Results of the polls were announced this morning. Indian Rhino baby is Kiran, meaning Ray of Light. White Rhino baby is Theodore, a name starting with T like his father. Surely there was a better option than Theodore for a T name. Now TZ has Tony, Tom, and Ted.
I agree with the baby white rhino's name. Surely it could've been one of the other choices that were available. Also, the baby Indian rhino's name makes sense because not only is it a part of his mother's (Ashakiran's) name, but it also has a hidden meaning in terms of conservation. -TheWalrus
After thinking about it I'm not surprised in the least big Theodore won for the white rhino. My guess is they will call him Teddy. They could have called him TJ. And there are plenty of African names that start with T. But someone thought he would make a good Theodore. I'm surprised Kiran won for the Indian Rhino. I was positive it would be Kavi and most people posting their thoughts were all about Kavi. Oh well I never guess the name of the Indian rhino calf right. Next naming contest the gorilla infant... though that one will be less of a vote. The top suggestions or choices might get a vote but in the end it is tradition for Charles to pick the name. And as always the baby's name will start with the first initial of moms name so another N it is. I like the naming traditions for the gorillas.
I'llsecond you on enjoying the gorilla naming tradition as well. Charles always seems to pick a rather nice name.
Hi everyone, it's been a long time since I've been on the forum. Spent the day at the zoo yesterday and saw the work they are doing for the Orangutan's exhibit and I got really excited for the prospect of an outdoor exhibit. I had to come home and catch up on all the goings on I've missed over the past year or so. We were excited about the naming of the white rhino calf. My son is named Teddy and rhinos are one of his favourites, so Theodore was our obvious favourite. I really thought that Kavi would win for the Indian rhino calf though. That's what I voted for. Although, now that it was pointed out that Kiran comes from Ashakiran, I like it a whole lot more. My favourite new thing to see at the zoo have been the tortoises in the lemur exhibit. (Can't remember the name of the species.) How wonderful to hear that they are actually not "new" and are just returning home after an almost 20 year vacation. They must have been at the zoo when I was a kid but I am having a hard time remembering them.
Wolf pups may be on the way Imiq and Dora have been mating a lot. It is also possible one of the Common Marmosets is pregnant. Oddly I thought we had a family group only descending from Rico and the late Lola. They are an SSP phase out species so I would actually prefer if Samantha is not pregnant and they are not breeding so Toronto can switch over to an SSP species like Emperor or Cotton Top Tamarins.
I hope this is true! I was just saying that to my husband the last time we were at the zoo. I have never witnessed wolf pups before. When is the last time they had wolf pups?
The last wolf pups were born in 2000 or 2001. The pack had got a little large and was already well represented so it was hard to find home for pups. The last litter, possibly 2, ended up staying on with the adults in the pack. They were all spayed and neutered to reduce possible aggression and the waiting game began. The old pack who had been living in Tundra Trek, Odin, Thor and Loki, were the last of the pups from that last litter. Once down to the three boys who were considered elderly by wolf standards it was time to start looking toward the future and breeding possibilities. When the young pack of Chinook, Dora and Vera arrived they were yearlings. The zoo had been patiently waiting for them to move to Tundra Trek before really encouraging breeding. For the past I think two winters they had been hoping Chinook would get the job done. However they were beginning to consider a new male when he wasn't getting the girls pregnant. His unexpected death settled that for the zoo and Imiq has been brought in to breed. Hopefully he is successful with Dora.
That and the Aldabra Tortoises have only been gone since 2009 so they have only been hanging out at Fort Worth for 8 years by the time they returned.
2009 is what I have been told. They may have not been visible for awhile prior to that. I wasnt visiting the zoo at the time.
TZFan 9/26/17: "Our new Amur Tigers have been selected. Female Kira is arriving from Calgary. She is a great legacy animal for us her great grandfather was Tonghua and great grandmother was Pam. Her grandmother was their daughter Kita. Kira is currently 5 and has yet to breed. She will be joined by four year old male Youri from Granby. Breeding is a no go because he is the grandson of Tonghua and Tatiana through their son Jack." Confirmed yesterday with Maria Franke, the Mammal Curator, that it is siblings Kira and Vasili who are coming and there will be no breeding. TZ will be a holding facility for a couple of years then they will get back into breeding. Very disappointing. Vasili was in Winnipeg until recently but was transferred to Calgary so they will both come from there. Here is a cute video of their first birthday in 2013: Amur Tigers Celebrate First Birthday
Vasili is still in Winnipeg. I saw him yesterday. He’s a very handsome tiger with loads of personality. Hate to see him leave us
