Toronto Zoo Toronto Zoo- Births, Deaths, Arrivals and Departures 2014

Went to the zoo today. It was surprisingly packed with people. Just about the entire A section of the parking lot was full, plus a bit of the other parking lot area.

In terms of what I saw, well, both Pandas, Er Shun and Da Mao, were entertaining crowds with there antics. I didn't see it, but people were saying that Er Shun was doing somersaults in place in the indoor section. Da Mao, who is was watching, was tumbling down the hill over and over again, enjoying the snow. I wish I got more pictures of it, but the amount of people was getting to the point where it turned into a pushing game to see him.

After the leaving the Pandas, there was wild fox running around the tables and chairs near the Mandarin. Got a couple of pictures of him, before he squeezed in through a fence disappearing from sight.

In the Australasia Pavilion, I got a chance to see both Wombats walking around the exhibit. It was funny because only the male, Arthur I believe, was visible. Then The female Wombat, Matilba, popped her head out of a hole in the ground scaring one of the Wallaby's. I was surprise how much bigger she is compared to Arthur.

As for Humphrey, the Polar Bear cub, (Going to have to get used to calling him that) he was playing in the snow and enjoying himself. People just couldn't get enough of him.

Polar Bear parents Aurora and Inukshuk were actively mating in a very non-stop manner. Nikita was nowhere to be seen. From the look of things. A new Polar Bear cub could come along earlier than we assumed.

Lastly, they've put up signs around the old elephant exhibit stating that it will be the new Giraffe exhibit after renovations. Nothing beyond that was given. Also the
Lion-tailed Macaque is closed for renovations. Looks like a typical repairs and maintenance type of renovation.
 
The likely causes of all the people at the zoo are March Break and Humphrey's naming and thus all the press.

Thats interesting to hear Er Shun is showing some personality. You always hear about Da Mao but never her. Although that will all change if we hear the pitter patter of little panda paws this summer. She and baby would become the star attractions. If we all think the star power of Humphery is big just wait until the first Canadian born panda arrives.

I hope the conversion for the giraffes is done and the girls are moved by Junish. I would think they want them over there as soon as possible because moving them will likely be a big operation. I would guess they are working on crate training... its not like they can just lead them on leashes like the alpacas or reindeer. Thats got to be a big crate.
The lion tailed macaques holding needs its roof replaced. It was to be done sometime this year and I guess the time is now so they will be on display for summer.
 
Oh, another thing about my visit. The Polar Bears weren't the only animals mating. The Victoria Crowned Pigeons were also mating, again.
 
I must be in the minority here! I think it's a cute name for a male animal. Does it neccessary remind you of a polar bear when you hear it? Well, no. I guess with repeats in polar bear names in the past [all zoos], I'm opened to unique names.
 
Charles, the gorilla, might be a new father but hes about to become a grandfather again, possibly times 2. He and Josephine's son Jomo has bred with Asha and Anju at Cininnati Zoo. Asha is due sometime in July and breeding has occured between he and Anju but no pregnancy has been confirmed yet. They are expecting to find out if Anju is pregnant sometime very soon. Both females are first time moms and Jomo is already a father to 8 year old Bakari who now lives in Oklahoma with his mom but belongs to Toronto. Jomo also fathered a stillborn male with Samantha in 2006.

Zoo expecting gorilla baby

Charles could also become a grandfather in Milwaukee as Shalia has been recommended to breed with Cassius. I would guess they will want the baby soon as troop mate Naku is due in the spring with her

Surbira is on his way from Granby to Dallas to be paired with three females, Shanta and Madge at first. Once they have become a group they will add Megan from Gladys Porter. While hes not to breed right now because they want the group to integrate and be peaceful first, after the disaster that was Patricks rule over the troop, Im sure he will have a chance to become a father in the next two or three years.

Sekani is still raising 18 month old Adelina, Charles 3rd grandchild and 1st granddaugther, in Little Rock. Adelina belongs to Toronto. Her seven year old son Mosi, Charles second child, lives in a bachelor group at Lincoln Park.

Johari, Sadiki, Nassir and baby N all belong to Toronto. Man are we going to miss Charles when he goes and we only get to own 50% of the babies we have. At least we have Ngozi, Johari and baby N for the future silverback to breed with and dont have to get into a deal were we only get ownership of 33% of babies.

In terms of other Toronto owned gorillas, still living...

Catherine (30, Barney X Caroline) lives in Little Rock with Sekani. She has no offspring. Pity since her parents were both wild born and her mother only had her. Shes not to breed right now maybe she never will.

Patrick (24, Barney X Pattycake) lives at Riverbanks Zoo as a solo male. He is anti social due to being hand reared (at Toronto with Jabria who has died). He is the male Subira is replacing. Luckily his father has other offspring (Oliver, Bonnie and Asha have just started to reproduce, Husani is a mature silverback but no offspring yet)

Zuri (18, Barney X Juju) lives in Calgary has bred twice with Kakinga. A female infant died in 2006. Female Yewande was born in 2008 and belongs to Toronto as well.

Mbundi (19, Kakinga X Tabitha) lives at Kansas City Zoo with half brother N'Tondo but that is about to change. He is schedualed to head to Gladys Porter Zoo to breed with Penney once hes been accepted by fellow troop mates Martha, Kiaza Kitamu, Samantha, Margaret and baby boy Tracy James. He is the grandson of Barney and Josephine.

Zwalani (14, Kakinga X Tabitha) lives at Granby Zoo. He is also Barney and Josephine's grandson. Hes living in the bachelor troop with fellow Calgary boys.

Amanda (44) lives at Woodland Park Zoo. She's Ngozi's mother. She also has daughters Calaya and Belle neither of which belong to us.

N'Tondo (21, Kakinga X Julia) lives at Kansas City Zoo with his half brother Mbundi but that is about to change as he is to move to the Bronx. He will be heading a troop consisting of Triska, Fran, Halima, Sufi Bettine and Sia. His troop is not to breed right away so they can settle in as a group.

Jawara (16, Kakinga X Julia) lives in the Granby bachelor troop.

Looks like the best option for Toronto's future silverback if we are to keep all our babies is Jawara. Hes just coming of age. He belongs to Julia a wild born mother. Kakinga might have a number of offspring breeding but it would eliminate the need to move a gorilla across the border. He could breed with all the females and his departure from Granby would free up space for Sadiki and Nassir when they need to make the move to a bachelor troop.
 
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I was thinking last night it would be cool to have a new troop, following Charles death, that had descendants from all of our original 7 gorillas, Charles, Josephine, Samantha, Barney, Julia, Caroline, Amanda. We did have an older gorilla named Katrina too but she never bred so wouldnt have a decendant, plus shes not an original baby.

Jawara (M) - Julia
Catherine (F) - Barney and Caroline (or an offspring if born)
Ngozi (F) - Amanda
Johari (F) - Charles and Josephine
Adelina (F) - Charles and Samantha (or return Sekani or Shalia)

It would give varied ages too. Catherine would be older, Ngozi, Johari and Jawara, young adults and Adelina (arriving later) a potential future breeder.
 
I hope the zoo does more of these little articles in the spring and summer to drive up attendance. Its fun learning little things about everyone... particularily the ones who often get passed over.

I kind of wish the zoo had gone with names that start with the same letters as their moms names for the zebras. It would make it easier for me to keep who belongs to who straight in my head. Shani had Luke right?

Herman is a cute name for a marmot. It totally suits him.
 
Luke was born to Shani in November, while Tori had Leia in January. Both of the foals were fathered by Jake (I believe these were his first, along with Tori), as Shaka is now in Calgary.
 
Thanks zoogoer2000. I like to set things straight in my head. I do know they both belong to Jake and that they are the first for him and Tori.

Shaka in Calgary is news to me. As of October 12 2012 he was at the Valley Zoo in Edmonton. They changed his name to Jorge. He was to breed with Zari and Shelley Anne was to come over from Calgary to breed as well because they were converting to Hartmann's Zebras... though one died so maybe they changed their mind. Dakari (a Toronto born female born to Bakari and Sudi... Jakes half sister) also resides in Edmonton but isnt to be bred due to her age. Calgary's Lori Anne was supposed to come here to Toronto to mate with Jake.

But a lot of that changed. Tori was to go south to Houston with Shakira who died. Tori stayed and mated with Jake instead so maybe there wasnt space for Lori Anne. In Calgary the conversion to Hartmanns stalled when one of the two females died. Maybe they couldnt get more so decided to keep Grevys and so both females stayed and Shaka (now Jorge) was brought in for them. Wonder whats going on with Dakari and Zari now in Edmonton.
 
Went to the TZ today. I was super impressed to see the improvements for the lemur exhibit. There was a hammock, other trees to climb and and the exhibit was no longer bare anymore apart from that silly tree. The lemurs were racing around chasing each other, eating in the hammock and interacting with people at the glass. Fun!

Saw Humphrey today. He was sleeping in his tiny little bed … it's amazing to think how big he'll get, yet he is so small now!

One of the cheetahs was out, which was a treat. I haven't seen one in close to a year!

Got a glimpse of the baby gorilla. Mom was hiding her from view most of the time, but you could see a hand or a foot on occasion and then from an extreme angle you could see her head.

Anyway, another great day at the TZ ...
 
Thanks for sharing Kknudsen. Really interesting to hear about the improvements to the lemur exhibit. You are right it was a little on the dull side for an exhibit that size. A little sprucing up cant hurt it any.
 
Yippie! I missed the 5 babies last year during both visits much to my dismay. Now I have a second chance to see a lemur baby. Thats fantastic news. Not that all of the other zoo babies arent great. I still look forward to them but I felt teased last year with so many of them and all I saw of them was one tiny tail sticking out from under a pile.

The photo is so great because you really get to see just how tiny they are as newborns. Lucky for them they have an experienced mom. And the babies being around will be good for their big sister. She can learn from mom how to be a good mother herself eventually.
 
In the worst kept secret the zoo has ever had the gorilla baby has been announced to be a girl. Most of us have known since she was a week or two old (January).

We are getting another naming contest. We are asked to sumbit out choices of African (prefered) named that start with N, in honour of the zoo's tradition of having babies names starting with moms first letter.

Hopefully they let Charles pick the name again from a group of names like they did for Nassir.

By the end of April she will have a name.

It's a girl! Toronto Zoo holds contest to name new baby gorilla | CTV Toronto News

Why don't we all share the names we are sumbitting and see if anyone gets lucky?

Heres some I quickly found... are they right? I don't know I don't speak Swahili and we all know how trustworthy the net is.

Nuru - light (doesnt sound girly)
Nabeelah or Nabila - noble, honourable,
Nadhari - vision
Nadia - hope
Nadra - special
Nafisa - Excellent, valuable
Nbushe - godly one
Neema - born in a prosperous time
Nia - radiance, bright
Nuha - intellegent
Nzuri - Beautiful
 
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TZFan said:
In the worst kept secret the zoo has ever had the gorilla baby has been announced to be a girl. Most of us have known since she was a week or two old (January).

We are getting another naming contest. We are asked to sumbit out choices of African (prefered) named that start with N, in honour of the zoo's tradition of having babies names starting with moms first letter.

Hopefully they let Charles pick the name again from a group of names like they did for Nassir.

By the end of April she will have a name.

It's a girl! Toronto Zoo holds contest to name new baby gorilla | CTV Toronto News

Why don't we all share the names we are sumbitting and see if anyone gets lucky?

Heres some I quickly found... are they right? I don't know I don't speak Swahili and we all know how trustworthy the net is.

Nuru - light (doesnt sound girly)
Nabeelah or Nabila - noble, honourable,
Nadhari - vision
Nadia - hope
Nadra - special
Nafisa - Excellent, valuable
Nbushe - godly one
Neema - born in a prosperous time
Nia - radiance, bright
Nuha - intellegent
Nzuri - Beautiful
Click to expand...

I'm terrible at thinking of names, so I won't be submitting any. I do like most of the ones you posted and I think that some of them actually could have a chance of being chosen.
 
I didnt think. I like that you give me that much credit but I cannot take it. I typed in Swahili baby names and looked in the N section for girls names and copied some down until I got bored. I dont even know any other languages in Africa other than Zulu. I say let google do the work.

Feel free to submit any you like Arcticwolf. You can only submit one a day and likely they will pick the a couple of the top sumbitted ones that they can get confirmed by someone... thus avoiding embarassment again.

Zulu names according to one website.

Nandi -Sweet, her fathers child (digging that one considering baby will likely be Charles last)
Naledi - Star
Nobantu - mother of people
Nokwasi - Knowledgable
Nokwanda - Expansion
Nolwazi - one with knowledge
Nomasa - grace

There was a bunch more but many were too long or difficult to spit out in English close to correctly.
 
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