Toronto Zoo Toronto Zoo Future Developments 2014
- Thread starter TZFan
- Start date
Found some amazing old photos from the zoos early days but here is the most amazing one. Its a planning map for the zoo from 1972, before the zoo even opened.
It appears they leveled the place. The core woods arent in the aerial photo.
Heading left after entering would have brought you to a red panda, tarh, blackbuck area. Further over in that are would have been axis deer and fallow deer which look like you could only see them from the monorail.
Behind Indomalaya was a nilgai exhibit.
The African pavilion was there. Behind the elephants and hippos was cape buffalo.
Theres a giant gap in animals with tons of open space. They planned on Kob and Lechwe exhibits. Above that are white rhinos, chapmans zebra and waterbuck.
Continuing west or left in the photo is Hamadryas Baboons. Blesbok are south of the baboons. West are exhibits for addax, then Geladas, Rock Hyrax and Grevys zebra.West again a small meerkat exhibit and Giant Eland with Patas monkeys. North of the Addax are springbok. North of them Damaraland Zebra and Gemsbok. East are the lions. East again Gnu before arriving at the cape fur seals and penguins in the penguins current locale. The giraffes were where they always had been.
Far to the west there were plans for a madagascar exhibit.
In the treed space by the surplus warthog exhibit, along the path that now lead down to the domain there was to be a massive llama exhibit with tapirs to the north of that, then two different deer exhibits. A massive agouti exhibit (take a look at the space they wanted to give an animal so small. Rheas would be the northern most.
Down in the current mayan temple area... birds, ducks, mara, and capybara exhibits.
The Americas were phase two.
The polar bears were all by themselves in an exhibit smaller than the agoutis.
Euraisa was very different. It started with a cora gazelle exhibit. Then to the north a Wisent. To the east would be maned sheep, mouflons and serow in their own exhibits. The barbary apes in the same place. North of them North Vietnamese monkeys. To the east giant pandas... in the smallest exhibit on the plans. A pheastant exhibit to the east of that. In the przewalski's yard were the yaks. In drive thru exhibit two goitered gazelle. A big empty space further south until reaching what is now the yak barn where there would have been Kulan and bactrians. The dromedaries in the same place. In the center of all of these exhibits would be a massive Pere David Deer, Chinese Water Deer, Muntjac, waterfowl and wading birds exhibit. South of that would be a siberian tiger exhibit, then muntjac, then chinese leopards, then dybowski deer.
In what is now the kids zoo was the australian animals. Bettong, Wallabies, quokkas, kangaroos, possums, wallaroos, shelduck, maned goose, scaup in a massive exhibit together. Next to them kea and parrots.
Australia and an Ocean pavilion were to be phase two.
So interesting to see the plans. The core woods didnt exist. There were no streams. No plans for the domain other than it would eventually exist. So much empty space.
http://www.zoochat.com/532/1972-planning-map-toronto-zoo-39833/
It appears they leveled the place. The core woods arent in the aerial photo.
Heading left after entering would have brought you to a red panda, tarh, blackbuck area. Further over in that are would have been axis deer and fallow deer which look like you could only see them from the monorail.
Behind Indomalaya was a nilgai exhibit.
The African pavilion was there. Behind the elephants and hippos was cape buffalo.
Theres a giant gap in animals with tons of open space. They planned on Kob and Lechwe exhibits. Above that are white rhinos, chapmans zebra and waterbuck.
Continuing west or left in the photo is Hamadryas Baboons. Blesbok are south of the baboons. West are exhibits for addax, then Geladas, Rock Hyrax and Grevys zebra.West again a small meerkat exhibit and Giant Eland with Patas monkeys. North of the Addax are springbok. North of them Damaraland Zebra and Gemsbok. East are the lions. East again Gnu before arriving at the cape fur seals and penguins in the penguins current locale. The giraffes were where they always had been.
Far to the west there were plans for a madagascar exhibit.
In the treed space by the surplus warthog exhibit, along the path that now lead down to the domain there was to be a massive llama exhibit with tapirs to the north of that, then two different deer exhibits. A massive agouti exhibit (take a look at the space they wanted to give an animal so small. Rheas would be the northern most.
Down in the current mayan temple area... birds, ducks, mara, and capybara exhibits.
The Americas were phase two.
The polar bears were all by themselves in an exhibit smaller than the agoutis.
Euraisa was very different. It started with a cora gazelle exhibit. Then to the north a Wisent. To the east would be maned sheep, mouflons and serow in their own exhibits. The barbary apes in the same place. North of them North Vietnamese monkeys. To the east giant pandas... in the smallest exhibit on the plans. A pheastant exhibit to the east of that. In the przewalski's yard were the yaks. In drive thru exhibit two goitered gazelle. A big empty space further south until reaching what is now the yak barn where there would have been Kulan and bactrians. The dromedaries in the same place. In the center of all of these exhibits would be a massive Pere David Deer, Chinese Water Deer, Muntjac, waterfowl and wading birds exhibit. South of that would be a siberian tiger exhibit, then muntjac, then chinese leopards, then dybowski deer.
In what is now the kids zoo was the australian animals. Bettong, Wallabies, quokkas, kangaroos, possums, wallaroos, shelduck, maned goose, scaup in a massive exhibit together. Next to them kea and parrots.
Australia and an Ocean pavilion were to be phase two.
So interesting to see the plans. The core woods didnt exist. There were no streams. No plans for the domain other than it would eventually exist. So much empty space.
http://www.zoochat.com/532/1972-planning-map-toronto-zoo-39833/
arcticwolf
Well-Known Member
I've seen that map before and it is very interesting! Yesterday when I was at the zoo, I saw a display for the zoo's 40th anniversary with maps from 1999 and 1977 (I think). I will post pictures of them later today.
I had probably seen the map too but at the time it made no impact on me. I obviously wasnt looking for it at the time so it wasnt important to me. This time I was reading some stuff in the American forum which lead to me finding the map and because its the 40th anniversary this month and we have been getting little looks back in time it really spoke to me this time. It's amazing to see some of the ideas they had back then, as well as species the zoo had or wanted to have in 1972. I would kill to get some of them back on the zoos map, addax, gemsbok, springbok, blackbuck, cape buffalo, quokkas (darnit they might be the cutest animal on the planet). It would be wicked if the zoo could post a whole bunch of old maps, photos, and stories from the zoos early days on the website. I know its not possible... darn lack of a webmaster... but it would have been a really cool thing to offer. I mean just look at the 1972 map and a satellite image from google. Its so easy to place things.
Cloudedleopard6
Active Member
I was wondering this myself and I'm kind of hoping it will be open this coming weekend for the big 40th anniversary celebration but I haven't heard anything yet
I was wondering this myself and I'm kind of hoping it will be open this coming weekend for the big 40th anniversary celebration but I haven't heard anything yet
From what I've heard, I wouldn't hold my breath for a summer opening. The details for the 40th celebration next weekend are now posted on the website and there is absolutely no mention of Eurasia.
The zoo is offering free admission for the anniversary weekend for every kid with an adults regular admission when you bring a print out of the coupon found on Facebook. I know most of you wouldn't care because your members or dont have little ones but perhaps you know someone else who could use the coupon and can pass along the info to them.
Here's an article on the difficulties the zoo faces and the potential it has as the zoo celebrates its anniversary.
Toronto Zoo celebrates 40th anniversary with number of special events
Toronto Zoo celebrates 40th anniversary with number of special events
Another article relating to the anniversary. Im sure more will come out tonight and over the weekend.
Toronto Zoo celebrates 40th anniversary | Toronto Star
Toronto Zoo celebrates 40th anniversary | Toronto Star
arcticwolf
Well-Known Member
Tomorrow is a very exciting day for me because I start zoo camp! This year though, I will be volunteering with younger children instead of being a camper myself. Hopefully I'll learn lots of interesting information because I'll be spending all day with zoo staff.
Good luck! I hope you have an amazing time first and foremost. Any little tidbits you learn for the rest us would just be a bonus. Have a great time and try not to lose any of the campers to the lions... ok well maybe the annoying one... there is always one no one will miss.
Sounds like the city wont decide on the governance issue until next year! On the one hand thats incredibly disappointing because the zoo wont be able to reapply to the AZA until next year then. And we all know the AZA has the right to start stripping the zoo and its staff of every single perk now that the two years has passed. Yet at the same time holding off until next year could produce some more zoo friendly councillors who will try to help the zoo instead of the fools who are trying to destroy it. At least it appears some media are starting to rally behind the zoo. Maybe this will help to sway minds after years of being bashed by the media.
THE CITY: Time to let the Toronto Zoo make its own decisions
THE CITY: Time to let the Toronto Zoo make its own decisions
arcticwolf
Well-Known Member
I had a great first day of zoo camp today! The kids in my group are very easy (for now) and haven't caused many problems.
In the morning we went to the education portable and got to see a lubber grasshopper, caterpillar (not sure what species), African giant land snail and eastern box turtle up close and even touch some of them!
In the afternoon we went to the Americas pavilion where I got a great look at the baby golden lion tamarin and saw the purple gallinule for the first time ever!
I don't really have any updates or new information, but I thought some of you might be interested in how my day went.
In the morning we went to the education portable and got to see a lubber grasshopper, caterpillar (not sure what species), African giant land snail and eastern box turtle up close and even touch some of them!
In the afternoon we went to the Americas pavilion where I got a great look at the baby golden lion tamarin and saw the purple gallinule for the first time ever!
I don't really have any updates or new information, but I thought some of you might be interested in how my day went.