Toronto Zoo Toronto Zoo Developments 2019

The location was moved after input from about 50 groups according to the article. Amazed that it was considered at all.

The zoo is on National Park Land and there are park displays and interactive booths in the zoo and at the entrance most of the summer. I think a a permanent location for them within the zoo would be great, in addition to the Welcome Centre at their own entrance across the road.

Things move very slowly but my daydream is that some day Parks will actually take over the zoo from City of Toronto. I think it would eventually provide better management, and more funding. Since I pay taxes in Toronto I would be happy to see funds input from the Federal Government. Right now there is no Federal or Provincial support.
 
The seasonal light display will likely be a go after some changes to the original plan. Sadly I think this might be our special exhibit and I dreamed way too big. Having to ask the city for $5 million does make sense for a secret vote. If this is what I'm getting for the secrecy I have bummed myself out. Anything other than a cool animal was going to be a colossal let down for me.

City agrees to $5M loan for zoo’s light show, but there are conditions | The Star
 
The Toronto Zoo

They are banning smoking. As a result of this I will not be renewing my membership. I will stop supporting the zoo and will no longer recommend people to go to the zoo.
 
Hyak_II said:
Absolute travesty. The zoo is banning something that is not good for you, has the potential to affect others both animal and human around it, smells generally unpleasant with a scent that lingers, and contributes significantly to litter. Just terrible.
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Yea but now people will smoke wherever is easy. It's not like they will heavily enforce it.

They should have some areas as the zoo is large and mostly outdoors without animals or people.

It's not fair for those with addiction and it is a human rights issue. They should at least have some public consultation and offer refunds to people who bought multi year passes for those who opted because of the designated smoking areas.
 
I was at the zoo today. Bummer of a day. Everything seemed to be off exhibit. Every visit can't be a winner.

I noticed the outdoor clouded leopard exhibit is under reno. The covered viewing is blocked off. All the mulch was removed which is not so surprising because it should be cleaned very now and then. All of the climbing structures were gone. Every single one. A large panel of fencing had been removed top to bottom. I wonder if glass is going in to replace it. May have just been a weaker worn panel though. With rumors of Safari Niagara getting clouded leopards... my guess is Levy since shes genetically inferior (I long maintained breeding cousins was dumb) and unpaired it will be here... I wonder if they are prepping for a new animal.
 
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The Kangaroo Walkabout will be reopening this summer according to the latest Wild for Life magazine.

In addition, the magazine states that some of the ring-tailed lemurs will be in the lion-tailed macaque exhibit (the one that formerly housed the clouded leopard cub).
 
I knew I might be a little early for the walkabout, at least 2 weeks as Victoria Day is the usual kick off for summer but the zoo seems to like to wait until July 1st the last few years.

I'm conflicted about the lemurs. I have long wanted them to go outside. My vision was simple enclose the outdoor grey crowned crane enclosure and bang double the space with minimal impact on all animals. However they are not in the right geographic zone which drives me crazy. I would honestly have preferred to see them move the clouded leopards outdoors and see a new smaller critter go in their indoor exhibit. Oh well it is what it is.
 
My disappointment with the zoo is over!! Maybe you've already noticed, but I just saw that the zoo is offer behind the scene tours ... and they look amazing! I've been saying for years the zoo needed to offer tours and I'm so happy to see they have them! My first one will be of the African Rainforest for the lemurs! How exciting! I really hope the zoo will advertise these and that they are a huge success!


[Moderator note: a separate thread on the tours is now here: Wild Encounters behind-the-scenes tours [Toronto Zoo]]
 
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Yi Qi said:
The zoo is once again facing opposition from anti-zoo crowd over budgets:

The Toronto Zoo is trying to reinvent itself. Its very survival may be at stake
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The description provided about the article is a little misleading. While anti-zoo sentiments are certainly a central theme in the article, a lot of the budget pressure is coming from city Councillors. Only one of those Councillors is identified in the article as having ideological opposition to zoos. The opposition from the rest is over funding the zoo, not based on feelings towards zoos, but based on trying to reduce the city budget.
 
m30t said:
The description provided about the article is a little misleading. While anti-zoo sentiments are certainly a central theme in the article, a lot of the budget pressure is coming from city Councillors. Only one of those Councillors is identified in the article as having ideological opposition to zoos. The opposition from the rest is over funding the zoo, not based on feelings towards zoos, but based on trying to reduce the city budget.
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The cost-cutting exercise and pre-occupation with by Toronto City Council of an essentially public and educational - much like a museum or university provide similar services to society at large - zoo facility is a definite policy goal for many a City Council. Often this is on the pretext that a zoo is a commercial entity which it is evidently by its nature and the mission statements and policy goals of all conservation engaged and public zoos - not!.

As for public engagement by any Municipality: This is only the preferable option from the zoo's perspective(s) if and when Council members - which apart from the burocratic public services and administration co-govern your zoo are by their very nature a short-term by general public quorum voting only entity mind (as opposed to an established educational zoo facility going back yonkeryears) - are totally convinced of the (added) value of a publicly funded facility like a modern day and age public zoo. Evidently, this is not the case where Toronto Zoo is concerned and this subject has been much talked about here in recent times and this in particular over the undesirable level of public intervention in the day-to-day zoo administration and management that ultimately led to a very public falling out with AZA over zoo accredition of the organisation. It seems your Council members and Municipality have failed to take in the learning curve they should have been on in the first place. It is rather frustrating and indeed agonising that Council members and Municipality obviously have not taken this on board to the level that they should have.

Now, a public and modern day conservation engaged zoo requires a budget that goes well beyond that of a stripped commercial entity - the infamous "lean and mean" strategy which in my (admittedly European) perceptions are rather limited and long-term unsuccessful and realistic policy goals conflicting with a range of aspects of running a company (and I mean not just workers', but office space) as opposed to a win-win quality over quantity approach -! This is also an aspect frequently lost on zoos that are co-operated by zoo administration and public entities like a Municipality (or corporation) as opposed to a limited company zoo or one governed by a zoo society cum association.

This for now I rest my case for what I view as essentially dead end policies that are trying to cut public budgets for zoo operations without taking head or give due diligence to the 5 main mission goals of any modern day and age conservation minded zoo. For what it is worth that really is taking a dim view of publically administered zoos and is a dead on arrival unrealistic long term view policy goal.
 
Sorry if this has been answered already, but is the time-frame for opening the outdoor orangutan exhibit still sometime in summer 2020? That timeline does not seem right to me. Honestly, even fall 2020 seems too optimistic. I know the previous design firm dropped the ball and this is why it's delayed, but still its June and we haven't heard anything yet. It just seems like construction should have started already.
 
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