to see her once more before she passed. I’m glad I got to spend a lot of time at the exhibit and see the girls enjoying one another’s company one last time.
I am also curious as to what will happen with Perky now, whether they decide to keep her alone, or really try to find her a new home. If it’s the latter, hopefully they get o on converting that space for the pygmy hippos and they can breed again.
 
Petal just such a sweet gentle girl. Glad I got to spend a lot of time with her over the last couple of years. Truly saddened by the loss but also glad about the fun moments the girls have provided together. I hope Perk will be okay by herself but it would be much better if they could have her go elsewhere with other hippos. I still think phasing out river hippos is INSANE as I think it's a real key species of a zoo... but whatever that's a post for another time. <3 Petal <3
 
Sad news for sure. I imagine this will make Perky much more easily placeable elsewhere - and I certainly hope she finds good company elsewhere sooner than later at a great new home.

With this perhaps faster timeline than the zoo may have imagined, I'll be curious to see if refurbishment of the outdoor exhibit for the pygmys will be accelerated. The zoo certainly seems very construction happy at the moment!
 
HawkAlot said:
Sad news for sure. I imagine this will make Perky much more easily placeable elsewhere - and I certainly hope she finds good company elsewhere sooner than later at a great new home.

With this perhaps faster timeline than the zoo may have imagined, I'll be curious to see if refurbishment of the outdoor exhibit for the pygmys will be accelerated. The zoo certainly seems very construction happy at the moment!
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Thinking about this last night, and I believe it’s more likely than not that come the spring Perky is gone and we see the pgymys in the old river hippos exhibit. The river hippos were on the way out. The zoo has decided against keeping them and restarting the breeding program because of the money it would cost to refurbish the barn/expand the exhibit. They will most likely try to move Perky, and with it being October now, she’ll be off exhibit for the winter anyway so they’ll have some time to move her and make the changes needed for the pgymys, as opposed to the exhibit being empty for a summer. And the pygmys get their outdoor exhibit, and lots more space which the zoo has been yearning for. The only way I don’t see this happening is if they can’t find a home for Perky.
 
The zoo transferred out 10 of the Vancouver island marmot that were born this year to the Tony Barrett Mount Washington Marmot Recovery Centre to be eventually released back into the wild. In the image, I see their names: Homelander, Frenchie, Janice, Kimiko and Butcher

In exchange, the zoo received 4 adult marmot(3 male and 1 female) from the Calgary Zoo and the Marmot Recovery Centre to help with breeding. This formed 5 new valuable pair for next year spring pup
The Toronto Zoo
 
Does anyone know where the Komodo dragons came from? I was a bit surprised to see a poll for naming options. I thought the zoo usually (but not always) maintained names when they arrived from another facility.

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