Toronto Zoo Toronto Zoo History and Past #2

Yes, they are modifying the seal exhibit to exhibit penguins.
 
For those interested in a visual history of the zoo, there is now a series of DVDs in the gift shop ($9.99 each), re-recorded from VHS tapes that they used to sell. They were produced c. 1990, and are about 30 minutes long each. They include "Zoo Adventure" (a basic tour of the zoo), "Zoo Secrets" (a "behind the scenes" look at some of the different departments), and "Zoo Babies" (self-explanatory). Some interesting footage of the koalas when they visited in 1988 (in what is now Malayan Woods), the African paddocks area before the savanna renovation, and a whole bunch else. There aren't any huge revelations, but it is a very interesting look.
 
I have Zoo Adventures and Zoo Babies, which are both excellent! Have had them for years on VHS
 
I have Zoo Adventure and have seen Zoo Babies, some clips from it are on the zoo website :) Very nostalgic.

Some more historical goodness, from eBay:



More vintage Toronto Zoo:


I think this is one of the old Grizzlies, I don't remember seeing this postcard before.


Old playing cards. Sigh. I loved those leopards.


Old polar bears, more ellies, some no logner with us. I believe the organgs are Pupe (?) with her son that drowned.
 
Hi, my name is Bear and I am new here, anyone remember where the aardvarks used to be? I seem to remember them being near the elephants...but I could be wrong
 
There was/is an ardvaark replica in the savannah. I *think* they did have them in the past as an actual exhibit many years ago, but in the African pavillion.
 
New old (1975) photos on Flickr:
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The one of the flamingos is my favourite, its so different!
 
I figured you guys might appreciate these, from before my time!


and

 
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Great find, thanks for posting!

Crazy to see how things have changed, I think the overall shocker was the lack of vegetation (especially around the temple waterfall, got a good laugh about the "coming soon" sign as well LOL) !
 
As for where things are, the one I really wondered about was the goitered gazelle. I'm leaning towards the "old" scimitar oryx or reindeer paddock, as they look like fairly grassy, basic paddocks (and they would fit into the geographic grouping of Eurasia quite well).
 
Zoogoer2000 said:
As for where things are, the one I really wondered about was the goitered gazelle.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure they were in the scimitar-horned oryx paddock (based on old maps I've seen and the layout of the paddock) - definitely a shocker to see, since it's had oryx in it for so long. Did you know that there used to be oryx (not sure of how many) on display in what is now the Komodo dragon exhibit? (when it was the Eurasian Pavilion) At another point, the same exhibit was the winter home of the flamingos ... and then, after it became Australasia, the home of the kangaroos (with marine toads!).
 
I have heard about the oryx inhabiting the komodo dragon exhibit. Going by memory, I believe it was only one (mind-boggling to think that even one would be kept in that exhibit).

Another amazing find in that album was the old chinese leopard picture. I haven't seen much documentation of Toronto's specimens, so that was a nice treat! It looks as though that was in what I call the "front" red panda exhibit, the second one over from the old amur tiger exhibit.

Was the exhibit really changed much when it became the red panda complex in 1993? It looks like it had an outdoor holding yard (as the holding building access doors seem to lead into it) behind the main exhibit area (where the leopard is).
 
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