Toronto Zoo Was attendance high or low???

Ungulate

Ungulate

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
After Quartz posted the link to 680News' blurb on the poor attendance at the zoo this summer (Toronto Zoo blames economy for poor attendance numbers - Headlines - News - 680News - ALL NEWS RADIO), the zoo has come out with their own press release countering the report:
http://www.torontozoo.com/pdfs/2008_Success_Release.pdf

Through the summer, the monthly reports showed the zoo to be doing well for attendance ... there were many days with long line ups for Stingray Bay, and although there were not as many people through the exhibit as they had hoped (based on early reports), I think the zoo still sees (not just reports) the exhibit to have been a success. FYI, the rays have all gone back to Florida.

Most concerning for me is the paraphrasing from George Mammoliti:
"Councillor George Mammolitti, who's on the board, says he's working to get a panda visit for the zoo, soon and he's planning a trip to China to make it happen."

With all of the recent talks of budget cutbacks, over-the-top councillor spending, and the problems with the Zoo Board being an old boys' club, this seems like a flagrant disregard for the city's (and zoo's) financial situation (... and A panda!?!?!? :eek: That'll be great ...)
 
There would be zero attendance woes if giant pandas were obtained by the Toronto Zoo, but then again there is still Adelaide, Oakland and Edinburgh ahead of them on the "panda waiting list".
 
Ungulate said:
Through the summer, the monthly reports showed the zoo to be doing well for attendance ... there were many days with long line ups for Stingray Bay, and although there were not as many people through the exhibit as they had hoped (based on early reports), I think the zoo still sees (not just reports) the exhibit to have been a success. FYI, the rays have all gone back to Florida.
Click to expand...

The stingrays were definetely a success in my books! I helped run the Breakfast with the Stingrays program in the mornings, and all the dates from May till August were booked within the first couple of weeks! We actually had to add additional dates, and even then there was a waiting list. As to the lower attendance rate, I suppose people are still wary of stingrays. Steve Irwin is the obvious one, but there was also a woman who died in the Florida Keys as a result from being hit by an eagle ray...conveniently in March 2008, just before Stingray Bay opened. Just my two cents :) STINGRAYS ARE AWESOME!
 
I noticed that to, with the two news reports for attendence. To be honest even with the cutbacks the Eurasia Renos will not include much, nothing to waste money on anyways, which is why I think that there is a 75% chance we will get pandas! And that will increase attendence, just like when the pandas visited a while back for 4 months
 
Wild times ahead for T.O. Zoo | Toronto & GTA | News | Toronto Sun

Lengthy, informative article that is a great read and highlights the fact that attendance is down 9% this year. There is currently so much turmoil at the Toronto Zoo that I'm beginning to wonder how it's going to be all sorted out, but the possibility of giant pandas and $250 million in funding are the combined lights at the end of the proverbial tunnel. When I visited the zoo last summer I was impressed with the sheer size of the grounds and animal collection, but the place is packed with old, outdated pavilions and desperately needs that quarter billion push towards a significant renovation of 30 year-old sections of the zoo.
 
Keeping on the line of attendance, here is a link to an article that says the zoo is up "15 per cent above where we should be at this time of year.” (Aug. 12) I think the zoo is doing fairly well with attendance this year especially with the 56,000 people who have visited the Tundra Trek in the first 4 preview dates.
 
I have already heard from a few of the zoo keepers that management is trying hard to bring pandas in. But those same keepers would rather see that $10mil. spent elsewhere in the zoo.
 
I think the reason that the zoo was'nt doing well from 2007-early 2009 was becuase of the absence of polar bears and people woudl have rather waited for Tundra Trek to open to visit

Panda's would be amazing (especially a long term loan or permanant) but, If it is going to sacrifice the renovation of areas that need it much more, I don't want Toronto to acquire them

But at the same time, if they do get the pandas and pay the huge amount of money, millions of people are going to come to see the pandas

Thus, the zoo will regain and go over the original amount and then they will have even more money than they originally started with so they could od the other reno's
 
The panda complex will be done later after renos are finished on Eurasia, Canadian Wilderness, Animal Health Centre, and the Elephant Expansion according to the city's 2009 budget.
 
Oh thats right, 2018 is the year the pandas are supposed to happen right?
 
Since this thread deals with attendance numbers, here is an interesting couple of statistics:

Toronto Zoo = 1.3 million visitors per year
Calgary Zoo = 1.2 million visitors per year

Calgary only has about 1.2 million people, while Toronto has at least 5 times that metropolitan number. Is there simply less attractions to visit in Calgary, thus making the zoo the #1 establishment to see?
 
I think part of it is becuase Toronto Zoo is more well known than Calgary Zoo but also because Toronto the city already has so many things to do already (CN Tower, Skydome, Museums,etc.) that people just kind of say "Well, were here now, so why don't we just give it a visit"
 
There are not as many attractions in Calgary as there are in Toronto I know that for a fact! There are various popular places in Toronto for people of all ages. As to Calgary which has a few museums and a zoo. My Aunt and Uncle both live in Calgary and they noticed that people just tend to work and sleep in that city! Which is one reason they want to move somewhere else.

The 1.3 million visitors that is stated on the zoos website hasn't been updated for years, I read in a new article that in 2007 they have 1.5 million.

But even so I can see your point as where the population effects on both zoos and it is sort of a "wow" factor.

*EDIT* I would also like to add that the zoo has started a campaign for the Tundra Trek, and something tells me this is apart of the $250 dollar campaign.

http://www.youtube.com/user/TorontoZooChannel

A very well done movie!
 
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Awesome, they finally have a youtube channel!
 
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