Still grazing after all these years
August 10, 2009
Megan Ogilvie
STAFF REPORTER
For 35 years, people have flocked to the Toronto Zoo to see the animal kingdom first-hand.
And right from opening day, a blistering hot Aug. 15, 1974, that zoo experience has been rated world-class.
The Toronto Zoo was one of the first to move from the traditional hodgepodge of sterile cages to a landscape approach, where animals live in enclosures that mimic their natural environment. The sculpted landscapes, complete with rocks, water features and plants, ensure visitors learn about the animal and how it lives in its native habitat, whether an African savannah or Arctic tundra.
"It was leading edge when it opened. Some of the ideas were experimental," says William Rapley, executive director of conservation, education and research, and the zoo's first veterinarian. "Going with the zoogeographic approach was a step forward for zoos."
Over the years, the zoo has continued to lead in its animal collections and breeding programs, its enclosures and education and conservation efforts.
"I have travelled to hundreds of zoos around the world, and I think ours is in the top 10 for sure," Rapley says. "Our big role – and we do it well – is to connect people with animals, so they learn about their issues, learn how they live in the wild, and stimulate conservation action for that species."
Of the 1,902 animals, birds, reptiles and amphibians that were wandering – or in some cases slithering – within their enclosures when the zoo first opened, only 14 remain. But these oldest inhabitants – and, in many cases, the favourites – continue to delight.
No one knows the animals better than the people who care for them every day. They offer a glimpse into the personalities of 9,000-pound Tara, the African elephant, and four other zoo originals:
TARA, the African elephant
Age: At 40, Tara is the zoo's oldest elephant.
Arrived from: Mozambique
Offspring: None. "For some reason, unlike some of the other girls, she didn't get along that well with our bull," says Eric Cole, supervisor of the zoo's African Savannah.
Personality: Tara is the dominant elephant in the zoo's four-animal herd. But Cole says she doesn't bully any of the other elephants, though she will chase after birds, from peacocks to sparrows.
Favourite foods: Any kind of fruit or vegetable. The heaviest of the elephants, Tara weighs 9,000 pounds. But Cole says her weight can vary day to day by 400 or 500 pounds. "It depends on if she poops or pees before she stands on the scale," he says. "Or has a big drink."
Anecdote: Tara is gentle with her keepers because she knows and trusts them, says Cole, although she can be funny with strangers. "She likes when you rub her face and will direct her great head down towards you for more of a scratch."
MARG, the demoiselle crane. The very first animal who came to the zoo.
Age: 38, considered "late middle age" for the species.
Arrived from: Zurich, Switzerland
Personality: A nervous bird, Marg and her partner, Homer, live in a private pen in the Eurasia paddock. "She probably laughs a lot at people," curator of birds Tom Mason says with a chuckle. "She's in a nice quiet area of the zoo, so she's probably seen things even we haven't seen."
Favourite foods: The pair is fed a pellet diet. But they get insects, fruit and seed for behavioural enrichment. "They pick away at crickets, eat mealworms and even small mice if you give them some," Mason says. "The treats usually disappear before the basic food, the same as any animal."
Anecdote: "Her most famous story is that she was 27 years old before she had her first baby," says Mason, noting that isn't all that old for a crane. "Some have been known to breed at 80 years of age."
OZZIE AND HARRIET, mated emus
Age: At 39 years old, the pair is more than twice the average age of wild emus.
Arrived from: Hatched and raised in Ontario.
Personality: "Both are very laid back and easygoing, friendly birds," says Karen Hamilton, acting supervisor of the Australasia pavilion. The pair is devoted to each other. "They stick pretty close together. Where one is, the other is as well."
Favourite foods: Their daily diet consists of fruits, vegetables, leafy greens and bugs. But their favourite munchies are sweet fruits, especially apples.
Anecdote: Ozzie and Harriet live in an enclosure with kangaroos and wallabies and often keep to themselves. On occasion, however, the pair can have an entertaining run-in with their Australian mates. Hamilton describes the most recent exchange: "A young male kangaroo who wanted to prove his manhood hopped up to Ozzie and punched him in the breast. Ozzie turned around and just looked at him; that was it. Emus, you know, can lay kangaroos open with their big foot claw. It was a cool glance, as if to say `Oh, you young whippersnapper.'"
CHARLES, the lowland gorilla
Age: At 38, Charles would be considered old for a wild gorilla. But those in captivity are known to live into their 40s and 50s.
Arrived from: Orphaned in the wilds of Gabon, Charles first went to a zoo in Germany before coming to Toronto at the age of 2.
Personality: "He's now in his golden years, so he's mellowed out," says Heidi Manicki Claffey, the zoo's lead gorilla keeper. "When he was younger, he was full of testosterone – banging on barrels and hitting the glass at the public. He doesn't do that too much any more. But he still takes his role about protecting his family very seriously; he's still not crazy about big tall men. He's just a laid-back guy now."
Favourite foods: His tastes are much like a human's. "He will always go for the sweet stuff first – I've never seen him turn down a banana," laughs Claffey. "He eats the fruits first, then the starchy vegetables, like potatoes and yams, and he leaves the broccoli and cauliflower to the end."
MONTY, the west African dwarf crocodile
Age: The 41-year-old croc is old for his species. And you can tell, since reptiles grow throughout their life. At three metres in length – about twice the average length – and with massive, bulked up bones, Monty is one of the largest west African dwarf crocodiles in the world.
Offspring: The zoo has allowed Monty and his mate to hatch out six eggs. Two offspring are in Calgary, two are in California and two are just about to go to a zoo in Japan.
Personality: "He is a noble animal," says Bob Johnson, curator of reptiles and amphibians, who has been working with the cold-blooded animals since the zoo opened. "Because crocodilians don't have lots of unusual behaviours to express themselves, they generally seem unexpressive. But when Monty raises his head off the ground and gazes out, that is noble behaviour. He knows the world in his own silent way and I respect that."
Favourite foods: Twice a week, Monty eats a meal of sausage meat and fish, either herring or smelt depending on the season. For a treat, he might get a whole rat or mouse.
Anecdote: Monty is famous in the reptile world since he was the first of his species – and only the third crocodile or alligator on the planet – to be observed carrying his young to the water. Until the behaviour was observed in the early 1980s, people believed crocodiles and alligators ate their young, when in fact they used their mouths to carry their young from the nest.
Toronto Star