Toronto Zoo Toronto Zoo History

Some history my dad told me, he was at work the other day and one of his co-workers said that he was at the zoo a long time ago and they were at the Orangutang exhibit and one of the Orangutangs was in the water, and he noticed it started to drowning, so he jumped in and pulled the orangutan out of the water! I guess he proceeded to give (her?) CPR and saved her but she ended up dying a couple days later! For his act he got a lifetime membership with the zoo! Not sure the name of the orangutan or when it happened.

Some history questions:
Has any animal every gotten out of an exhibit?
Has anyone ever been killed at the zoo?
If anybody has some fun history this is the thread :)
 
There are two old history threads already. Well worth taking a read through.

http://www.zoochat.com/223/toronto-zoo-history-past-2008-before-22077/

http://www.zoochat.com/223/toronto-zoo-history-past-2-a-232270/

It is pretty darn cool your dad knows the gentleman who tried to save Kartiko's life. He was the son of Puppe and Dinding. A family was throwing cookies to the orangs... as we all know a massive no no... a fight broke out over the cookies. Poor Kartiko was knocked into the moat. Since orangs cannot swim he sunk. You're dad's friend dove in to save him and got him breathing before the keepers and vets arrived on scene. Unfortunately Kartiko developed pneumonia and died a few days later. A true needless tragedy but truly heroic actions by your dad's friend. A plaque outside the pavilion commemorates the event.

Rescuers go ape at Toronto zoo - Canada - CBC News

ORANGUTAN DIES DESPITE QUICK RESCUE FROM MOAT AT TORONTO ZOO.(News) | HighBeam Business: Arrive Prepared


Animals have escaped. In 2012 some of the lemurs escaped.

Video: Lemurs escape enclosure at Toronto Zoo | CP24.com

In 2009 grizzly, Samson, nearly escaped. It created a problem with staff.

Grizzly bear nearly escapes from Toronto Zoo | Toronto Star

Staff threatens to walk after grizzly's near escape | Toronto & GTA | News | Tor

Male Red Panda Ferrous escaped in 2005 and was on the run for over a month.

Toronto zoo finds lost red panda - IOL SciTech

When the savanna was first opened the baboons made it out of their exhibit. At that point the savanna was still closed.

Some of the wolves escaped in 1985 when some twit cut a hole in their enclosure.

https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=j-8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=2817,2896960&hl=en

Aside from those incidents I know of... There have been lots more bird escapes.. usually in the form of the show birds but there have been others who get past the plastic curtains and fly off.

I don't think there has ever been a human death at the zoo. There have been animal attacks.

The wolves caused injuries to a boy so severe he lost his arm... stupid kids climbed a fence and taunted the wolves... Yes I know they were young but actions have consequences and sometimes those life lessons are harsh. Sadly the zoo had to pay out a settlement.

https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=ne8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=6131,2232814&hl=en

http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1995/Youth-Mauled-By-Toronto-Zoo-Wolves-Awarded-$11-Million/id-2855688afbe1f6fd43cdd8b4aa2e7a2b

Two years ago a keeper was bitten by a massasagua rattlesnake.

Toronto Zoo worker bitten by poisonous Massasauga rattlesnake | Toronto & GTA |

There have been other times when geese, swans, seagulls and peacocks have attacked.

There were a number of injuries when the monorail crashed twice thus ending my favourite way around the zoo.

The Rise and Fall of Toronto's Zoo Monorail - Transit Toronto - Content

Ok that probably gets you off to a good historical start.
 
For those of us who use the facebooks a group called "Vintage Toronto" which posts old photos of the city has an album with old Toronto Zoo photos most of them are really great and some show full exhibits like those of the mandrill. Also some great scenic shots of the monorail as it passes through the undeveloped rouge valley (long may it be).

Link: Vintage Toronto - Photos | Facebook
 
I've found another spot with some old zoo photos people might be interested in.

Metropolitan Toronto Zoo : Virtual Reference Library

Based on dates I can help name or identify some of the animals further if someone wants more details.

There is a cool photo in there of the never seen chimp babies that arrived at the zoo prior to opening then disappeared within a year. There are tons of other cool ones too its just that I have never once seen evidence of the chimps other than studbook info. Pretty neat stuff there.
 
Wow, so the Toronto Zoo used to have black rhino? Also did they used to have aardvark? I seem to vaguely recall reading on the posts here that they escaped or something.
 
Initially there were black rhinos. It didn't last long before they switched to white. I'm not even sure if they went on display. I think they were only at the zoo for a matter of months, a year at most.

There were also aardvarks. So disappointing they left early on as well. I don't remember reading anything about them escaping though.

Early on there were quite a few species that only stayed for a few years. Another disappointment for me was the two year stay of African Wild Dogs. I would gladly trade any animal on the savanna for them. I have yet to see any photo evidence of them on display.
 
I would have loved if they kept the African Wild Dogs. When they aren't flat-dogging (laying flat while resting), they are busy bees, an absolutely fascinating species. I've always been a fan of them but wasn't able to see them in person until 2003 when my family took a trip to North Carolina Zoo (on our way down to a SC vacation). If well advertised they could make for a popular zoo animal.
 
A more recent escapee from Canadian Domain
Red Fox
Toronto Zoo asks for help finding red fox that escaped

Also though I do not think anyone has ever died at the Zoo there have been some severe accidents. Someone mentioned above the Wolves but the Monorail crashes (two if memory serves) injured a lot of people (this article claims 27 injuries)
The history of the Toronto Zoo monorail

Animals have died as well, the saddest being the elephants who were removed from the Zoo after a couple of incidents
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toro...ter-push-to-ground-by-one-of-her-own-1.794734
 
TZFan said:
Initially there were black rhinos. It didn't last long before they switched to white. I'm not even sure if they went on display. I think they were only at the zoo for a matter of months, a year at most.

There were also aardvarks. So disappointing they left early on as well. I don't remember reading anything about them escaping though.

Early on there were quite a few species that only stayed for a few years. Another disappointment for me was the two year stay of African Wild Dogs. I would gladly trade any animal on the savanna for them. I have yet to see any photo evidence of them on display.
Click to expand...
They had Black, White, AND Indian rhinos at the same time for 2 years (1974-76).
 
I remember a few weeks before my TZ visit in 2014, that some random guests went past a barrier to take a selfie with a polar bear housed in the maternity yard area.
If I remember correctly that place was open for the viewing of the polar bear cub, and an additional barrier was put in place after.
 
I remember every square inch of Riverdale Zoo
including the hospital, the print shop, the residence, the lunchroom, the freezer, Donnybrook Tower, the underground water pumps, inside the 2 steam boiler heating systems (I was the only one small enough to fit inside one), the hay loft. Everything. Great memories of local 43, union strikes, escapes, vandals, hand raising almost anything imaginable, some sad memories too of good friends lost.
Good posts above thanks all :cool:

Somebody asked in one of the threads about an Aardvark escape at the time of the MTZ opening & yes sadly that did happen, it involved a glass wall enclosure, the glass broke, glass walls have a serious down-side when animals don't see them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top