Toronto Zoo Toronto Zoo - Canada's Largest Zoo

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I am sorry to hear of Rosie's passing. She was certainly taken very good care of.

Would you happen to know what other species the zoo is phasing out?
 
i remeber a keeper telling me that Sherman was really quirky.has the zoo ever had a baby tapir, i seem to remember one but it might have been Sanya im thinking about, i just remember one of the two having a baby around 2000.again, sorry for bombarding you with questions
 
Ungulate, do you have any NEW news on the Great Barrier Reef exhibit? and any "behind the scenes" information?
Thanks.
 
@ Meaghan: Thanks for the condolences, although Rosi is still with us (she and Timo were copulating tonight. We aren't expecting any offspring though, since he has been castrated and she is probably menopausal).

Species that I believe are slated to be phased out over the next few years include the fur seals, wisent, musk ox, scimitar-horned oryx, and chamois. Most of these are either very difficult to manage (which means very few other places are available to trade animals with) or are being done well elsewhere and don't do well in Toronto's climate.

@ ZooGoer2000: a total of eight Asian tapirs have been born at the zoo; the last one was in 1996. Sanya the Indian rhino was born in 1999.

@ Quartz92: the Great Barrier Reef is now up and running; staff and VIP previews were held this weekend, and it will open to the public on Friday. Not all of the fish have been moved into the big tank yet, but the exhibit is now relatively complete. The tanks are (in order of appearance)
1) Live corals (which are still very small)
2) Pot-bellied seahorses
3) Lion fish (I believe to be replaced by Kuda seahorses at some point)
4) The big tank (lots of species). For those who will be visiting the zoo and want a challenge, a SpongeBob SquarePants model is hiding somewhere in the tank. (The fake corals at the back of the tank are very "new" and bright, but will hopefully calm down over the next few months).
5) Moon jellies

The mammal exhibits across from the Komodo dragons are now occupied by the swamp wallaby and wombat (in the larger half; where the old swamp wallaby/devil exhibit was), and the echidnas and bettong are in the smaller half. The two can be joined via a gate in the back of the exhibits, but the swamp wallaby was quite alarmed by the wombat, so the echidnas and bettong were separated to help keep her from becoming overwhelmed.

There is a new exit to the pavilion at the end of the barrier reef, which takes you out by the kangaroos and a new outdoor exhibit for the wombats/wallabies/echidnas.
 
Thats so cool, so they are going to get rid of the lion fish? and do you think the zoo will breed the saltwater fish species and corals? Do they have any invertibrates in the aqariums? Like sea urchins, and start fish. and do you know anything New about the Tundra project? Sorry for the array of questions but thanks for the answers.
 
i also remember a seal back in 2001 named cinnie or connie or something like that?I feel kind of sorry for the musk oxen because he lives in the huge big field but he's all alone
 
are the clouded leopards brother and sisters?They seem to really hang around each other but not in a breeding way, by the way what are there names?
 
Quartz92: I'm not sure what the plans are for the lionfish, but in all of the plans the tank was to be set up for seahorses. I don't remember seeing any invertebrates in the tanks, except for perhaps the coral tank (anenomes, perhaps). In the former Great Barrier Reef area (at the base of the billabong), there are two new displays of blue and tiger yabbies (crawfish). Not sure about breeding in the exhibit tanks; most of the fish breeding that occurs happens in an off-exhibit fish facility.

The tundra project continues to progress; you can get a good look at the site from the zoomobile as it approaches the Mayan temple. The moats/walls surrounding the new polar bear exhibits look to be fully constructed, and the waterway around the Dall's sheep mountains to the bridge by Australasia has been filled in to create space for a new wolf exhibit. The opening will be in 2009, either in he spring, or potentially in the winter to show off the polar bears in their element.

ZooGoer2000: The fur seal you are thinking of was Chinny (she is my little icon at left). Chinny passed away in 2005, at the very old age of 32 (she was the oldest known individual in the genus Arctocephalus). Chinny was Rosi's mother, and one of the original seals at the zoo (wild born in South Africa). I did up a little obituary for the members magazine when she passed away, since she was a very special animal.

The clouded leopards are both female; they are sisters named Fauna and Merriweather.
 
Thanks for the information, Ungulate! It is always good to hear from an insider. I was wondering about the musk ox, since there's only one last time I was at the zoo.
 
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The question of what to do with surplus animals is an always problematic topic in the zoo world. However, such impertinent, over-emotional and sensationalist articles like the one of the Toronto Sun only complicate everything just to sell copies and are a disgrace for serious and impartial journalists.
 
Ungalate, thank you so so much for your time awnsering all these questions.
 
are Rowdy and Nokanda still at the zoo?one time i was there (i think it was right after they had Lindi and Jaroh) and it was in the morning and it was really nice out so they were sitting on that part thats on top of the viewing area and they were roaring.I was just wondering because last time i only saw a male that i think was rowndy and two tawny females.
 
Yes, Rowdy and Nokanda (lions) are still at the zoo, as are their two (castrated) boys Jerroh and Lyndy (Lyndy is the one with the scraggly mane). The tawny "females" were probably the boys, or perhaps a very dirty Nokanda (for everyone else, Nokanda is a Philadelphia-born "Timbavati white lion" ... a whole other issue to delve into).
 
Ungulate, since you are a zoo keeper, or anyone who can answer, can you answer some of thease questions.

What courses are recomended in highschool and university/collage to become a zoo keeper?

Do you need to have a vetrinarian degree to become a zoo keeper?

and

Which university/collages do you think are good educational facilities for become a zoo keeper?

Thanks for your time.
 
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thanks so much, was Nokanda one of those lions from the White Lions Of Timbavati exhibit in 1995?
 
As a keeper I highly reccommend taking (in high school) as much biology as possible. Dont be afraid of chemistry, geography, nutrition, basic construction/shop, and child developement/education classes. You do not need a veterinary degree to be a zookeeper, but exposure to such classes wouldnt hurt.

The best zookeeper school is in Gainesville, Florida (Santa Fe Community College, 2 yr college). They have a 12 acre AZA accredited zoo on the campus and the students take care of the animals. There is another teaching zoo in Moorpark, CA but it focuses more on training and conditioning animals, rather than animal husbandy - they also didnt pass their AZA accreditation. Also there are several other colleges that offer zoo degrees, but none offer the experience that can be found at Santa Fe.

Of course any 4 year university with a zoology or animal science degree along with many summer internships working with animals can also be a good choice!
 
Thank you so very much, and do you know of any colleges/universities in Canada that are good? and What vetrinarian degree is needed to become a zoo keeper?
 
Unglulate, since you are a zoo keeper, and probably went to school in Canada for zoo keeping, can you answer some of thease questions.

What courses are recomended in highschool and university/collage to become a zoo keeper?

Do you need to have a vetrinarian degree to become a zoo keeper?

and

Which university/collages do you think are good educational facilities for become a zoo keeper?

Thanks for your time. You would probably give me a lot of knewledge I need to know about a zoo keeping position at the Toronto Zoo.
 
You dont need a veterinarian degree to become a zookeeper. Many zoos would consider you over-qualified for the position and not consider you for hire...maybe curator, but not keeper.
 
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