What Changes Would You Make to Toronto Zoo’s 2016 Master Plan? There’s been a lot of discussion on other threads about Toronto Zoo’s 2016 Master Plan, but they can get a bit lost among news of other developments. In addition, I was asked a while ago from a Zoochat member for my opinions about the 2016 Master Plan. It would feel a bit repetitive of that plan to discuss what parts I agree with, so I’ve centered my discussion around where my thoughts differ and what changes I would make to the Master Plan if I had any say- which I don’t. Rhino/Asian Pavilion Instead of a Canadian Pavilion Exhibiting small threatened Canadian animals is a good idea, but they don’t need a large indoor building. The current Australasian Pavilion would make a much better winter home for Indian Rhinoceros and some smaller Asian species. There’s enough space east and north of the Pavilion to create an outdoor Indian rhinoceros exhibit. Nearby northern representatives of primarily tropical species, like Amur tigers and Amur leopards, would help transition between the tropical rhinos and outdoor exhibits of more temperate species in the Eurasian zone. Small threatened Canadian species could be housed in outdoor exhibits in a Small Animal Conservation Center by the Zoo’s entrance. Least Concern Canadian Species Replaced with Threatened Asian Species Asia has higher biodiversity than Canada and a larger quantity of threatened wildlife species. Many of the Canadian animals by the Asian Highlands exhibits in the Master Plan have low conservation priority. Replacing these common Canadian species with Asian taxa will allow the Toronto Zoo to concentrate more on threatened species. This would also increase exhibit clarification. Instead of an Asian area embedded between Canadian zone exhibits, Asian and Canadian exhibits could be separated by geographic features, especially the ponds on site. The proposed grizzly bear and beaver exhibits across the pond could remain as a smaller Canadian area. Breakdown of animal changes: Coyotes replaced by Amur leopards Lynx relocated across pond by Grizzly bears and Pallas cats (manual) added to Asian zone Bighorn sheep replaced by Trans Caspian urial or Chinese goral Rocky Mountain goats replaced by markhor Cougar relocated to Central America zone Central America Instead of Tropical America This is a slight alteration of Tropical Americas from the Master Plan. The focus on tropical species will be loosened and emphasis placed on how Central America is an important exchange area of North American and South American animals. Cougars and jaguars could be exhibited in rotating exhibits. A sheltered exhibit for spider monkeys where the otters and beavers currently are would represent migrations of South American animals into Central America. An Australasia/Oceania Pavilion Where Rhino Ridge is Planned Moving the Indian rhinoceros to the larger current Australasian Pavilion would clear space for a new Australasia/Oceania Pavilion. This would allow the Zoo to maintain their Australian animal collection. Interpretation of the Pavilion could focus on the isolation of this region from other land masses and the considerable threat to biodiversity that introduced species now pose in these areas. A Small Animal Conservation Center Instead of an Insect House A Small Animal Conservation Center (with indoor and outdoor exhibits) by the Zoo’s entrance would make a great statement about the Toronto Zoo’s commitment to conservation. A broader focus on small animals would have more appeal to a greater percentage of zoo visitors and allow the Toronto Zoo to focus on species of conservation priority, including threatened Canadian animals. An Asian Rainforest Instead of an Oceania Pavilion Concentrating on Asian rainforest animals would create a more cohesive visitor experience, group animals with similar environmental needs, and allow the Toronto Zoo to showcase an important biodiversity hotspot. Improved spaces for orangutans and gibbons would reduce the collection somewhat, but much less significantly than if Australasian fauna were also included. The exhibition could focus on how destruction of rainforests for palm oil plantations destroys habitat that orangutans and a diversity of other life depend on. Pygmy Hippo Exhibit with Underwater Viewing The Toronto Zoo will have a hard time finding money to renovate all its pavilions, so any new exhibit buildings should be carefully considered. A building with underwater viewing for river hippopotamus will have massive construction and operating costs. The Zoo has both river hippopotamus and pygmy hippopotamus. Pygmy hippopotamus is the species with higher conservation priority and would require significantly less resources because they’re less social and smaller. Pygmy hippos would be a better choice for a new exhibit. If an exhibit is built it would be better to build it as an addition to the existing African rainforest Pavilion to reduce costs of separate buildings. More Savanna Predators It’s difficult to move ruminants between Canada and the United States and other Canadian zoos have limited capabilities to display tropical ungulates. Visitors also have limited interest in viewing lots of ungulates. Replacing an ungulate paddock in the African Savanna with an African wild dog exhibit would create an engaging display for an Endangered species. The wild dogs could be rotated with the other predators in the African Savanna to create enriching predator exhibits. Exhibits that Incorporate Forest Scenery The Toronto Zoo is on a magnificent site. The primary pedestrian pathway through the Zoo is a loop around a beautiful mature deciduous forest. The forest is part of the Core Forest Environmentally Significant Area, so it cannot be developed. However, it can still be used as a beautiful backdrop for animal exhibits. Outdoor gorilla and orangutan exhibits should be designed to incorporate views of the Core Forest to evoke their natural rainforest habitat. Better Exhibit Pulls from the Main Circulation Pathway Where exhibits connect with the main pedestrian circulation loop there should be attractive features characteristic of that exhibit zone to pull people from the main pathway. Rouge Valley Interpretive Center Incorporated into Zoo Entrance Bringing the Rouge Valley Interpretive Center next to the Toronto Zoo’s entrance complexes will increase efficiency and encourage park guests to make use of the Zoo services outside of the entrance gates. Some of the buildings may need to have a couple of levels to conserve space. Maintaining parking spaces close to the Zoo entrance will reduce the need of costly and inconvenient transports for parking spaces relocated on the other side of Meadowvale Road. An Otter Exhibit Viewed from Outside the Entrance Gates A viewing area for otters from outside the entrance gates would entice people to come into the zoo and create a more exciting experience around the service hub.
I would change the "brake for snakes" sign by the wetlands area to "brake for bunnies" People get the wrong idea and skip the area which is a shame as there is a hut that is open sometimes and in the hut is an opportunity to learn about wetlands, feel animal skins or just talk with volunteers and create a better experience for patrons I have also never seen a snake there but I have seen bunnies and butterflies
Oh sure open the door for my wild imagination. I'd by an large scrap the plan and start over.For the most part I was massively disappointed in the plans. Take a way my Australian friends? I think not! If I stay reasonable and not just to everything I want and roughly stay with their plan I'd still make huge changes. The orang outdoor would be done first. Front Gates While that's going on work would slowly be done on the front gates. First get the traffic moving better by offering more automated options for purchasing tickets. Freshen it up with new bathrooms, lockers, all that stuff. Build the new gift shop in place of the greenhouse gift shop. Include a 4D theater in the design. Relocate the carousel a little closer to the gate and free up space. Maybe add some kind of tower ride for the older kids. Loop the entrance plaza with a miniature train for the little ones and a stop at the discovery zone. Once the basics are in and improved and the possible new money makers then put in the otter exhibit but lets also add in the beavers, snappers and fish. Maybe get a heron or ducks that cannot be released to the wild to help fill out the beaver exhibit since we all know how often you see them out. Still would have a view into the beaver lodge. A side exhibit could be a small pond for turtles and frogs native to Ontario. Natural hibernation would be allowed. The former gift shop will be expanded and it can serve as the Canadian Conservation Center. Here the zoo can house exhibits for black footed ferrets, Vancouver Island marmots, Easter loggerhead shrikes, Blanding's turtles (frankly all the turtles in the Americas too), Massassauga rattle snake (and all the other North American reptiles except the gators which will leave the zoo). A nice big aquarium or series of them can house the fish. It's a little misplaced from where I would like Canadian critters but its a good sized building that can house the little guys and the otters and beavers aren't too far away. This conversion can be done slowly. When there are funds work on it. Americas Replacements Just tiny things here for now. As things are pulled out the replacements can come. I the pavilion looks tired and will need a full overhaul but it's not necessary. The removal of the otters and beavers frees up two exhibits in the Americas pavilion. The exhibits would be combined right away and giant otters brought in. They wont be on display in winter sure but they will keep a huge draw at the pavilion for the busiest times of the year. The indoor otter exhibit is way too small for the much larger otters so it could be used for agouti or more marmosets. Speaking of marmosets while we are here lets send off the common marmosets and bring in Emperors or cotton tops (please Emperors). The reptiles and fish can be replaced as they move with South American species. With the gators gone maybe some more birds can be brought in. Canadian Wilderness I'd leave this mostly alone. I would never allow the Canadian pavilion to overtake my Australian pavilion. With the beavers going to the front gate their exhibit could be a bird aviary or combined raccoon and skunk exhibit or for porcupines. And a big fat no to coyotes. That's a huge exhibit space. We can do better. Wolverines, swift foxes, while out of place but of conservation value Mexican Grey wolves or red wolves, or Japanese macaques. All SSP species. All more interesting. I'd leave the changes to tundra trek until just before a major reno on the Americas. Rhino Ridge Once the Tahr are gone I would bump out the exhibit to take up that space so more rhinos can be held. With the clouded leopard outdoor and Woods going I would consider demoing the current rhino house and building a new larger one with separate exhibits for the babirusa and clouded leopard included. The babirusa can be mixed with the planned Asian small clawed otters, who could shift between the babirusa and rhinos, and a mix of bird species brought over from the woods. Appropriate birds could also be released with the rhinos. Indo Malaya No need to go Oceana. There simply isn't room in here to house everyone. The gibbons mix with the orangs in a bigger better exhibit. The komodos are on the move to here. I'd like to bump out part of the pavilion to make space around the free flight aviary. Something that could be tucked in around the gaur exhibit space and fit in under the orangs chute outside. The tigers will stay but the tiger house will be rebuilt bigger and better. Australiasia With the komodos gone how about devils? If not devils I'll take a mix of small wallabies. Gorillas The gorillas will get a bigger better outdoor exhibit and while I'm at it the day room needs a reno too. Since I'm at the pavilion anyway more lemurs in the lemur exhibit or bring back the mandrills and dump the lemurs. The Nile soft shelled turtle will leave too to make more space for the Dwarf Crocs. The crocs move will facilitate the otters moving. A bigger better exhibit for them. The otter exhibit can be converted for bush babies. And those little exhibits below the otters will be converted for more bush baby space. Just a little reorganization to make me happier and these projects could be done slowly over time at minimal costs. Tropical Americas I'd like at this point to see the pavilion just gutted and start again. The layout has to stay roughly the same because realistically only so much can be done. But it needs to look more naturalistic. At this point the zoo should have most of the species here in terms of the small guys. The outdoor primate exhibits need to be expanded and have nice new fencing designed to be less of a pain in the butt for photographers. I'd also like to see less exhibits. Maybe two bigger ones and let everyone exhibit rotate. If we haven't rid ourselves of the common marmosets do it! Other species need the help more. Mix in any birds possible. The current great horned owl exhibit can be converted to a squirrel monkey exhibit. It's a nice exhibit with some good vertical height. It can be brightened and lightened up. The former barn owl exhibit could be used for macaws. Off to the other side of the pavilion is now time to relocate the temple. First up a mixed flamingo, capybara, mara, macaws and any other water fowl wanted. Across the road leading to the former monorail stop in the big picnic area never used we will get new jaguar exhibits. Spider monkeys will stay on and live with howlers and capuchin. There will also be a nice big exhibit for giant anteaters and tapirs. Tundra Trek With space freed up by the movement of the temple animals we will stop and expand the hoofstock as planned. Only addition here is to remove the wasted space around the teepees. Let's be logical I want wolverines and that space could make for a good sized wolverine exhibit. If not wolverines why not a proper flight pen for the snowy owls and that exhibit could then house arctic hare, ermine, mink, ptarmigan, lemmings, or something else small. Savanna Not a massive amount of changes from their plans. I like mixed hoofstock. The hippos would go to the picnic area at the top of the domain hill. Indoor and underwater viewing a must. If there's enough space lets get some other watering hole animals like waterbuck, springboks, nyala, Thompson's gazelle or impala, mixed with water fowl. This would be the most expensive thing of the whole plan. Most would be reorganizing and putting in planned exhibits with different animals. This is by far the most unreasonable. The former hippo exhibit could be used for warthogs or a smaller hoofstock. The baboons would be replaced by gelada. With the mixed species exhibits the ostrich will move over there and their exhibit will allow for another lion exhibit and is much larger. The lions could still have access to the current yard. I would convert the space between the hyena's current exhibit and the service area for the lions into a much bigger hyena exhibit. Across from the hyena will be an African wild dog exhibit. The hyena exhibit will be converted to a meerkat, porcupine, aardvark, tortoise, hornbill, hyrax and klipspringer or dik dik. The watusi will go in favor of addax, gemsbok and a gazelle. Raven's Roost Raven's roost can go. If the zoos developing camping experiences in the former domain that's good enough. Oh look I freed up an estimated $6.5 million for my hippo plan or just the redevelopment of the lion area. Parking Lot I know the plans show the educational center taking up a good portion of the parking lot. What I would finally like to see is a parking structure to free up space for development. I think putting in the new structure on the overflow lot would work well. Have it several stories high. That frees up the whole parking space which is about the size of the savanna for redevelopment. The gates would then need to be moved again but lets be realistic that's probably 30 or more years down the line and it will need it. That spare space could house a nice new Australian pavilion and outdoor exhibits. Then you can convert the Australian pavilion to Canada or maybe a Central Americas exhibit. I like redeveloping the zoo. I tried to keep to the plan as best I could with twists that seem most logical to me. I went a little wild in Africa but all that empty space is too tempting.
"And a big fat no to coyotes. That's a huge exhibit space. We can do better. Wolverines, swift foxes, while out of place but of conservation value Mexican Grey wolves or red wolves. " I'd like to see Eastern wolves (Canis lycaon or Canis lupus lycaon) instead. A unique wolf pretty much exclusive to Ontario (and a small bit of adjacent Quebec). They are considered critically endangered and many now believe them to be a distinct species of wolf or at least a distinct subspecies.
@Palorchestes, I considered Eastern wolves to be honest but there is no SSP program for them. I felt the space would be better used for a species with a breeding program. There will be more breeding opportunities for an SSP species as young will be needed by more zoos. First choice would be wolverines. They are a good transitional species. The wolverines that are part of the SSP are European Wolverines are the subspecies that are being moved towards. Yes we have Canadian wolverines but they are hard to source so the switch to the European stock is being made. Being they live in Russia and Scandinavian countries as well as Canada they would be the perfect transition species. A big exhibit space is good for them too because they will need a specialized exhibit and quiet off exhibit space to encourage breeding. I'm not too fussy though so long as we dont waste all that space on coyotes.
Love imagining changes to the zoo. If only I had all the money in the world! Anyways some changes: Rhino Ridge: I would demolish the current rhino house and build something akin to a small pavilion, with room for some smaller species, and of course indoor viewing for rhinos . If the zoo really wants to demolish Malayan Woods, then move some of the species here. I would also slightly renovate the rhino yard, and build larger yards for the babirusa, and a new yard to bring back the tapirs! Savannah: complete the savannah theming around the elephant and hippo habitats, as well as as at the other end of the savannah near the hyenas, I never felt these areas meshed together with the rest of it. Build a larger hippo exhibit, and of course underwater viewing is included. I would get rid of the watusi and actually build an exciting exgibit there, probably wild dogs. Finally, completely replace the penguin exhibit, make it natural with actuall rock work and theming. I believe the current exhibit is awful (the pool does not look good at all!) Oh and a new outdoor gorilla enclosure too. Australasia: Keep the pavilion! I wouldn’t change too much, but maybe redevelop the outdoor aviary and start using it as a seasonal outdoor exhibit. Also bring back the kangaroo walk. Tundra Trek: Have a few smaller exhibits for smaller arctic species, such as arctic hare, arctic ground squirrel, rock ptarmigan etc. Canadian wilderness: Build a brand new Canadian pavilion, all the smaller Canadian species can go in here. Tropical America’s: I think jaguars would be a better fit for the old beaver and otter exhibits, instead of flamingoes. Combine the exhibits and expand them to the back, Jaguars would be a great focal species. I also think in general, the zoo has so much space where they could build exhibits. In the savannah and elsewhere, there is lots of unused land. Maybe the zoo should try adding interesting exhibits to underdeveloped sections of existing zones in the zoo. But that’s the changes I would make.
If a Canadian Conservation Center is built at the Toronto Zoo, then I would like to see them include some marine mammals and/or seabirds. Specifically, rescued sea otters or Northern fur seals, and/or threatened seabird species. A significant percentage of threatened Canadian wildlife is dependent on the ocean, and any one of the species I mentioned would greatly boost the visitor appeal of a Canadian Conservation Center. The current Americas Pavilion would be the best spot for a Canadian Conservation Center with marine species. That complex is arguably the poorest pavilion at the Zoo for visitor experience and in need of renovations. Most of the pavilion is below grade too, so exhibits with underwater viewing would be a great fit.
I like the ideas. @GorillaFan15 you have wonderful addition ideas. You are so right underdeveloped areas are great to fill in. Give me unlimited funds and I'm right there with you. Ever inch of space I can use for an exhibit I probably would use. If you want to go nuts or see how nuts I can go check out this thread. FYI after being somewhat wild with the site I did a second zoo and moved it while more than doubling the space and almost completely disconnected from reality. Geez that was fun. If you want to post in that thread I'd be happy to join you in an unrealistic trip with all the money in the world. Toronto Zoo - If You Bought Toronto Zoo... @DevinL, I love the idea of bringing in ocean species. I don't see it happening but oh boy I'd be so excited if it happened. If I'm unrealistic one of my top gets would be walruses right after the more reasonable African wild dogs and aardvarks. But I'd take any seals and sea otters. I wont be too picky.
