Toronto Zoo Toronto Zoo Discussion Thread 2025

The annual 2025 AZA Awards were just announced. Toronto won two awards this year.

Marketing Excellence Award
Campaign Budget Over $175,000
  • Top Honors — Toronto Zoo 50th Anniversary – Guardians of Wild
    Toronto Zoo, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Angela Peterson Excellence in Diversity Award
  • Top Honors — Zoo For All
    Toronto Zoo, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
 
TZFan said:
There are no other zoos asking to take the offspring produced.
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I do want to note Racine Zoo may still be interested in tur. I'm not sure the exact situation but on multiple occasions when asked about the former tur exhibit they seemed to reinforce a desire to bring back "goats".
 
Updates from today's visit.
  • The enclosure that usually holds kudu currently has a single Grevy's zebra, likely one of the males.
  • The Komodo dragon was off display due to stress. No word on exact times it'll be on display.
  • Madeira, the male white-faced saki, was not on exhibit today. I overheard a docent or keeper in the Americas Pavilion say that he passed away, but I'm not 100% certain on this.
 
TheGerenuk said:
Updates from today's visit.
  • The enclosure that usually holds kudu currently has a single Grevy's zebra, likely one of the males.
  • The Komodo dragon was off display due to stress. No word on exact times it'll be on display.
  • Madeira, the male white-faced saki, was not on exhibit today. I overheard a docent or keeper in the Americas Pavilion say that he passed away, but I'm not 100% certain on this.
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Aw man ... I'm going to be very sad if Madeira passed away.

Wonder if the Kudu have been phased out?
 
I can confirm that Madi was euthanized due to quality of life issues at the end of September. So sad for Cora his mate and the keepers who loved him dearly Not sure why the zoo chose not to announce his passing.
 
The kudu are almost certainly indoors — it’s definitely too cold for them, and I saw them outside just a few weeks ago.
That’s too bad about the saki—really makes me wish that baby was born earlier this year. Even if they do move the female, I’d be a bit surprised for the zoo to leave that space for only the tamarins and sloths since the tamarins are so small and the sloths are so lazy. They could just acquire more tamarins though.
 
TheGerenuk said:
Updates from today's visit.
  • The enclosure that usually holds kudu currently has a single Grevy's zebra, likely one of the males.
  • The Komodo dragon was off display due to stress. No word on exact times it'll be on display.
  • Madeira, the male white-faced saki, was not on exhibit today. I overheard a docent or keeper in the Americas Pavilion say that he passed away, but I'm not 100% certain on this.
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The male saki Madi was euthanized on Sept 27 because his lung issue was much worse and was having trouble breathing. He had a mass on his lung for the last 2 years and was doing well until about a month before his passing.
 
Jefferson said:
I think at most, we may get a companion for Cora, but I am guessing after her issues with the last baby, they may not try and breed her again.
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She's got a birth control implant and I'm hoping they don't try to breed her anymore with her " issues ". Staff decided to give her some company and to me she seems less stressed than when he passed and she was alone. She's now with a geriatric sloth and our three tamarins. I see her 3 times a week so am pretty comfortable with her " normal " behavior and to me she seems " better ". It would be nice if we got another male but she is pretty Bossy so it would be interesting to see what happens.
 
Interesting timing, but there is a tender on the website for "RFP-37 - DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION FOR THE PRIMATE WING MODIFICATIONS PROJECT"

Unfortunately you can no longer open the files without paying a fee, there was a period where you could access them. So I don't know what the modifications include.
 
Jefferson said:
Interesting timing, but there is a tender on the website for "RFP-37 - DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION FOR THE PRIMATE WING MODIFICATIONS PROJECT"

Unfortunately you can no longer open the files without paying a fee, there was a period where you could access them. So I don't know what the modifications include.
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That is interesting
 
Visited the zoo today front entrance is coming along nicely can really see the use of space, though I noticed it's no longer being referred to a the conservation campus but instead the conservation community center U of T was still listed as a partner.
Saw Raya the new female Komodo Dragon much more active then Kilat was but I assume that's age related belive he had arthritis. She still has a lot of growing to do so that will be fun to watch.
In the latest mix and match species one of the Blue Yabby tanks now contains Rainbow Bedotia and I belive the Rainbows in Americas have been replaced with Butterfly Goodied but I could be wrong the signage had not changed.
The Great Barrier exhibit has been completely emptied of water and there is a sign that says exhibit is being repurposed which seemed an interesting choice of words. I suppose getting rid of the aquarium species is a quicker way to their goal of 175 species.
Went to Americas and the Spectacle Owls have been replaced with the Green Winged Macaw likely from the Kids Zoo, based on the amount on enrichment I believe this is the plan going forward.
Someone mentioned that Golden Lion Tamarins had been added to the Saki exhibit after the passing of the male but I didn't see any the sloth is there. Does anyone know how many Goldens we have at the moment? There were three in the middle exhibit. And only seemed to be a sloth in the final exhibit.
The Axolotls have been replaced with the Lemur Leaf Frogs and the Axolotls moved into the Everglades area. Saw one of the new free flight Zebra Finches there.
Went to the African Rainforest, Ngozi the Gorilla, was sitting in the front window viewable from outside Charlie and Nneka are about the same size and had a hard time telling them apart. Bachelor Gorillas Sadiki and Nassir were lazing in the main exhibit. Talked to a volunteer that said they haven't noticeably changed behaviour since the new silverback Zwalani arrived which is probably the best outcome. The volunteer also mentioned Zwalani had been on exhibit when it's been open to the general public.
Noticed the netted bird area where the otters used to be seemed to be open at the top didn't notice any birds so don't know what's going on there.
Saw one of the Triangular Spotted Pigeons free flight in the large area it was sitting on a branch next to the main Afric Sekalian aviary where the bats are.
The giraffe house was closed for filming I also saw small film crew interview a keeper by the wolves, and then same crew in Indomalaya first filming the gibbon family and then orangutans Wali and Sekali. They didn't have any obvious branding so not sure who they were filming for. Got the feeling maybe they were students with a professor but nothing to back that up.
The Red Tailed Green Ratsnakes have been returned to their original exhibit in the Malayan Woods after bouncing around Australasia and Indomalaya. All the invert tanks had inhabitants including two tanks of Malayan Walking Sticks on containing babies.
Over all a great trip.
 
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