Toronto Zoo Toronto Zoo - Canada's Largest Zoo

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Sorry once again its updated :p

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?

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.
 
Quartz92 said:
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?
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Okapikpr's comments are bang-on. High school science courses (especially biology) are important, but so are things like public speaking and geography. Most zoos look for post-secondary education, such as a college diploma in Animal Care (or related field) or a university degree. Several keepers I know went to college to become veterinary technicians (VERY different than becoming a veterinarian in terms of how many years of school!). You should decide where you want to go for post-secondary school, since each program has different prerequisite courses which you need to take in High School.

Quartz92 said:
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.
Click to expand...

In Ontario, there are only (I believe) three Universities that have official "zoology" degrees: U of T, Western, and Guelph. Guelph is well known for its animal programs (in part due to the associated Veterinary College), and a large number of keepers at the Toronto Zoo (myself included) went to Guelph. However, a degree in wildlife biology, general biology, or marine biology are all fairly similar. There are several colleges which offer animal care programs, including Sheridan College and (I think) Seneca College.

In addition to education, a zoo usually looks for experience when hiring, so volunteer at a shelter, work at a stable, or pet store ... anything to get experience working around and caring for animals.
 
Zoogoer2000 said:
thanks so much, was Nokanda one of those lions from the White Lions Of Timbavati exhibit in 1995?
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No, the three sisters on exhibit in 1995 were Tandi, Kanya, and Kolwa ... I believe they went to a zoo in Germany when they left Toronto.
 
Ungula, have you ever been on the show Zoo Diaries by a chance?
 
Ungulate, are there any sharks in the Australasian Pavillon?
 
@ZooGoer2000: No, I've never been featured in a Zoo Diaries episode, but I think I was on camera in the background a few times. FYI, the show stopped filming about three years ago.

@Quartz: yes, there are sharks in the Great Barrier Reef exhibit, but they are not large ocean-going ones (the tanks are much to small to house ram-ventilators). The species exhibited is the brown-banded bamboo shark (Chiloscyllium punctatum); they are located in the large reef tank. The Toronto Zoo has had several successful breedings of this species over the past few years. FYI, juveniles were used to 'seed' all of the tanks and test the water chemistry before the other fish moved in.
 
Any new animal species at the toronto zoo? other then the great barrier reef exhibit.

And

What do you do for the keeper for a day program?
 
AND Ungulate, how long do you think that the stingray bay will be restricted at the Toronto Zoo? and when will it open back up?
 
does any one have info on the zoos primate collection, as far as i know these are there current ones.

Orangutan
Dinding: Male-oldest orangutan in group
Puppe: female-mother of five...Santan,Juara,Kartiko,Jahe and Budi
Molek: male-largest male,born in Zoo Atlanta
Jahe: female-Puppe's second youngest child,born 1997
Sekali: female-Abigail's 4th yougest daughter,hand raised,born 1994,mother of Kembali
Ramai: female-Chantek's 2nd oldest daughter,Mother of Jingga,never on exhibit with Puppe as they don't get along
Budi:male-born 2006, son of Puppe
Kembali:male-born 2006, son of Sekali
Jingga:female-born 2006,daughter of Jingga

Gorilla
Charles: male-oldest and largest gorilla,father of Shalia,Subira,Sekani,Jabari,Johari,Minkebe,Tabitha,Jomo
Samantha:female-dominant female,mother of Sekani,Subira,Shalia,Natasha and Sadiki
Josephine:female- a very unsucessful breeder, Josephine has been mother to Minkebe,Jabari,Jomo,Johari,Tabitha,and 5 others.. almost all of these have either died or lived but were hand raised or partilly hand raised becasue she did'nt have enough milk.she has been a very good mother though to the babies she has been reintroduced to!
Subira:male-Sam's 3rd oldest born 1995,first baby to spend 24 hours a day with the whole gorilla troop

i'll finish the rest later
 
Ungulate, long time no talk,
Please answer some questions:
how long do you think that the stingray bay will be restricted at the Toronto Zoo? and when will it open back up?
What do you do for the keeper for a day program?
 
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Ungulate is a zookeeper, shes at the zoo for long hours and imagine how tired you'd be when you got home, we just have to be patient
 
Thanks ZooGoer2000 ... just because it is a long weekend for some does not mean it was a long weekend for everyone.

NEW SPECIES:
Over the past year or so, a number of new species have been added to the collection, although not in focal exhibits. In the Indo Pavilion, there are a number of new birds, including two types of thrush, green magpie, and wrinkled hornbill (just a few weeks ago, out male got out of quarantine, and the pair are now on display in the hornbill aviary at the end of the pavilion). In Africa, we now have blue-breasted rollers and a hammerkop in the gorilla aviary, and a number of smaller species including a hoopoe in the mousebird aviary. The biggest addition this year has been to the amphibian collection (AZA's "Year of the Frog") - there is a new exhibit in Americas showing how the breeding tanks are set up for a number of species, plus numerous species on display throughout the zoo.

KEEPER FOR A DAY:
The program is pretty much as it sounds - participants shadow a keeper throughout their shift and are involved in everything we do, including cleaning, diet prep, feeding, training ... It is about 9 hours total, and lunch (Harveys) is included. You can find out more here:
Toronto Zoo > Specials Events and Programs > Public Programs

STINGRAY BAY:
The restrictions will probably be in effect until the Calgary inquiry is complete. The zoo is hoping to have the full experience available by July (sooner if possible), but cannot promise anything.

PRIMATES:
Check out this site to complete your list of gorillas, ZooGoer2000:
Gorillas Galore - Captive Gorilla Lists - Stud Book

(Mr) Ungulate
 
Do you know how Kali and Indah are doing and what there future is.And what ever to Toma and Bachute the tiger cubs from 2001.One last question, do you remember Kavali the white tiger?I remember her living at the siberian tigers, could you give me a few quick stats on her?
 
No, I'm not sure what the plans are for Kali and Indah, although they are fully weaned and separated from their mother, Brytne, now.

Of the Siberian tigers, Toma is presently at the Buffalo Zoo (where he recently became a Dad), and Bachuta is at the Milwaukee County Zoo.

Kivali passed away in 2002 - she was 20 years old. Kivali was born at the Cincinnati Zoo (which had a large, and famous/infamous white tiger group) and arrived in Toronto in 1983. From 1983 to 1993, she was exhibited in the Indo tiger enclosure and was a featured animal at the zoo ("Ghost Tiger"). She had several orange cubs in her time. After a loan out to the Granby Zoo in Quebec, she returned to Toronto for retirement (in the Siberian tiger house, as you remembered) in 1998.
 
i remember on Zoo Diaries they said she was never on exhibit but was always in the night house.Who was the father of her cubs,Tonghua?
 
A slight correction (was looking at some older photos this AM); Kivali actually returned to the Indo tiger exhibit in 1998 and was moved to the Siberian tiger house in preparation for the arrival of Brytne (Sumatran tiger). She WAS on exhibit at the Siberian tigers (in the "maternity" exhibit) in 2000, but was eventually moved off-exhibit (with an outside yard) in "full" retirement. All of her offspring were with a male tiger (also from Cincinnati) named "Moose".
 
I was just wondering if anyone has any plans on the polar bear exhibit at the Toronto Zoo. Like a master plan of what it is going to look like?!

Thanks

Quartz92
 
Ungulate you are a hippo keeper right?
Well if you are, have we had any baby hippos and do you think the hippos are going to breed any time soon?
Those apply to both River and Pygmy hippos
Since I don't no which one you keep. lol

Thanks

Quartz!
 
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