Well, here it is, my first review. This one is for the High Park Zoo in Toronto. I've been to this zoo many times before, and my most recent one happened today. The zoo opened in 1893, and is located along a single road (Deer Pen Road). Mine was squeezed in between volunteering The zoo proper begins with a paddock for llamas mixed with some domestic geese and the occasional wild mallard. The paddock is lightly vegetated (and is half-barren) with a small water feature offering some enrichment. At the time of my visit, the zoo was holding a fundraiser and had brought four of them (Ariana, Comet, Tango, and Dusty) to a small pen on leashes. Next to it was another small pen for several baby chickens (what breed they were I don't know) and two rabbits. After the llamas are the capybaras. I saw Bonny and Clyde resting on their border. Like the llama pen it has a water feature, but its fully vegetated with no bare patches. After that are two paddocks divided into three sections, one for around three highland cattle and the other for five yaks. On the other side of the road was the emu pen, one in the shade of trees and with some long grass in the back. Next to them were the bison paddocks, with Jasper, Victoria, and the other bison out lying around (didn't see the new calf though). Their paddock was rather patchy and bare, and a little on the small size. The last couple of enclosures are on the side of the ravine where the zoo is. Next up was for the Bennett's wallabies, their enclosure having a decent size and a dugout shelter. Up next were the aoudads, with a male lounging next to the shelter and two females grazing near the front. Their paddock had a small hill of rocks covered in grass which provide some enrichment. Then came a chicken coop-style aviary for at least two pairs of peafowl. Their cage has a pretty low roof though they can exit it. It was sandwhiched between the aoudads and the mouflon paddock; however, for some reason the mouflons which switched with the neighbouring reindeer (which I counted 4, including the two calves). Both exhibits have decent space, and the grade of the hill does simulate their natural environment. Adequate would best describe the zoo. No exhibit is anything special, nor are any bad, though the bison and the peacocks do come close. I give it 7.1 out of 10. The zoo currently has a master plan (which you can see here High Park Zoo Master Plan - High Park Zoo), and it probably will spice it up a bit.
