September 2000 - Nr. 9
Toronto Zoo
Always an Adventure
If
you have been to the Toronto Zoo you know that it is impossible to see
everything during one visit. We were fortunate and had Wayne Jackson, an ex
game keeper turned PR, take us through the most complete and exciting
exhibit to date, called the Savannah.
There of course we find all the big showy animals we have
been in awe of since our childhood.
The
elephants are most impressive and we always wondered why only few of them
have the fabled long tusks. Apparently they are as individual as people.
Some of them like their tusks long, others prefer them short and simply rub
them off on a slab of concrete or a rock. Quite a few of them were born
right here in our Toronto Zoo. The youngest elephant lady has a particularly
interesting trait. She likes to steel the food of her companions who indulge
her patiently without letting her get away with it. Mother and aunt simply
close ranks and pretend she is not there. Ah, well, our girl thinks and
saunters to the pond to shake her trunk at a few ducks to chase them away.
We wanted to know why we never hear an elephant trumpet in the zoo and were
informed that we really do not want to hear this sound there. If there were
trumpeting it could be a dangerous situation because they only do that if
they are extremely agitated or upset.
While we walked through the huge area Wayne reminded us that
the Toronto Zoo is the third largest in the world and actually modeled after
the Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg, Germany, and that it was a German, who started
the zoo as it was built in the beginning. This man had prior been in
Winnipeg and actually was the "Tiergarten Direktor" in Krefeld,
which also has a fine selection of animals. Wayne, who has worked in many
Zoos, also at Hagenbeck, and has seen the animals he cared for in the wild,
remarks that sadly there is no real wilderness any more. Civilisation has
encroached on the animal’s natural habitat to a degree that is
irreversible. And illegal poachers do not help the situation. It is
necessary to have zoos to preserve these now endangered species. Besides,
who would have thought, they live much longer in captivity, where they get
fed daily and are kept safe from any natural predators as well as nature’s
dangerous
and
often savage ways. In fact their life span is sometimes more than doubled
this way. The African elephant might live 25 years out in the wilderness,
yet here they can live 60 years and longer.
We
were shown the primeval looking rhinoceros, the placid looking hippopotamus,
which is very dangerous to people in its homeland and known to wreck boats
and anything else in its path; we saw lazy lions snooze in the sun on
natural looking rocks that have been constructed artificially to look and
feel exactly as the real thing "back home".
The
wonderful thing about our zoo is the fact that we have managed to breed some
of these rare creatures.
The newest addition is a one-month-old giraffe.
This little fellow was totally preoccupied with the antics of a groundhog
when we came along to admire it.
The
Savannah exhibit also features gazelles of various descriptions and a
multitude of other and less spectacular animals. The entire natural
environment is depicted. Even the typical huts and gardens of the original
regions are recreated. This makes for an ideal learning opportunity for
adults, children and youngsters alike. There even is an opportunity to stay
overnight for a real adventure.
After a trip on the zoo mobile, which moves through the zoo on a peripheral route we saw many other animals of other regions. Every continent is represented with the most important species in a most natural setting. The walk through the zoo was delightful, if tiring under the hot sun and we felt like joining the big white polar bears for a swim in their pool. Instead we stopped for refreshments at the new vendors, who have a much more interesting fare than before, when only a burger place had the concession.
The Toronto zoo is a great way for an outing alone or with the family. Memberships are available, which make it very affordable to go often. One can even sponsor a favourite animal and thus ensure the continued existence of some of our natural treasures. SFR.
Comments to: sfr@echoworld.com
