The Toronto Zoo

03/24/2025

Have you taken a ‘Walk On The Wild Side’ yet? 🦏

Join your Toronto Zoo in experiencing wildlife like never before as you come face-to-face with lifelike replicas of some of the most amazing animals on earth throughout the African Savanna.

Get up close and personal with animal animatronics that move, sway and roar, all while visiting the close to 3,000 real-life animals that call your Zoo home!

Visit with them for a limited time only - now and until May 4th, free with Zoo admission: https://bit.ly/41xwDLr

03/22/2025

Happiest of birthdays to Huckleberry! 19 never looked so good 🪶🎈

Towards the end of the week, the African Rainforest team celebrated alongside your two Grey-necked crowned cranes - Huckleberry and his lady baroness. They enjoyed extra enrichment and snacks (including superworms) 🪱

Apart from Huckleberry, his lady baroness can be distinguished by a yellow leg band.

Joining in on the festivities was the Ring-tailed lemur colony, who share a habitat with them.

Fun fact! Grey-necked crowned cranes are found in nearly all of Africa, especially in eastern and southern Africa, and is the national bird of Uganda! 🇺🇬

03/22/2025

With today being , join us in celebrating Art, Conservation and Sustainability! 💦🖌️

You’re invited to come and see 21 beautifully hand-painted rain barrels - designed by talented local high school artists and on display along in the Discovery Zone (next to the Temporary Front Entrance) until April 25, 2025!

Each barrel highlights themes of wildlife, biodiversity, and sustainability - promoting water conservation while supporting your Zoo’s climate action efforts as committed to in our newly released Strategic Plan. After April 25, they will be auctioned online to support our efforts.

Did you know? Rain barrels conserve water, reduce runoff, and support green gardens. Use a rain barrel and make a positive impact on the environment - just like the artists behind these creations 💦

Learn more ⬇️
torontozoo.com/rainbarrels

03/21/2025

On this , we turn the clock back and go to June 2024 when members of your Toronto Zoo travelled to Madagascar. There, they learned about the plight of lemurs as well as the importance of their tree-top habitats in the forests.

Are you aware? Partners like Planet Madagascar work to cultivate and plant new trees in areas like the Ankarafantsika National Park, where one of the last remaining families of Sifaka species of lemur live. There, they focus on two types of restoration - restoring fragmented landscapes to create corridors that connect existing fragments to continuous forest and erosion control through forest restoration where trees are planted to reduce the impact of erosion.

To support them in their efforts, they hire and train local community members to work with on-the-ground Planet Madagascar staff members. Together, they identify target plant species, collect seeds, build and manage tree nurseries, and plant seedlings.

With support from partners like your Toronto Zoo, community members in rural Madagascar benefit through a salary-based program, which provides them with much-needed revenue where they receive the direct benefits of erosion control through forest restoration. Thankfully, and to date, more than 60,000 trees have been planted as part of a forest restoration project which is funded by IUCN Save Our Species.

On days like today, we’re reminded that healthy forest ecosystems are critical to maintaining healthy colonies of lemurs and other animal species in the wild 🐒

03/20/2025

Happy First Day of Spring 🌷☀️

As temperatures continue to improve, a number of your favourite species will soon be viewable in habitats all around your Zoo.

Some animals may still choose to enjoy the comforts of their behind-the-scenes habitats, making it slightly difficult to see them at times.

03/19/2025

Did someone say it’s almost April? 🧡🦧

As critically endangered Sumatran orangutan Wali approaches his 3rd birthday on April 8, he continues to grow and gain more independence under the watchful eye of second-time Mom, Sekali.

Did you know? Sumatran orangutans, listed as critically endangered through the IUCN, can ride on their mother's back for up to two and a half years and aren't usually independent until the age of four. They will reach full physical and social maturity at around 13.

Be sure to join us April 8 in the Indo-Malaya Pavilion as we celebrate another year of fun climbs and mischievous antics.

03/18/2025

Happy 27th birthday to Ngozi, your Zoo’s finest shopper 🛒🦍

As she begins another great year, Ngozi continues to be busy as the “shopper” she has affectionately been known as by many in the African Rainforest. Her Wildlife Care team and guests will sometimes find her gathering up as much forage as she can, only to find a quiet spot up high to enjoy her fun finds.

Not only is Ngozi a great shopper but she continues to be an incredible mother and karate chopper within the family! On any given day, Ngozi can be heard grumbling for her food - inspecting every piece of food she can get her hands on! She is known as someone in the troop who doesn’t let anything get by her. Ngozi is curious and fun-spirited in many ways who also has bionic hearing. She’s always the gorilla in the know!

Ngozi and her family can be viewed in the African Rainforest Pavilion. Here's hoping this found the best items on her daily shop today! 🥬🎁

03/18/2025

On this , your Toronto Zoo is committed to reducing waste and supporting wildlife conservation and science ♻️

Learn more about our partnership with ⬇️

🌍 Today is Global Recycling Day! ♻️
We're celebrating by making reducing waste and supporting wildlife conservation easier than ever. Thanks to our partnership with the Toronto Zoo and Coca-Cola, your visit got even !

Here's how it works:

🍽️ Order your meal and drink
💸 Pay a refundable deposit ($0.50 - $2.00)
📲 Scan the QR code on your container or cup
🔃 Return to a Friendlier bin
💙 Donate your deposit to the Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy

Extinction is forever. But together, we can make a difference.

When you scan and return your containers and cups, you can donate your deposit to support the Toronto Zoo's vital work in wildlife conservation. Your donation helps fund research, breeding programs, and efforts to protect wild spaces for future generations.

Thank you for helping us protect wildlife and reduce waste, one meal at a time! 🌱💙

03/18/2025

Snow big deal—just some orangutan-approved winter enrichment! ❄️

Wildlife Care provided snow to our Sumatran orangutans as a form of enrichment to stimulate natural behaviors, encourage exploration and foraging, and offer sensory stimulation through new scents and textures.

Plus, it makes for a fun game of hide-and-seek with tasty treats 🦧❄️

03/18/2025

Guests who visited the Zoo during the March Break may have seen that the primate wing of the Americas Pavilion was closed as staff were giving Cora, a pregnant white-faced saki monkey (Pithecia pithecia), quiet time in the final days of her pregnancy.

Thanks to a strong foundation of training and trust, our team have been able to conduct voluntary ultrasounds during her pregnancy to closely monitor Cora’s progress and track the fetal heartbeat. She has had previous stillbirths, so the team was monitoring this pregnancy very closely to support a positive outcome.

Over the past few days, staff observed some signs of labour, and it did not appear to be progressing. This morning, Cora was discharging some blood from her v***a and this prompted immediate intervention and her transfer to the Wildlife Health and Science Centre (WHSC).

Cora was anesthetized and had an ultrasound and x-rays to determine the position of the fetus. While the cervix was dilated and the head engaged, Cora was not experiencing active contractions, and the fetal heartbeat had slowed. This sign, along with the bleeding, led to the decision to intervene with surgery. Cora was moved to the surgical suite and underwent an emergency caesarean section (c-section) operation. The surgery was successful, and sadly the baby was stillborn.

Cora is now recovering at the WHSC where she will continue to be monitored, before returning to the Americas Pavilion. As a science-based organization, we are committed to learning more about Cora’s reproductive challenges and understanding how she has been able to conceive, but not successfully deliver a healthy baby.

03/17/2025

Happy St. Patrick’s Day ☘️

03/16/2025

We’re from Eurasia Wilds
with the Wildlife Care team to celebrate ! Join us as we learn more about Red pandas and the conservation impact your Zoo is making on their species 🦊

We acknowledge the land we are on is the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit and the Williams Treaty signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands.

03/16/2025

Good morning and happy !

Did you know that red pandas like us are actually the “original” panda? My species was discovered 50 years before the giant panda!

Sadly in April 2015, the conservation status of red pandas was elevated to Endangered by the International Union for Conservation and Nature (IUCN). Red pandas are elusive and challenging to study in the wild – their population has been estimated by experts as anywhere between 2,500 and 10,000 individuals, but all agree that the species is declining – by as much as 50% in the past 20 years

Your Toronto Zoo is building a brand new, state-of-the-art indoor viewing area for the red pandas. This new space will allow guests to view red pandas year-round and see the care we provide up close and personal. Become a Guardian of Wild today by donating to the Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy new Red Panda Habitat at https://www.wildlifeconservancy.ca/donate. Your support makes all the difference 🐾

03/15/2025

Last chance to help shape the next generation of Wildlife Champions at Your Toronto Zoo! 💚

Join our Volunteer team and inspire, educate, and engage with guests at interpretive stations throughout the Zoo. You'll be part of a passionate and diverse community, making meaningful connections along the way.

As a Volunteer, you'll enjoy exclusive perks, including:
✔️ Free admission for you and up to three guests
✔️ Complimentary Zoomobile rides
✔️ Discounts at the Zoo shop

We’re currently recruiting for Summer Information Volunteers and Wildlife Health Centre Volunteers. Apply online by March 16, 2025: torontozoo.com/volunteer

03/15/2025

Happy from the one and only, Lloyd! 👑

Lloyd is a white-headed vulture, one of only two of his species in zoos across all of North America—which makes him pretty special!

When the sun isn’t shining in the Savanna, Lloyd spends the winter months cozy indoors with his Southern ground hornbill neighbors. This year, he’s formed an especially adorable friendship with Sandor!

Sandor keeps Lloyd entertained when he’s not playing with his enrichment—the two can often be found perched together, having staring contests and interacting with one another.

As the weather warms up, Lloyd will have the choice to spend more time outdoors, where he loves to drag around his favorite enrichment items—including toy balls, balance domes, and sticks for nest building. Before long, summer will be here, and you’ll be able to visit him again in the African Savanna! ☀️

Sadly, white-headed vultures have experienced a population decline of over 90% in the last 50 years, leaving an estimated ~5,500 individuals in the wild. This decline is due to habitat loss, poisoning, and a shrinking food supply.

Vultures like Lloyd play a vital role in ecosystems as nature’s cleanup crew—they prevent the spread of disease by consuming carcasses and serve as indicators of ecosystem health, signaling broader environmental issues when their numbers drop.

Oh, and did we mention? Lloyd also rocks an exceptional pair of pantaloons, if we do say so ourselves.

03/14/2025

Canadian Domain Update 🐻🇨🇦

As temperatures continue warming in advance of spring, we are happy to welcome you back to the Canadian Domain!

A reminder that although it is a nice walk into the picturesque Rouge Valley, we caution that it’s a steep hill. Come prepared with your best walking shoes, should you wish to make the journey down 🥾

Grizzly bear Shintay is awake, thanks to some above seasonal temperatures ☀️ As Shintay begins spending more time outside her den following winter torpor, a reminder when visiting to be mindful of noise levels so as not to disturb her. Please kindly keep noise levels low as sounds may seem twice as loud to them as they are to us.

Bald eagle Arya is viewable in her habitat, but note she is often found way up high in her nest. Make sure to look up! 🦅

How are the bison doing? They had a great snowy winter! Your herd sometimes congregate at the back of their public viewing habitat, which could prove tricky to see them up close. Consider bringing your binoculars or a long lens for a better view.

On your way back up, be sure to stop in and spend time with cougars Bowen and Teeka as well as the raccoons. Please note that the raccoons may be enjoying some cozy time which might make them difficult to view 🦝

Thank you for being a good guest 💚 We hope you enjoy celebrating the beauty, resilience, and wild spirit of as you take in the beauty of your Canadian Domain region once again.

03/13/2025

Help Shape the Next Generation of Wildlife Champions at Your Toronto Zoo! 💚

Join our Volunteer team and inspire, educate, and engage with guests at interpretive stations throughout the Zoo. The deadline to apply is March 16, 2025.

As a Volunteer, you'll enjoy exclusive perks, including:

✔️Free admission for you and up to three guests
✔️Complimentary Zoomobile rides
✔️Discounts at the Zoo shop

Learn more today at torontozoo.com/volunteer 📋