Toronto Zoo Toronto Zoo - Canada's Largest Zoo

Status
Not open for further replies.
I was just wondering
What exhibits opened when the zoo opened?
Does the zoo have a master plan?
Did the zoo do up there plans for the Eurasian and Mixwoodforests, tropical americas (that project seems to have vanished)?
When does the Dr. Scofield memorial open, or begin construction?
Is there a high chance the zoo with get panda after the renos are done to the Eurasian section?
 
Last edited:
Sorry, i was just wondering how the Ngozi is settling in at toronto zoo and if she is on exhibit even.I find it strange that they would try and breed her with charles when they could just start a second group by breeding her with Subira?
 
I'd love to see a south american pampas area plus an expansion of the mayan temple area with.Here is my idea.If you've ever noticed.There is quite a bit of space back behind mayan temple ruins.This area would be turned into South American Pampas which would house Maned Wolf,Llama,Rhea,Guanaco,Andean Bear and other assorted species .The next part would be an expansion of Mayan Temple Ruins which would have the following.The flamingos would reside with Pudu.The spider monkeys would be reintroduced to the capybara family and would also be mixed with roseate spoonbills and tamandua.the jaguars would remain the same except for a bit of a bigger enclosure.The former capybara area would be home to giant anteater and bairds tapir.The macaw island and this whole potion of the river would be home to giant river otter and the macaws.The next part would expand this area that would actually let you access another temple ruin.This area would house squirrel monkey,ocelot,bush dog,agouti,anaconda and several other bird,fish,reptiles,insects and amphibians.
 
Will the zoo be getting Dall's Sheep, Maras, and Llamas?
 
Another area I'd like to see a the TZ is a Canadian Plains exhibit to fit in with the Tundra/Boreal/Mixed Forest area, with Pronghorn, coyotes, Swift Foxes, Burrowing Owls, etc, maybe an outdoor area for the Black-footed Ferrets.
 
The plans for the North Site of the zoo keep changing, so it is hard for me to say exactly what is going to happen, but originally the Mayan Temple was going to be removed to allow the Tundra exhibit to take up all of the outdoor Americas space. Due to cutbacks, the reindeer exhibit was scaled back, but in the future it might be expanded to include the large hill before the temple. (Phase four of the initial design was the conversion of the Americas Pavilion to Tropical Americas, with a new jaguar exhibit where the beaver/otter are now).

The Dall's sheep and mara will not be returning to the zoo. We still have llamas (in off exhibit holding), but they may live their lives out there as I don't think there will be an exhibit for them.

Quartz, you might want to check out this part of the zoo's website - there are dates for the openings of most of the major exhibits; anything NOT listed was present when the zoo opened. Toronto Zoo > About the Toronto Zoo > History

Meaghan, having some tilapia help with hippo clean-up would be most welcome! Hippos may be included with the new elephant expansion - we shall see!

Gorillas: Before I left on vacation, Ngozi had been introduced to the family group with relatively few issues (there was even some breeding observed!). She is being matched with Charles because he is wild-caught, and his genes are therefore more desirable (closer to the source, so to speak). He is also getting up in age, and it would be nice if he had more offspring before he dies. The zoo does not have the facilities to properly maintain two groups of gorillas, and while I'm sure Subira would be happy with a girlfriend, it would make moving him out much more complicated.

Reading through the species lists makes me smile - sorry guys, but most of those are pipe dreams! Realistically, the zoo is not going to go to Africa and capture hirola ... and building the facilities required to house giant pandas, Asiatic black bears, and sun bears would probably bankrupt the zoo! Some of the ideas are great ... in fact, small-clawed otters have been discussed for the gibbon and/or orang exhibits. Adding another species or two in with the giraffes would probably work well (once the new giraffe house is built and facilities are available) - gazelles, gerenuk, nyala could all work.
 
but isn't the zoo planning on holding pandas in the future?
Does the zoo have a master plan?
What happened to the Dr. Scholfield Memorial?
 
Whoops, got my antelopes mixed up. :P I think I was thinking of Hartebeest. I just looked up Hirola and the only one in in a North American zoo is an old female. I get a little ambitious when it comes to personal visions ;)

Fingers are crossed that all goes well with the gorilla breeding plans. Gerenuk, Nyala, gazelles, would all look great with the giraffes.
 
Last edited:
I never even new they were going to build a new giraffe facility?That should be really nice and maybe they would expand the herd from 3 adults to about 7or 8.P.S:What was the 2006 and 2007 baby named, where did Tikko go,and when was Ginetta's last calf born?I once heard that Twiga's first calf broke its neck whilst falling to the ground during labor and died.That must have been really traumatic for her.I think i may start canadian domain tonight?
 
ok,this is really weird.For the past few days i've been keeping an eye on the wikipedia page for TZ but where it says future projects its taking the exact words from our mouths (mostly Ungulate) and its telling it on wikipedia.It also basically says that certain species are coming or our getting a new habitat for sure.?
 
Zoogoer2000 said:
ok,this is really weird.For the past few days i've been keeping an eye on the wikipedia page for TZ but where it says future projects its taking the exact words from our mouths (mostly Ungulate) and its telling it on wikipedia.It also basically says that certain species are coming or our getting a new habitat for sure.?
Click to expand...

Hmmm ... and that is why you should never trust the internet!

There are plans to build a new giraffe house, as the existing one is definitely showing its age. This will probably be in five years or so - it was supposed to have been done during the savannah reconstruction, but funds ran out. I think it will be moved closer to the paddock, to provide more access for winter viewing and less frustration moving the giraffes to the exhibit (mmm ... leaves!). As for other species in with the giraffes, that is one of my personal visions (having had to rake up giraffe poo from the long grass, it would be very nice to get some lawn-mowers in the exhibit) - I should make it VERY clear that I do not know if this is part of the zoo's plan, and even if it is is has not been explored to the species level! (I plucked them from Meaghan's list!).

It's hard keeping track of giraffe babies, although breeding has ceased right now, since there aren't any spaces for more giraffes in Canada. (Giraffes are included in the importation ban for the USA)

Last year's baby was "Shomari", and I believe he went to Parc Safari. Before him was ... "Aisha"? Maybe? (Or did she get a different name in a naming contest? Something with an N?)

"Teeko" went to the Elmvale Zoo, where he subsequently passed away
 
The most recent giraffe babies are as follows:

2006: 1.0 Shomari (Twiga) - to Parc Safari
2004: 1.0 Teeko (Twiga) - to Elmvale
(Ginetta had a stillborn in 2004 as well)
2003: 0.1 Aisha (Twiga) - to Parc Safari
2000: 1.0 Mowgli (Twiga) - to Toledo
2000: 0.1 Autumn (Ginetta) - to Mountain View
1998: 1.0 Janja (Twiga) - to Mountain View
1998: 0.1 Simama (Ginetta) - to Mountain View
(1996: Twiga had a problematic birth, I don't know the details)
1995: 1.0 Fupi (Ginetta) - to Winston, OR (eventually)
 
Yea I noticed the updates on wiki latly too, we have a spy on our hands lol, and Ungulate, have you herd anything on the Dr. Schofeild Memorial?, and why is it being built in the zoo?, cause those signs that they have there are an eyesore, lol
 
Check out this site for some the background on who Dr. Schofield was and the objectives behind the garden:
Dr Schofield Memorial Committee

Also News | At Guelph

The garden is one of the ways the zoo is tring to build community involvement; there will be a few animal exhibits incorporated (I think I heard something about pheasants), and it will probably be incorporated into the new entrance to the rebuilt Eurasia.

Also, I believe the Toronto Zoo's "Sister Zoo" is in Korea (Seoul?).

I think the panda issue was already covered earlier in this thread (or perhaps in another?) - the likelyhood of us ever getting pandas is slim to none. However, the director of conservatio, research, and education has been pushing for pandas for years (there is very little enthusiasm from the rest of the zoo).
 
the toronto zoo has a sister zoo? thats interesting! Could you give some things about the keeper for a day program, cause I enrolled in it and I just wanted to know what exactly happens?

And does the zoo have a master plan?
 
I did'nt know Mowgli was the 2000 baby?I remember when i was 4, I went to the zoo for the first time.Twiga was pregnant with at the time with Mowgli and was due to give birth any day.Was Mowgli or Aisha the calf on Zoo Diaries?I also remember there was a naming contest for Aisha but i never learned the named that was picked?I know that Mowgli has fathered two calves at Toledo.The first was 2004 and her name was Zahara.She had many problems including rejection and numerous infections and weight problems and i don't even know if she survived/The second was Akilah who was rejected as well but was much better and i s now at Giraffe Ridge in Cinncinati Zoo.She was born 2006.I also remember the zoo saying that TYwiga had 7 calves as of her 2007 calf and when i went there was were 5 giraffes all on exhibit.Ginetta was over near the barn walkway.Stripes was eating with Shomari and then Twiga was at the very back with a nursin gcalf?Are you sure that she did'nt have a baby that year?
 
Quartz92,
I can't REALLY tell you what goes on during Keeper for a Day! That would ruin the surprise :)

What you do in the program really depends on which area you signed up for, and even then it can change between days. We all start work at a morning meeting, where we 'check in' with our supervisors, get a briefing of yesterday's happenings as well as events for the day, then head off to work.

As a KFAD (acronym), you will be following one (or a team) of keepers through their daily routine; we usually try to make sure that you see all of the coolest stuff, and sometimes take some time to visit other areas of the zoo as well. You'll probably be involved in every aspect of being a keeper ... making diets, checking exhibits, cleaning holdings, working with the animals ... if we do it, you'll do it too!

Yes, the zoo does have some sort of masterplan, but I haven't seen it recently (and it changes regularly based on things that need to get done ASAP).

Re: giraffes, I'm very sure that Shomari was the last baby; he was born in August of 2006, and with a gestation of 15 months, if Twiga had gotten pregnant right away, we wouldn't have had another calf until November-December 2007. As far as I can remember, the only time that we have ever had five giraffes is when both Twiga and Ginetta had babies - the house just isn't big enough to handle more!

Aisha DID get her name in a contest (the name she was given by keepers was "Naima")

Oh, and Meaghan, the last hirola passed away a few years ago - they should be on the "species extinct in North America" list.
 
Lol yea I know Ungulate, it would but thanks for the info!
Oo and I sent you a private message a while ago, did you get it? It just a question or two about U of G.
 
How are they pygmy, and river hippos holding up?
I read that the komodo dragon is carrying eggs, do you know if she laid them yet?
 
Canadian Domain​

cougar habitat-The cougar exhibit somewhat disapoints me.Its fairly small.I can't even tell if they have a holding depending what that is in the middle,theres no glass viewing and its all meshed in.The nice part is that there is lots of climbing and jumping oppurtunites plus a very nice cave.Maybe if they just expanded a little.Added some actual holding spaces.Covereds up the mesh with hedgings on both sides and added a nice viewing window without hotwire (thats another thing,Im hoping they abbolish all the hotwire on glass in the very near future!).Then maybe it would be a little better.Either then that its fine.Two questions,has the zoo ever bred the cougars and is that a holding in the middle,if so,whats the setup,im thinking one room catpartment,lol.

lynx habitat-The lynx are the same storey as before except this time there is no holding for sure.Even something like the cougars would work.I mean,come on...the raccoons have a holding area,the mara had a huge holding building and no one even went near there area but the lynx don't have one?I'd like the same done as the cougars but maybe just not as big.I'd also love glass.I never saw these species prior to 2005,when was this pen built?

racoon habitat-the racoon habitat is funny as they exhibit them but theres already tons scurrying around wild.They are a cool species though and they have a nice habitat except i'd love for it to be modified so that there would be a little creek with fish so they could hunt and a glass viewing area.Can the holding be viewing as its looks like theres a window?What is the holding like here?

musk oxen field-Since the musk oxen are leaving,I'd love if they turned it into a prairie type field like Meaghan suggested,or was it Quartz?Anyway...there could be pronghorn and like a little native camp with teepees that would serve as resting shelters for the pronghorn.Any others species they could put here?How many musk oxen are left and what are the names?

im going to finish later as im going to start making typing up my Toronto Zoo guide that im going to post some time
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top