Toronto Zoo Toronto Zoo Developments 2021

Love that the zoo has used the pandemic to strengthen its community base.
There definitely engaging the public more then they have in the past hopefully it translates to more community support in the future. I'm glad the Vancouver Aquarium isn't closing its doors but I would hate to see the Toronto Zoo go for profit.
 
I agree with you kingoffreaks. The zoo has done an amazing job finding new ways to connect with the community. They went from very minimal efforts to connect with us outside of visits to just so many new and creative ways to connect. Best thing they did was hire Dolf DeJong and let him bring in a new leadership team or at least he let those who were in charge start to embrace change and innovation. Under his leadership I think the zoo has fared far better than it would have under the leadership of the last CEO. Dolf's team is ensuring that people are connected to the zoo, animals and staff in ways that they never were before which will undoubtedly result in even more people wanting to visit when the zoo can open back up and function normally. You see on facebook families watching the livestreams with their little ones who get to engage and ask questions. You see teachers pausing the days lesson so they can tune in with their class which means if they can visit on a field trip there is a far better chance they will. It's largely been positive for the zoo. I find myself often wondering now what new creative way will they think of to connect next.
 
TZFan and Kingoffreaks, I couldn't agree more, Dolf really boosted the zoo in so many ways, better guest engagement, more member exclusive tours, etc. As well part of the reason the Vancouver Aquarium is doing pretty well overall as a facility is partially due to Dolf, he did some time at that aquarium before coming to Toronto, he truly shows what a brand new, open minded CEO can do to a facility. So I do hope that he sticks around for a long period so that he can continue his great ideas and his work at the Toronto Zoo
 
Well the zoo went ahead with their plan to charge us for the live streams from the penguin, giraffe and gorilla exhibits. You can subscribe to Zoolife for three different plans if you want to watch the Toronto animals. A day pass is $9.99, a month pass is $14.99 and an annual pass is $139.99. Half of the funds go to the zoo. There are 4 zoos involved and you can watch a total of 9 exhibits. There are scheduled times for Q&A and talks with keepers and other experts. You can move the camera. You get a 10 minute free trial... So generous! How can they afford such generosity to test it out? Geez couldn't spring for an hour so people could get a feel for it? And I'm sorry but for what you are offering me (again just 9 exhibits!) I can get Disney Plus or Netflix for less and I will use those far more. Hard pass from me. I get the zoo is hurting for cash but this is pure greed in my book. Almost every other zoo or aquarium offers free livestreams. If I want to watch penguins I can watch San Diego's free of charge. I am super disappointed in the zoo on this one. I don't mind being bled dry by the zoo in tons of other areas (overly priced food and souvenirs, behind the scenes which should cost less, the ever increasing zoomo cost, parking) but this one crosses the line when free livestreams are the overwhelming norm to connect people to animals. But that's just my opinion. Maybe I am wrong and its totally worth a price tag which is more than 50% higher than an individual membership to the zoo for the year... possibly more because I bet its in US dollars. Just gonna save that money to pay for a membership in 2022 and go on a behind the scenes tour or two.

Zoolife - Toronto Zoo
 
Great news for the zoo, they finally have a new head vet. Dr. Cedric Larouche did a Facebook live today touring the health center and he seems to have the laid back very informative nature of Dr. Graham Crawshaw (the head vet for eons). Also good news it sounds like he was promoted from within, which might beg the question of why invest so much money into head hunters and time into finding a replacement for the former head vet. He was able to recall a number of surgeries we know happened over the last several years which makes me think he was there before. I'd like to see a Facebook live or two with him guiding us through a visit to the health center. I think he would do a great job of telling us what's happening and why.
 
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I was just looking at Dolf DeJong's Instagram account and part of his story to day was about him loving user testing with a video of a line of cars passing by a window that looks like its on zoo grounds, possibly his office. Makes me think the zoo is working or close to getting the go ahead to reopen as a drive thru again in the near future. That would be fantastic so they can start earning money other than from donations and educational programs done remotely. I could be dead wrong and misinterpreting what I am seeing in the clip but sure does look like drive thru testing.
 
The Toronto Zoo is also now being used as a pop up clinic for those in Scarborough. Definitely a way for them to use a big open space while maintaining social distancing.
 
Bet that is what the user testing was for. I got too ahead of things.

To add on to Akula's info the vaccination clinic will be held on May 15 from 9am-7pm by appointment only. The link you need to use to book the appointment is Scarborough COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic

Hope as many of you who live in the area and are allowed to get vaccinated can snag an appointment. Good luck friends! I will have to continue to wait for a shot in my own area. One day...
 
From Dolf DeJong's instagram he mentioned seeing guests again June 14th so hopefully for the zoo's sake they can open. How they will do so remains to be seen. He also posted painted lanes on the pathways and directional markers so I'm guessing they expect to open to foot traffic sooner rather than later.

The new construction for the goat exhibit looks just about done as well.

Also with a new zoomo comes a new zoomo station... ok well its just the reopening of the long unused Eurasia station but they gave it new signs. Lol. Just will be nice to have that stop back.
 
The pathway past the beaver and otter exhibits which also happens to be the Americas pavilion roof is being replaced. Fantastic time to get that work done so when guest do return there is no interference at one of the most popular exhibits.
 
TZFan said:
From Dolf DeJong's instagram he mentioned seeing guests again June 14th so hopefully for the zoo's sake they can open. How they will do so remains to be seen. He also posted painted lanes on the pathways and directional markers so I'm guessing they expect to open to foot traffic sooner rather than later.

The new construction for the goat exhibit looks just about done as well.

Also with a new zoomo comes a new zoomo station... ok well its just the reopening of the long unused Eurasia station but they gave it new signs. Lol. Just will be nice to have that stop back.
Click to expand...
I think you might be pleased with that and the beaver/otter renovations?
 
Yeah it would be nice if the zoo was able to open again. The poor zoo has been closed more than it was open in the last year. They need to open and get money coming back in in whatever form they can as soon as it is safe to do so for guests, staff and the animals.

The goat exhibit I think was a waste of money. We dont need domestic goats. There are plenty of other exhibits that could have used those funds for updates. And if the goats current exhibit is no longer suitable send them find them new homes that are suitable. The effort they put into the goats could have been transported to the mouflon and barbary sheep exhibit for example. They have nothing to climb and are mountain species but they are phase out species so why invest I guess is the thinking. That money could also have been saved and put into covid measures, the zoos tech upgrades, other cool things for the new orang exhibit so they wont end up cutting things as they run out of funds, or just keep it for the next major project which is the front entrance.

I very much like the return of the Eurasia zoomo station. The way I tend to travel around the zoo it will be convenient to have that stop. I like to zoomo all the way to Tundra Trek so cover TT and the Americas before the health unit usually has its guest patient around 11am. Then Australisia and Eurasia before hopping on the zoomo to do the drive thru and go back to the main entrance before tacking the other side of the zoo on foot. Now I think I would zoomo to the Eurasia stop just after the drive thru and meander through that side of the zoo before hoping on the zoomo going through the route again to the entrance. I think it will be more efficient for me. If I wasnt so tied to that health center visit I would change things up more often for my start point.

I don't know exactly what they are doing with the path by the otters and beavers. I'm not sure anything major or noticeable will happen. They might just be resurfacing or patching some thing and then resurfacing. The guest barriers seem to still be in place. I think that one we might just have to keep waiting to know if anything significant has changed until people are back in.

I forgot to mention the bathroom renos continue. I bet if the zoo is set to reopen in less than a month there will be a massive push on to get the biggest ones onsite ready as soon as possible. Any improvements in the bathrooms will be massively positive. They have always grossed me out to the point I would rather my bladder explode than use one. That might say more about me then the bathrooms though to be fair.

The zoo has a contract out to develop a mobile app. Unfortunately it doesn't sound like a zoo wide app. Incredibly short sighted. This app is going to be based in Tundra Trek. Go to section three in the document for details.

https://www.torontozoo.com/pdfs/rfp/2021/RFP 14.2021.04 Tundra Trek VR Experience - FINAL.pdf
 
Wow great find GorillaFan15! This stuff sounds like they are working to build the coolest exhibit at the zoo. I hope they pull all of this off! Well all but one thing. I do not want them to open the exhibit around Aug 19th for International Orangutan Day. Clearly it wont be ready for the start of summer and the zoo has had such a rough year and likely wont reopen at even a fraction of normal capacity. It would be wiser from a financial stand point to hold off opening the hottest exhibit they have opened since the Rainforest Pavilion phase II (not that phase I with the gorillas wasnt equally amazing) until Victoria Day weekend 2022. By then everyone should be fully vaccinated, maybe even young kids if its safe for them to do so. The zoo will likely be back up to maximum capacity ability. Get the massive market for end of year field trips. Get the summer camps. Get the whole summer to boast and show off the exhibit. Don't blow the hype on reduced capacity for the last few weeks of summer 2021. People will still see it next summer but it will no longer be new. Spend whats left of the summer getting the orangs used to the new exhibit. It people see them on the zoomobile (assuming its allowed to run this year) great it will encourage some to spend the extra cash this summer. But make the most of this new exhibit to generate as much buzz and revenue as possible by doing the hard thing and holding off until next May.

It probably would be a good thing to hold off too for the orangs sake. They have never been outside, with the exception of Puppe as an infant when she was captured. All of them might need time to adjust and feel safe outside with unfamiliar things like grass, sun, wind, rain, squirrels, groundhogs, bugs, nature in general. I could see them being timid or even afraid when the door opens to the great big outside world. Then again they could take to it immediately. But its not like the zoo doesn't have 4 groups of orangs so they can rotate someone out in the outdoor yard while having someone else inside on display. It would let them all adjust at their own rate and let them be super comfortable next spring with the exhibit opens.

Boy I hope they dont blow a big reveal like they did when they opened Eurasia in what late October, early November. Get the whole covid restrictions free (fingers crossed) summer of 2022 instead of a severely covid restricted couple of weeks in the summer of 2021.
 
Alright friends the time has come, the zoo is finally reopening!!! Members can start booking their times for a members only window from June 14-18. I assume come the 19th everyone can come again. For now its outdoor areas only. Like last year its timed entrances booked online. Masks will be mandatory in all indoor spaces and outdoors when you cant distance. I cant wait to see what we will begin to learn about as you guys start going back.
 
I come to ZooChat every once in a while to check to see what's happening ... and you all inspired me (again!). I hadn't really thought about TZ's level of engagement during the pandemic - no question I've noticed lots of videos, live streams, tweets etc. but I didn't think about how much more it's been ... you're all right and I'm so grateful for you pointing it out! The new CEO has really upped the TZ's game (and I've even begun to follow him on Twitter!) You all got me excited about TZ again :) So membership renewed and I'm going on Monday! I'm hoping to be able to go once a week - a nice "safe" outing while doing things I enjoy and supporting such a great organization :)
 
@kknudsen, follow Dolf on instagram as well. It's been dull home improvements for the most part since lockdown began again but before it he was posting videos 5 days a week from I think his daily walk around the zoo. He is where I got the info about some of the less flashy babies born and some of the construction work he's given us a sneak peek of.

Hope you will share information from your visits. We know they have been doing a variety of construction projects and I am sure there has been births, deaths, maybe some transfers or holding rearrangements.
 
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