Toronto Zoo Toronto Zoo SSP Species

[TZFan]

We all know Toronto is a world leader in animal conservation. As a member of the AZA it is required to participate in some SSP programs at the Green level but Toronto goes far beyond meeting simple requirements of some. SSP's Toronto participates in.The zoo participates in 20 Greens, 91 Yellows and 15 Red programs for a total of 126. I'm probably off by some because I could only cross reference against what the AZA has available online.

Now not all SSP's at the zoo contain breeding groups. Many do not especially among the birds where the zoo will often hold surplus animals who are either genetically over represented or just not needed at this time. Yet in other programs Toronto houses some of the most genetically valuable animals in all of North America, giraffe Mstari is the number 1 Masai Giraffe female. We have at least 25 other animals in the top ten of their gender for their species. Off the top of my head, marabou stork (Gracie), hyena (Echo), orangs (Budi and Sekali), saki (Maderia) pygmy hippos (Harvey and Kindia), snow leopard (Ena), lynx (Ryan), cheetah (Laini), zebra (Jake), babirusa (Olive), Indian rhino (Asha), wombat (Arthur), Bettong (Julie), Tree kangaroo (Collins and the incoming female), kookabura (Karee), 2 scarlet ibis females, both sea eagles and bleeding heart dove (female).

For those who don't know there are three levels of SSP's that a zoo may be involved with, Green, Yellow and Red. Green are the most stable programs for the long term. Yellow programs are potentially stable but do require additional attention and effort to keep it stable. Things that could be consider in that is a need to increase space, genetic diversity and population size. Red programs are unstable populations in critical situations where intense management is needed to find founders, build the population and establish space. Generally these will be populations between 20 to 50 animals depending on the needs of the species.

Green Programs
Puerto Rican crested toad
Western Lowland Gorilla
Sumatran Orangutan
Radiated Tortoise
Black Breasted Leaf Turtle
Caribbean Flamingo
Grevy’s Zebra
Jaguar
Lion
Amur Tiger
Grey Crowned Crane
Golden Lion Tamarin
Tawny Frogmouth
Plush Crested Jay
White Crested Laughingthrush
African Penguin
Ring Tailed Lemur
Meerkat
North American River Otter
Red Panda

Yellow Programs
Dusky Gopher Frog
Panamanian Golden Frog (sora)
Wyoming Toad
Trumpeter Swan
Common Eland
Masai Giraffe
Greater Kudu
Wildebeest
White Handed Gibbon
Straw Coloured Fruit Bat
Egyptian Fruit Bat
Polar Bear (not a participant but that's due to the inability of to import and export)
Spotted Hyena
Painted Terrapin
Brown Forest Turtle
Burmese Star Tortoise
Home’s Hinge Back Tortoise
Madagascar Spider Tortoise
Madagascar Flat Tailed Tortoise
Spiny Turtle
Spotted Turtle
Hamerkop
African Sacred Ibis
Scarlet Ibis
African Spoonbill
Marabou Stork
Grey Capped Emerald Dove
Luzon Bleeding Heart Dove
Green Naped Pheasant Pigeon
Nicobar Pigeon
Victoria Crowned Pigeon
Northern Ground Hornbill
Southern Ground Hornbill
Wrinkled Hornbill
Laughing Kookaburra
Blue Crowned Motmot
Blue Bellied Roller
Przewalski’s Horse
Cheetah
Clouded Leopard
Snow Leopard
Canadian Lynx
Cougar
Sumatran Tiger
Lake Victoria Cichlids - Argens
Lake Victoria Cichlids - Degeni
Lake Victoria Cichlids - Perrieri
Lake Victoria Cichlids - Paceatus
Lake Victoria Cichlids - Two Stripe White Lips
White Blotched River Stingray
Palawan Peacock Pheasant
Crested Wood Partridge
Black Crake
Wattled Crane
Red Legged Seriema
Sunbittern
San Esteban Chuckwalla
Komodo Dragon
Chinese Crocodile Lizard
Black Tree Monitor
Prehensile-Tailed Skink
Brush Tailed Bettong
Short Beaked Echidna
Western Grey Kangaroo
Bennett’s Wallaby
Southern Hairy Nosed Wombat
Pygmy Marmoset
Spider Monkey
White Faced Saki
Fairy Bluebird
Golden Breasted Starling
Linne’s Two Toed Sloth
Green Aracari
Eurasian Eagle Owl
Snowy Owl
Spectacled Owl
Greater One Horned Rhino
White Rhino
Capybara
African Crested Porcupine
Prehensile Tailed Porcupine
Black Footed Ferret
Jamacian Boa
Eastern Massassagua Rattlesnake
Mexican Red Kneed Tarantula
Violaceous Turaco
White Cheeked Turaco
Babirusa
River Hippo
Red River Hog
Warthog

Red Programs
Indochinese Box Turtle
Great Hornbill
Sunda Gharial
Moose
Lake Victoria Cichlids - Ishmaeli
Lake Victoria Cichlids - Melanopterus
Cabot’s Tragopan
Tree Kangaroo
Lion Tailed Macque
Red Billed Blue Magpie
Stellar Sea Eagle
Secretary Bird
African Spotted Necked Otter
Elegant Crested Tinamou
Pygmy Hippo

I know they also participate in the Bactrian Camel SSP but I don't know what level it is.

 

[TZFan]

Oh and all that doesn't even take into account of the Canadian conservation programs that don't have SSPs.

Wood Bison
Blandings Turtles
Vancouver Island Marmots
Eastern Loggerhead Shrikes
Grey Ratsnake
Brown bats (not sure but probably both little and big)
Oregon Spotted Frog
Wood Turtle

 

[Mr Wrinkly]

Thank you for this interesting thread, particularly the reds.

I was looking forward to seeing the Cabot's Tragopan when six were acquired but learned then that the AZA requires members to have a certain number of off-exhibit breeding programs so TZ got them to meet that requirement. They are held in the Snow Leopard "house".

Great Hornbill is known at TZ by one of it's other names - Concave-casqued Hornbill" and will not likely be bred. Asha is very old and blind. In fact she was looking frail when I last saw her in June. Jonah does not get along well with others.

 

[cypher]

Awesome list TZFan. Well done.

 

[TZFan]

Thanks everyone. I just literally got bored and thought hey I wonder how many SSPs the zoo participates in? Then I spend the next several hours looking. Some were easier than others. I know all of the mammals but had to look through each species for the rest because while I know some of the species I cannot begin to even claim in know a fraction of the other groups. It's possible I missed some or added a few phased out species.

Indeed great hornbill, Asha, was long ago deemed medically unfit to breed due to her blindness. Now her advanced age would prevent it as well. Jonah is overly aggressive and deemed a behavioral non breeder. Pity for both because their wild born genetics would have been a real boost to the population.

While browsing through everything one thing did strike me. We hold a lot of bird species which we cannot breed. Many are single animals or single sexed flocks. Despite requests for mates the zoo cannot get some for I think the fairy bluebird. All the possible matches are better kept in other breeding situations with more valuable males. Our hamerkops are basically the least valuable males so the SSP wont waste a female on Toronto. We cannot breed our Nicobar pigeons because the zoo used to do a crummy job tracking parentage with them and now until they are all genetically tested to prove lineage they are a non breeding flock. All kinds of reasons.

Even some of the ones they want the zoo to breed I don't think much is being done with. Marabou storks Gracie and George should be breeding due to Gracie's value and being a rare proven pair. Yet nothing happens. It's a pity because despite having Artie and Zuri neither will ever breed. Artie died shortly after being transferred and Zuri's deformed bill prevents her from being medically fit to breed. New chicks are needed from this pair. Although we do all know George kicks his eggs out of the nest so maybe that's the biggest problem. Recovering an egg before he destroys it.

I think based on what I saw the most active breeding goes on with the reptiles and amphibians. Off the top of my head the only species I didn't see some breeding recommendation for was false gharial, Fernando, but that's because its not sexed. Once sexed a mate might be found based on its genetic value which would vary based on gender.

I'd love to see them join some more SSP's and get rid of useless species that are not of conservation value. I'm looking right at you tur, common marmosets, nile soft shelled turtle and watusi. I'm glad others are dying out like the barabary sheep, chamois, tahr, mouflon, baboons and reindeer.

 

[geomorph]

Thank you for this interesting discussion of the zoo’s programs.