I think a big thing everyone is forgetting in the changes made to the plan for the hippos and gorillas and to a lesser extent the educational and breeding centers is that the original plan was overly optimistic. Virtually all big zoos doe 25 year plans. Did anyone really think Toronto was going to build the orang exhibit (now a full year behind schedule already), the Canadian Wilderness, improve Tundra Trek, redo the Americas pavilion, destroy (I mean reinvent) Australiasia, convert indo Malaya, build a hippo exhibit, expand the gorilla outdoor exhibit, build ravens ridge (waste of time), convert the domain, redo the main entrance, do rhino improvements, retool the savanna, create a breeding center and that educational building... all in just 10 years. That's more than one project a year! They can barely handle one small project in two years! I'm looking at you orang exhibit. I don't even think they can handle all that in 25 years to be frank. With the exception of the Wildlife Centre every project they have done takes almost a year or two longer than originally predicted and still opens months later than they announce when construction finally starts. I will not be shocked when the orang exhibit opens in 2020 not 2019 as predicted already a full year behind schedule. They dont even have a flipping plan yet.
There are some very conflicting messages in the document. For one rhino ridge they say Africa and White rhinos in one spot then say the white rhinos and Asian small clawed otters in another and in another Indian rhinos and Asian small clawed otters. Whoever wrote this needs to learn to proof read! What is it? Indians or Whites? I guarantee you at a zoo as finicky about its geographic orientation Asian otters will not move into Africa. Also they talk about tropical America... in one spot its for migratory animals of Canada... Well we dont have many tropical animals. So are we converting it for a Canadian pavilion and losing the South American animals... a crying shame if they go that route. Or is it as advertised in the name and going tropical. However I'm just as likely to pitch a fit if they take my Australian friends from me. Build a new freaking pavilion for North America! It can be a fraction the size of Australiasia and still work because Canadian critters can deal with cold. And anyone who thinks Australiasian animals will fit in Oceania I demand to know where you think they will find the room for them? The orang exhibit is already undersized. They need to blow that out into the gibbon exhibit as is. That leaves what the free flight aviary which where will the birds all go? The waterfall space... sure that could be ripped out but its so pretty but it still wont give a ton of space. And the hornbill exhibit. You can get rid of Jonah but that space really could only work for the Komodos. Where will my wombats, tree kangaroos, regular kangaroos, echidna, wallabies, kookaburras, distinctly Australian critters going. Sadly unless a massive addition is budgeted which I'm not seeing budget for they are all gone and I will be furious. I would trade all of the Canadian stock for them.
There are some very conflicting messages in the document. For one rhino ridge they say Africa and White rhinos in one spot then say the white rhinos and Asian small clawed otters in another and in another Indian rhinos and Asian small clawed otters. Whoever wrote this needs to learn to proof read! What is it? Indians or Whites? I guarantee you at a zoo as finicky about its geographic orientation Asian otters will not move into Africa. Also they talk about tropical America... in one spot its for migratory animals of Canada... Well we dont have many tropical animals. So are we converting it for a Canadian pavilion and losing the South American animals... a crying shame if they go that route. Or is it as advertised in the name and going tropical. However I'm just as likely to pitch a fit if they take my Australian friends from me. Build a new freaking pavilion for North America! It can be a fraction the size of Australiasia and still work because Canadian critters can deal with cold. And anyone who thinks Australiasian animals will fit in Oceania I demand to know where you think they will find the room for them? The orang exhibit is already undersized. They need to blow that out into the gibbon exhibit as is. That leaves what the free flight aviary which where will the birds all go? The waterfall space... sure that could be ripped out but its so pretty but it still wont give a ton of space. And the hornbill exhibit. You can get rid of Jonah but that space really could only work for the Komodos. Where will my wombats, tree kangaroos, regular kangaroos, echidna, wallabies, kookaburras, distinctly Australian critters going. Sadly unless a massive addition is budgeted which I'm not seeing budget for they are all gone and I will be furious. I would trade all of the Canadian stock for them.
I just saw your other thread. I'm heading over to their website and facebook now for updates!