Quick question - does the zoo have any wallabies left?
Toronto Zoo Toronto Zoo Discussion thread 2023
- Thread starter cypher
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Last three times I haven't seen any :-(
Kalvin
Well-Known Member
If you zoom in on the photo, there is a peacock in front of the shed
I hope we get a more exciting species to live in the outdoor aviary.
Is there a reason why we don't get animal transfers into Canada from the States anymore? Besides the cost, I feel like we did it prior to the pandemic, but have laws changed post pandemic and is just a nightmare?
Is there a reason why we don't get animal transfers into Canada from the States anymore? Besides the cost, I feel like we did it prior to the pandemic, but have laws changed post pandemic and is just a nightmare?
Oh yay ... Peacocks
hyena142
Well-Known Member
The new Australasia outdoor aviary is cool. It's no outdoor orang exhibit, that's for sure, but it's very nice for something that went from completely abandoned to refurbished just a few months. Peacocks are a very plain choice for this exhibit but I feel like they're using it for now because the zoo wants them on exhibit and they can't be free-roaming right now because of avian flu, so it's better to have them here than keep them behind the scenes. Hopefully we'll get something a little more interesting for this spot when that's over, because I think it'd fit koalas or emus nicely.
As for the indoor portion, it looks awesome with the new mural. Kookaburra jail is no more, and there's a new separate exhibit for them near the entrance to the aviary that matches the rest of the room in look and feel. Still nothing in the tree kangaroo exhibit for now
As for the indoor portion, it looks awesome with the new mural. Kookaburra jail is no more, and there's a new separate exhibit for them near the entrance to the aviary that matches the rest of the room in look and feel. Still nothing in the tree kangaroo exhibit for now
hyena142
Well-Known Member
@Kalvin Interesting choice, probably just to have something in there but cool, hopefully Annie will enjoy her new home. I doubt this'll increase chances to see her awake especially since that exhibit is right against a window but I'd be very happy to be proven wrong
Now if I can get my speculation goggles on for a sec could this mean they're trying to breed the wombats and want to move Annie out of there just to give the wombats all the space and privacy they need? Very unlikely but something to think about
Now if I can get my speculation goggles on for a sec could this mean they're trying to breed the wombats and want to move Annie out of there just to give the wombats all the space and privacy they need? Very unlikely but something to think about
Visited today (Sunday) and noted that in addition to Annie the echidna now being in the former tree kangaroo habitat in Australasia (and no, didn't see her) she's been joined in that space by a "Brushy-tailed rat kangaroo" - I think I remembered that correctly - and I believe they're also known as brushy-tailed bettongs. Anyway, I did see him/her, sort of, it was rolled up in bedding in a ball in the corner. About the size of a fat squirrel? Hard to tell - and I'm assuming there's only the one.
Also, Ralph the new young watusi is out with the others now, and appears to be sticking close to them.
Finally, although the glass still needs to be replaced on the one side, the gorillas are back in the indoor rainforest habitat, albeit with that electrical contact wiring in front of the remaining glass at both sides of the habitat. (It appears to be the same as is used elsewhere in there, as well as outside, so I imagine the troop didn't really have much of a learning curve with it.)
Also, Ralph the new young watusi is out with the others now, and appears to be sticking close to them.
Finally, although the glass still needs to be replaced on the one side, the gorillas are back in the indoor rainforest habitat, albeit with that electrical contact wiring in front of the remaining glass at both sides of the habitat. (It appears to be the same as is used elsewhere in there, as well as outside, so I imagine the troop didn't really have much of a learning curve with it.)
We were at the zoo on Friday and again today - and both days were great! The summer crowds seem to be there - so hopefully the zoo results are good.
A couple highlights - on Friday one of the orangutans made it across the transfer tube/tower but stopped short of going outside while I was there, but I showed up today and Puppe was outside! It was fantastic. Even the people who didn’t know Puppe or the zoo could tell how excited everyone was.
I talked to one of the volunteers (just for a bit - they were busy), and they pointed out Sekali and Walli were watching them from the transfer tower. They were blocked from entering while Puppe was out - but they were trying to encourage them to see her out there and then get more confident themselves. I couldn’t see into the transfer tunnel that well - so I’ll just have to trust Walli was in there.
On the side side - I really like what they’ve done with the Australasian aviary (both outside and the updates to the inside). The plants and general feel was very fresh. I also thought Annie (the echidna) in Puzzle’s old habitat (tree kangaroo) was going to be a let down - but I couldn’t believe it, we could see her in her burrow!
That was a first for me - and I’ve been to the zoo a lot.
They also hatched baby sea horses in July - which are in the old lion fish aquarium (that was converted into the baby moon jellies aquarium).
In general - the zoo is looking good. I don’t know if it’s just because I’ve recently taken an interest in native plants, or if they have been making a push around the zoo - but the gardens looked great, the animals were all out and moving (Africa first thing this morning before it got too hot was great - every animal delivered - especially my favourites, the river hippos). I’m excited with the direction it’s taking, and my kids certainly conned me into enough of the “extras” around the zoo that I feel like I’m helping fund it.
I was up on the tundra zip line type thing (which feels pretty darn high) today. I remember a couple of you guys explaining to me how the polar bear exhibit was set up a couple years ago (with the different yards etc) and you could really see it from up above. It made me appreciate how much everyone in this group has helped get me up to speed after we moved back to Toronto - so thank you all!
A couple highlights - on Friday one of the orangutans made it across the transfer tube/tower but stopped short of going outside while I was there, but I showed up today and Puppe was outside! It was fantastic. Even the people who didn’t know Puppe or the zoo could tell how excited everyone was.
I talked to one of the volunteers (just for a bit - they were busy), and they pointed out Sekali and Walli were watching them from the transfer tower. They were blocked from entering while Puppe was out - but they were trying to encourage them to see her out there and then get more confident themselves. I couldn’t see into the transfer tunnel that well - so I’ll just have to trust Walli was in there.
On the side side - I really like what they’ve done with the Australasian aviary (both outside and the updates to the inside). The plants and general feel was very fresh. I also thought Annie (the echidna) in Puzzle’s old habitat (tree kangaroo) was going to be a let down - but I couldn’t believe it, we could see her in her burrow!
That was a first for me - and I’ve been to the zoo a lot.
They also hatched baby sea horses in July - which are in the old lion fish aquarium (that was converted into the baby moon jellies aquarium).
In general - the zoo is looking good. I don’t know if it’s just because I’ve recently taken an interest in native plants, or if they have been making a push around the zoo - but the gardens looked great, the animals were all out and moving (Africa first thing this morning before it got too hot was great - every animal delivered - especially my favourites, the river hippos). I’m excited with the direction it’s taking, and my kids certainly conned me into enough of the “extras” around the zoo that I feel like I’m helping fund it.
I was up on the tundra zip line type thing (which feels pretty darn high) today. I remember a couple of you guys explaining to me how the polar bear exhibit was set up a couple years ago (with the different yards etc) and you could really see it from up above. It made me appreciate how much everyone in this group has helped get me up to speed after we moved back to Toronto - so thank you all!
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Elliot A.
Member
What exactly was the event surrounding Bob Barker and the TZ elephants? Given his recent death the conversation has come back up with some friends of mine and I have heard renditions that are bias towards both the zoo and Barker, but I don't know who is in the right. Would someone be able to tell me the unbias facts on this or explain exactly what happened?
The sparknotes version of events - Toronto Zoo was exploring their options regarding their remaining elephants and their future at the zoo. The choices put forth and agreed upon internally were either renovate/build a modern elephant exhibit in TO with additional elephants, or send the remaining elephants to an accredited zoo with a better exhibit/social structure. If an option wasn't found that zoo officials felt was appropriate and renovation was deemed unfeasible - they simply would have held the remaining elephants until they phased out through attrition and not replaced them. However, the zoo was governed heavily by the city at the time and had a less than savory CEO. A city councillor got involved and went over the zoo's head, insisting the elephants be sent to PAWS (which had/has active issues with TB/biosecurity and was on the other side of NA). The CEO was in bed with city council, which essentially left anybody who was qualified at the zoo to make a decision with their hands tied. They then pulled Bob Barker into it, who promised to foot the bill for the elephants to fly instead of drive... but then he reneged on it last minute but still supported their transfer. This added a ton of publicity to the effort. The transfer ended up happening, with the elephants ending up in transit for over 100 hours and with a truck breaking down on the way. Once there, keepers who were supposed to help with the transition were blindsided the next morning by being told that they weren't allowed back on PAWS property. Bob Barker also made several comments re. keepers, such as how they should be ashamed for opposing the transfer and that they should be fired.
hyena142
Well-Known Member
@Elliot A. It was an extremely messy situation and @HawkAlot has covered most of the important stuff, so I'll just fill in the other details. The keepers were all in favour of sending the elephants to an AZA facility that could handle them but since PAWS, a non-AZA facility, turned out to be the solution the higher ups wanted (why specifically PAWS I will never know but I suspect money is involved) their hands were tied. But then it came out that that PAWS wasn't the kind of place the keepers wanted to send their beloved elephants to, and the AZA was super angry that the elephants were going outside their jurisdiction, so a massive war started. Barker got involved when he smelled blood in the water and he and his team did zero research on the situation before diving in headfirst, so he came to the conclusion that the only reason the Toronto keepers didn't want the elephants to go to PAWS was because they selfishly wanted to keep them. News outlets reported on his comments and suddenly the TZ was public enemy #1 and the keepers were accused of not caring about the animals when in reality the opposite was true. Ironically all this nonsense delayed the elephant departure, which was the one thing everyone agreed needed to happen fast. Then the AZA revoked Toronto's accreditation for caving and sending the elephants to PAWS, so that caused a bunch of further problems. And then of course the keepers were treated like scum before and during the transfer itself to add insult to injury even though they just wanted the best for the elephants.
If it weren't for the panda visit being a huge success the next year and then the zoo getting their AZA accreditation back the zoo's reputation might've never recovered. It was without a doubt the gloomiest era in Toronto Zoo history and not something we talk about much these days.
If it weren't for the panda visit being a huge success the next year and then the zoo getting their AZA accreditation back the zoo's reputation might've never recovered. It was without a doubt the gloomiest era in Toronto Zoo history and not something we talk about much these days.
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@Elliot A. Just wanna clarify what the others said. The zoo most definitely decided to end the elephant program themselves for the well being of the elephants because they simply couldnt afford to build a facility that would meet the needs of northern and elderly elephants. The keepers, vets, management and the board were all in agreement. They were searching for an appropriate AZA facility which could provide them with a good home. Then the crap hit the fan when that guy got involved. I am only not calling him names because I dont want to be suspended for awhile. I straight up hate him for the way he and his people treated the keepers. Made them out to be heartless monsters when all they wanted is what they felt was in the best interest of the elephants they had loved and cared for their entire lives in Toronto. The old CEO doesnt deserve any blame this time. The boards councillors were against him and it was city council that overstepped and shipped the elephants to PAWS costing the zoo their AZA membership because non experts were making animal welfare decisions. His actions disgusted me because attacking the keepers was completely uncalled for and absolutely unfair because they were not allowed to speak out and defend themselves. It was do as the city told them and keep quiet or speak out and be fired. Not really a fair fight. I have no respect for that guy or anyone who was in his camp. Their behaviour was deplorable. Wow Im surprised I didnt curse one or fly into a rage. For anyone wanting a clearer picture of the deep running emotions over the elephants go back to the 2011 and 2012 threads to see how past zoochatters felt at the time.