Toronto Zoo Toronto Zoo Discussion thread 2021

Isn’t it also typically if you see two that you see Mstari and Amani? Or am I just basing that on flawed observations and not an actual trend?
 
I have heard it can vary who is with who. Makes sense. They are trying to get Amani ready for an eventual move and baby's arrival. But Kiko and Mstari also need independent training time so either of them could be with Amani. And Kiko might also be given a time out, not that hes a pest but just some solitude might be nice for him. Really just need to know your giraffes.
 
The 27th Annual Auxiliary Toy Drive run by the Toronto Police Service will be at the zoo this weekend for those who are planning on going and might like to know to bring a toy for a child in need. So glad the zoo partners up on this every year. If you check out Dolf's Instagram you will see TZ staff have already got things off to an amazing start.
 
@TZFan you mentioned the river hippos are heading out, where are they going or did I read that wrong.
 
@Quartz92, you unfortunately didn't read wrong. They are on phase out and the SSP has been asked to place them. However I don't know if there have been any takers yet. They are older girls and not breeding options so it may take awhile to find them a home or homes. I'd like to see them head for Disney personally. They have a large pod of mostly non breeders. Clearly they are concerned about breeding. Plus like allgood Canadians why not retire to Florida? Lol. But thats just my own opinion and not based on anything I have heard. I highly doubt they will stay in Canada. Not sure Granby would want then back or have space and though Safari Niagara just expanded its facilities I'm not sure they are up to caring for elderly hippos. I would guess they want to take Granbys young male Coumba if even looking for more hippos.
 
The zoo hosted a vaccination clinic on Dec 18th and helped to vaccinate over 400 kids! The zoo rewarded the newly vaccinated with free admission to help encourage people. Good on you zoo! Fight the good fight.

CityNews
 
TZFan said:
@Quartz92, you unfortunately didn't read wrong. They are on phase out and the SSP has been asked to place them. However I don't know if there have been any takers yet. They are older girls and not breeding options so it may take awhile to find them a home or homes. I'd like to see them head for Disney personally. They have a large pod of mostly non breeders. Clearly they are concerned about breeding. Plus like allgood Canadians why not retire to Florida? Lol. But thats just my own opinion and not based on anything I have heard. I highly doubt they will stay in Canada. Not sure Granby would want then back or have space and though Safari Niagara just expanded its facilities I'm not sure they are up to caring for elderly hippos. I would guess they want to take Granbys young male Coumba if even looking for more hippos.
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I wonder, if they end up sent to Disney, think they might take that komodo dragon Disney was offering in exchange?
 
@AJ the TZ Guy, animal loans dont work that way. Each SSP suggests loans and recommends breeding pairs ect. They are independent though and do not depend on each other. You dont sent a hippo and get a komodo in return anymore. That was the old days.

To be clear I was just was suggesting a possible home for the hippos. I have heard nothing about a future home for them.

Disney isnt offering Toronto the komodo. The SSP suggested sending her and Disney doesn't even own her. Heck for all I know Toronto might as her mother was born in Toronto, though she could belong to her father's zoo or the zoo that bred her. She's definitely at Disney though on loan. Disney doesn't even need to agree to the loan. Toronto and her owner do.

If the hippos were to go to Disney though they would likely be accompanied by keepers like with white rhino Theo. However the komodo could be crated and shipped without a keeper. Once the paperwork is ready she could be packed and sent without the zoo needing to send a team to bring her home to Toronto. She will arrive when possible.
 
The tree kangaroo exhibit and australasia aviary are temporarily closed for undisclosed reasons. If it were maintenance or renovation I think they would mention it in the signage, so I wonder if they are acclimating the new frogmouth to the aviary.

They've moved at least two of the Solomon Island Leaf Frogs into the Fiji Iguana exhibit, creating another mixed species exhibit, we love to see it!

Suva was alone and the other exhibit had the "animals off exhibit" sign up which makes me think they're about to send Adira off if they haven't already.

Got a great view of Sharon the Heron, perched on the polar bear holding's rock facade.

They were performing an egg removal on Poppy the African Penguin in the WHC, and from what I could gather they had given her some sedatives or anaesthetics and were letting her walk around the room until they kicked in. The kids were entertained by the drunken penguin, to say the least.

It seems like the only animals left in the bat aviary in the rainforest is the white-cheeked turaco. If they are planning on expanding the spoonbill/ibis enclosure, maybe they'll demolish that aviary to do it. If they go that route I also don't see why they wouldn't amalgamate it with the softshell turtle and old radiated tortoise exhibit.

Got to see basically everything today, if you want any status updates for anything in particular, just ask!
 
@Kalvin The tree kangaroo exhibit and australasia aviary are closed due to damage from the wind storm 2 weekends ago. We were there on the Sunday and the had volunteers posted telling people to go around and that that was the reason.
 
@Kalvin did you see if Pemba is on exhibit at the snow leopards yet?

also yikes that really sucks to hear Australasia took some wind damage, hope it isn't too bad
 
@Jefferson ah, that makes sense. Today there's just signage saying temporarily closed.

@hyena142 currently no snow leopards on exhibit. With the 30 day quarantine the earliest we would see him is probably boxing day. Speaking of which, the zoo is open on Christmas this year - it never has been in the past.
 
Oh man that stinks the exhibits were damaged in the wind storm. I hope none of the animals were injured, made too cold or just really scared. With it being closed for 2 weeks sounds like it would be somewhat serious damage. Most of the time when there has been damage at the zoo they are back up and running in a few days.

Yes mixes! Sure they are species I rarely pay attention to since they lack fur but I can appreciate any mix.

They may be sending red panda Adira off but she could just as easily have been inside by choice. I think they mentioned they are looking to send her off after Christmas or in the new year. Could go either way with that.

I cannot tell you how each time I read Sharon the Heron I giggle. It tickles me. Hope Sharon sticks around and they keep updating on Sharon's life so I can keep laughing. Yes I might be a two year old.

Yikes an egg removal does not sound like a good thing for a penguin. Not that it cant be done. Just that its not good for her to be egg bound. The zoo certainly doesnt need to make it 5 dead penguins in 2021.

Nile soft shell, Dotty, may pose a risk to the birds. He is a predator and they are cautious of their hands around him. The adults might be wary enough but he might go after an unexpecting chick. Not super sure he would be a good fit.

I always look forward to your updates @Kalvin. You really catch all kinds of little things. I'd never have noticed the frogs with the iguana, or that the turacos were the only ones in their aviary.
 
@Kalvin Which aviary is the bat aviary exactly? Is it the one with the Golden-breasted Starlings? If not I may be missing that one on my visits, I don't recall the Turacos or any signage for them on my last visit.
 
@Esox its tucked in behind the ibises and Nile softshell. Kinda in the corner of the pavilion. It's easy to not even know there is an aviary there. I had no clue myself until a few years ago. Not very up front and center like other aviaries throughout the zoo.
 
@TZFan Very interesting. I hope I remember this in the future, though by the sounds of it I won't get that chance if its going to get leveled. What other species were housed in there?
 
@Esox, nothing is confirmed for certain but based on the fact we know they are thinking of expanding the ibis exhibit it is the likely contender.
 
@Esox back when you could stand in front of the ibis habitat, it was tucked into the back left. It used to house straw-coloured fruit bats, superb starlings, white-cheeked turaco, and Herman the Hamerkop.

When I went today, I couldn't spot any bats, which usually hang from the ceiling of the aviary, and I haven't seen superb starlings in there since reopening this year and possibly even last year, I can't remember. Shame that they're gone though, really good looking birds that I don't think ever really got a chance to be properly viewable, unless there was a time that aviary was more accessible.

For a bit over the summer, one of the ibises (or maybe a spoonbill, one of those two) was kept in there for some reason, but I don't think that's the case anymore. Herman now lives in the free-flight aviary, so the only permanent residents of that aviary (as far as I can tell from about 30 feet away) are the turacos, who suffer from the same problem as the starlings - beautiful birds that are practically off-display.
 
@Kalvin Any gorilla or orang updates? I wonder if the zoo will breed Charles and Ngozi again now that Charlie is old enough for a little sibling. That would be amazing if they have another kid together considering they thought Charlie would be his last. As for the orangs, any word that Ramai may be pregnant or be reintroduced to Budi soon? Or anything about Jingga and Kembali's transfers out?

Also, anything going with the rhinos? I know Asha the GOHR is being transferred out but are either of the Southern white girls pregnant?

Sorry for all these questions, I hope you don't mind! I've become a big fan of a lot of the animals at Toronto thanks to TZFan's Family Tree thread and living in San Diego means I can't exactly answer these questions myself! :p
 
@Animals R AMAZING! I didn't talk to any keepers today, just made the rounds and saw the animals, so almost everything I can tell you will be observational. Saw the gorilla family group today, all looking well. Nothing too interesting there. I didn't get a chance to see the bachelors but I wouldn't expect anything too interesting there either.

As for orangs, Budi and Sekali were out together all day, they did not shift off, which surprised me.

On the rhino front, Vishnu was viewable in the rhino house (which is open for the first time in almost two years!), but I did not see Asha or Kiran. They don't have access to the large outdoor enclosure for the winter. Same goes for the white rhinos. The savanna was pretty quiet today, which is too bad since I think the lions look their best in the winter, but they were all lumped together, sleeping in a pile.

No worries, I'm always happy to answer zoo questions! Sorry I can't give any details on potential pregnancies, but I hope you get the chance to visit someday!
 
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