The province gave the Toronto Zoo the green light to reopen when the city was allowed to enter Stage 2 of the province’s reopening plan, and now the zoo is officially ready to welcome visitors on-foot starting Saturday, July 4.
Prior to this, members were given access to the zoo and while the city was still in Stage 1, the zoo created a drive-through experience for animal lovers to enjoy while physically distancing.
Of course it will not be business as usual at the zoo. Visitors must purchase timed tickets in advance from the zoo website and face coverings must be worn inside all buildings such as the African Rainforest Pavilion, gift shops and washrooms. There are also one-way routes throughout the zoo to help maintain physical distancing between all guests.
The Zoo is excited to welcome back the public starting tomorrow, Saturday July 4th! Book your time slot at https://t.co/VAwGd7dSZz and enjoy 20% OFF.
Pre-booked time slots are required for Zoo Guests & Zoo Members as tickets are ONLY available online & will not be sold on site. pic.twitter.com/fshQGpESUM
— The Toronto Zoo (@TheTorontoZoo) July 3, 2020
With some zoo experiences still not available such as rides, the zoomobile and Splash Island, the zoo is offering a 20 per cent discount on tickets for all visitors. Experiences such as the scenic safari, wild encounters and a chance to meet Baby Long Legs (now named Amani Innis Dagg) are all available.
Another new addition to the zoo family will also be on display. Zoo staff have announced the names of eight arctic wolf pups that have officially emerged from their den.
The pups were named thoughtfully by Keepers to represent their brave personalities, with 2 girls also having names that start with ‘V’ in honuor of Vera & one named in legacy of a good friend of the Zoo, a young boy named Hamza.
From left: Callan, Hamza, Quince, Veolia. #pupdate pic.twitter.com/eShQ1dFXF3
— The Toronto Zoo (@TheTorontoZoo) July 2, 2020
Wildlife Care staff began monitoring the wolf pack when two of the females began displaying denning behaviour and staff got a first glimpse of the pups in May, but could not confirm how many there were. It typically takes eight to 12 weeks for wolf pups to emerge from the den, other than for short periods of time.
Now the pups have been processed by the veterinarian and Wildlife Care teams and they have confirmed that there are six male and two female pups. Their names are Valentina, Igor, Alula, Todrick, Callan, Hamza, Quince and Veolia.
