Spider monkey, Toque, has finally been given a chance at family life. He has moved on to Auckland. Since he and Mittens couldn't get along and Mittens needs the support and companionship of his sisters Eve and Poppy poor Toque has lived alone for quite awhile. He was supposed to leave years ago for other zoos but nothing ever happened. Glad to hear he will finally get to enjoy family life again.
The Home's Hingeback Tortoises are back. They did leave and have now returned. Short departure. One of the Egyptian Geese who lived with the Ibises died. His companion whos name I dont know was joined by Annoying one of a former pair that lived off exhibit.
I have been checking back at this thread to see when the Gaur would be shipped and I am so glad that I took all those photos and footage back in June to document their now "extinct exhibit" for the Toronto Zoo history record. My only wish regarding my visit is that I wish that Hercules was still alive. I have yet to see a huge bull Gaur at close range. By the way, what were the names of the two females that were there in July? I ought to make a Christmas video or two of my zoo visit as well as a proper Gaur tribute. Thanks for the update TZFan and best of luck to them at Parc Safari!
The female gaur were Flower and daughter Wilma. You were a year too late to see Forrest who was Flower's grown son.
Sad new to report. The pygmy hippo calf, a male, was born earlier this month but he did not survive the first 24 hours. No word on the cause of death. Hopefully after a couple months of recovery Kindia and Harvey can try again and maybe be more successful. Hopefully our other first time mom white rhino, Zohari, will be more successful with her own calf in the next month or two. In happier news we have a new female lynx so maybe the pitter patter of kitten paws will be possible this spring if her arrival was in time to settle in and be ready for breeding season.
One of them was a bit skittish and was easily spooked if you walked into the pavilion unexpectedly. Was it Flower or Wilma? Thanks!
White rhino Zohari has been separated from her sister Sabi and male Tom as her delivery appears imminent. Fingers crossed this baby makes it. I want a good 2018 for babies. On the breeding front zebras Jake and Tori have been spending a lot of time breeding lately. A late winter foal could arrive in 2019. Follow that breeding news up with some interesting breeding news West African dwarf crocs Monty and Cleo have been displaying breeding behaviour. Now will they incubate any eggs Cleo might lay? That's the real question since that species of croc doesn't have any conservation value and the AZA would prefer those spaces be converted for actually endangered crocs. A new male Arctic wolf has arrived from Parc Safari his name is Imiq. Great timing he is there and can settle in before breeding season. Wolf pups may finally arrive! Well provided Chinook was the reason there was never wolf pups before... could be Dora and Vera. In fantastic news the Arctic fox exhibit will finally house animals we want to see and not just boring snow geese. Making their triumphant return are Arctic foxes themselves! Two males Orage and Tempette have arrived from the zoo's favorite Canadian trading partner lately Parc Safari. Lastly Przewalski's horse, Madga, was put down due to age related health issues.
Wow Monty still has game eh? If I recall he is the oldest of his species ever known. There isn't really a replaceable crocodilian that is both from Africa and endangered that they can choose if the AZA wants them to replace the species.
Wait scratch that I had know idea the slender snouted crocodile is listed as critically endangered by IUCN. Apparently the status of the species was practically unknown until a mere 6 years ago. Now that is a species I'd like to see at Toronto
To be honest I would play that down a bit, if I where you. Whereas the IUCN Red List currently categorizes Osteolaemus tetraspis as only VULNERABLE, their data are awaiting update as the original info goes back more than 20 years to 1996. Given the rate of deforestation in western and central Africa and the overexploitation of bushmeat and rainforest wildlife I do expect the categorization to change significantly. In a further and more recent development - the split of Osteolaemus tetraspis into 3 species further complicates matters and potentially leads to more splintering of the 3 subpopulations into a higher threat category for each subgroup. I is therefore all the more important that captive populations are correctly assigned to species and subspecies-level in crocodilians and to attempt to significantly improve captive-breeding efforts for the crocodilian species deserving of conservation attention. And I do believe all current African crocodilian species qualify for captive-breeding / conservation attention programs.
The zoo says Monty and Cleo are West African dwarf crocs, beyond that I know nothing. If the zoo were looking to replace them the AZA would specifically prefer the slender snouted croc but it's not forbidden to have them. The zoo could just choose to replace them with more of the same species. The size of the exhibit would likely stop them from going to any other species. Personally I'd be happy to see the crocs go when the time comes and be replaced with the otters who could use more room to romp. By the way just because they are just displaying breeding behaviour doesn't mean they will breed and be successful. It's been quite awhile since they had a clutch of eggs hatch at the zoo. Although to be fair I don't know if that is because no fertilized eggs have been laid or if the zoo made sure none would hatch. Only thing for certain is in the next short while you may see Cleo and Monty do something more then sleep and float.
Our incoming Aldabra tortoises are a male named Rasputin, and two females named Queenie and Malila. Seems plans for their exhibit have been altered and they will take up residence with the lemurs.
Went to the zoo today and Australasia has two new bird species, at least three Scarlet Chested Parrot/Parakeets which I was informed have been there several weeks and a pair of Crimson Rosellas which were introduced this week. There all in the free flight area. I was wondering if anyone knows where they came from?
Three Splendid Parrots have been there since August. There is a breeder is SW Ontario who supplies many birds to TZ - that may be where these came from. Splendid Parrot | ZooChat Crimson Rosella | ZooChat
Meet the newest member of the zoo family, a male white rhino calf. He is the first in 27 years. A Christmas Eve baby. Great gift for his keepers who have worked so hard to breed him. Meet Toronto Zoo's newest resident, a rare 'big and strong' white rhino calf
Just thought I'd recap the years comings and goings which I have been tracking all year... unless I forgot something. Births 1 ground hornbill 4 penguins - Poppy, Sunny, Jagu and Glen 5 cheetahs - Chester, Flash, Dougie, Queenie and Imara 3 snow leopards - Kita and Mylo 2 clouded leopards - Charlotte and Levy 3 tur 3 vancouver island marmots 6 black footed ferrets 54 eastern loggerhead shrikes 2 Home's Hingeback Tortoise 2 ravens 5 Crested Wood Partridges 1 Pygmy Hippo 1 Pheasant Pigeon 12 lemur leaf frogs 1 burmese star tortoise 1 superb glossy starling 3 wood bison 1 Common Piping Guan 10 axolotl 2 red tailed ratsnakes 3 nicobar pigeon 1 piping guan 3 peacocks 7 massasauga rattlesnakes 1 white rhino Deaths Hippo - Samson Capybara - Lucy Llama - Kelly Wolf - Chinook 2 Przewalski’s horse - Kitana and Madga Von der Deckens hornbill - Heinz Klaus 2 Snow Leopards - Kota and a cub 1 Tur calf 1 Egyptian Goose 1 Pygmy Hippo calf 1 Splendid Parrot Notable Departures Polar bear juno - Assiniboine Lynx Ember and kittens - Parc safari Lions Harrison, Hank, Oliver and Gus - Parc Safari Gaur - Flower and Wilma - Parc Safari Southern Ground Hornbill - Arya, Sansa, and Olenna - Hattieburg Babirusa - Muna Home's Hingeback Tortoise - Autumn (F), Dill (?), Pickle (?), Olive (?), 2 unnamed hatchlings. Red Panda - Cassie Spider Monkey - Toque - Auckland Sable Antelope- Puff Daddy and Savanna - Parc Safari Notable arrivals Otter - RJ Saki - Tia Cheetah - Laini Wattled Crane - Cedric Camel - Zip Lynx - female Red Panda - Malina Snowy owl Arctic Wolf - Imiq Arctic Fox - Orage and Tempette Aldabra Tortoise - Rasputin, Queenie, Malila 4 Splendid Parrots 3 cattle egrets Palawan peacock pheasant 2 Crimson Rosella Home's Hingeback Tortoises all returned.
