Scenic Safari

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Address:  2000 Meadowvale Road
Date:  May 2020
Website:  www.torontozoo.com

  Since the Toronto Zoo was closed due to COVID-19 we have missed our visits.  The zoo finally reopened. Due to social distancing you can not walk around the zoo but must drive your car through instead.  We were one of the first to sign up for this unique opportunity.  We followed a long line of cars as we slowly made our way towards the front gate and then drove right inside.

  The zoo normally has a zoomobile that circles the grounds.  We mostly followed the same path that it takes with a few added diversions due to there being no pedestrians to worry about.  The first animal we drove towards was the Indian Rhino.  They were outside ready to greet us as we slowly rolled past.  An Indian Rhino can weigh over 1600 kg which is the same as our car.

  The next step was a highlight.  We got to drive on the long bridge that crosses over the Rouge Valley.  We kept the car straight and steady as we rumbled across.

The next animal we encountered was the Southern White Rhino.  We had now entered Africa.  We were glad that the rhino was behind a fence as we forgot to check if our insurance would cover us for collisions with a giant mammal while driving on zoo property.

  Usually if you come across something black and white on the road it means to slow down and watch for pedestrians.  One type of pedestrian crossing is called a zebra crossing.  On our Scenic Safari we didn't have to worry about people on the road, but there were a few black and white Grevy's Zebras nearby.

  A kopje is a small, rocky hill that sticks up from the African grasslands.  The Toronto Zoo has one that you can walk through.  Since this is the Scenic Safari that means this time we drove through.

  It was a bit of a tight fit, but we made it through the lion's den.  We didn't see any lions.   That doesn't mean the lions didn't see us.

  After we emerged from the kopje we passed a group of large antelope called Elands.  We also passed Ankole-Watusi Cattle which have some of the biggest horns of any animal.

  We still couldn't get over the weird feeling of being in a traffic jam where we usually walked amongst crowds of people.

  There were traffic signs and arrows directing us where to go as we crept around the zoo grounds.  5 km per hour was the maximum speed and no passing allowed.

  We curved around through the Americas section of the zoo.  We passed a flock of flamingos enjoying the sun.

  We drove around in behind the Australasia Pavilion.  A fake coyote was stationed near where the kangaroo indoor home is located.  This possibly helps keep away other curious creatures.

  Our safari wound its way into Eurasia where we saw this red panda relaxing in the shade.

  It wasn't much longer until we reached the end of our tour and exited near the zoo's administrative offices.  The whole tour took about one hour and gave us a new view of the zoo.  The only view these days.  Thank you Toronto Zoo and thank you to all the frontline workers.  Here's hoping we will be able to walk through the zoo next time.

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Map of Our World
Toronto Zoo

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Post # 287

Orchid Oasis

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Address:  2000 Meadowvale Road
Date:  Feb 2020
Website:  www.torontozoo.com

  Once a year the Toronto Zoo hosts Orchid Oasis in their greenhouse.  It usually happens during the coldest part of the winter and is a nice change of warmth and colour.

  Once our camera adjusted and defogged from the warmth of the greenhouse we took a closer look at what was in bloom.

 

  There was an endless variety of patterns and colours.

  One of our favourite flowers is known as the lady slipper orchid.  They usually have petals that stick way out of each side and a pouch (or lady slipper) in front.

  While orchids are beautiful they can also be deadly.  Look closely as the orchid mantis hunts its prey by disguising itelf as an orchid.  When unsuspecting insects come too close they get snatched in its outstretched arms and quickly devoured. 

Another greenhouse resident was this green frog who had found a better way to spend the winter.  Instead of hibernating in the pond nearby it had snuck into the greenhouse to spend the winter.

  In the cold of February it is always enjoyable to go into a greenhouse or pavilion to warm up while visiting the zoo.  It's even better to do it while the orchids are in bloom.

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Map of Our World
Toronto Zoo Greenhouse

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Post # 286

Sara The Camel

Location: Glenboro, Manitoba, Canada
Address: 407 Cochrane St,
Date: Oct 2014
Website: glenboro.com

    Sara the camel has one hump.  That makes her a dromedary or Arabian camel.  Sara stands in a small Manitoba town called Glenboro.  She is about 17 feet tall.. 

  We visited her as we drove from Winnipeg, Manitoba to Regina, Saskatchewan.  Sara has been in Glenboro since 1978.  A camel was chosen to represent the Spirit Sands sand dunes in nearby Spruce Woods Provincial Park.

  You would not expect to find camels or a desert as you drive across Manitoba.  You might not be surprised to find this grey haired Romeo (pictured above) at Winnipeg's Assiniboine Park Zoo.  The camel in the picture is a Bactrian or two-humped camel.

  Next door to Sara is the Spruce Woods Inn.  It is named after the provincial park and has soft drinks, fresh coffee and the best hamburgers in town.  Between the inn and the camel we had two reasons to pass through Glenboro on our road trip.  But only one hump.

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Map of Our World
Sara The Camel
Assiniboine Park Zoo

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Post # 281

The Spirit Catcher

Location: Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Address: 15 Lakeshore Drive
Date: Feb 2015
Website: maclarenart.com

  As you enter Barrie's waterfront you can't help but notice a large winged sculpture standing between you and Lake Simcoe.  This is Spirit Catcher.  It was originally created for EXPO 86 in Vancouver but has stood beside the lake in Barrie since 1987.

  The rest of the marina area gets packed up for the winter season but Spirit Catcher stands tall year round.  Spirit Catcher is made from over 20 tonnes of steel and stands over 20 metres high.  The sculpture is made of cor-ten steel which is designed to not flake when it rusts.

  The Spirit Catcher was created by Ron Baird and was the first piece to become part of the permanent collection at the Maclaren Art Centre.  For over 30 years people have marvelled at the sharp wings and horns of Spirit Catcher.

  When we were on the waterfront admiring the sculpture, we noticed someone flying a colourful kite over the beach.  A splash of colour that stood out against the grey sky.  Even though Spirit Catcher looks like a black silhouette it also stands out and commands your attention.

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Map of Our World
Spirit Catcher

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Post # 278

Australia Day

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Address:  2000 Meadowvale Road
Date:  Jan 2020
Website:  www.torontozoo.com

  Australian wildlife is being affected by wildfires.  The Toronto Zoo pledged to donate all the income from their Australia Day tours to help support the animal rescue efforts.  We took advantage and felt this was a great time to take an Australasia Pavilion behind the scenes tour.

  Our tour started with the Matschie's Tree Kangaroo.  These kangaroos spend the majority of their time up in the trees and are more agile moving through the branches than down on the ground.  The kangaroo pictured above is a female called Puzzle.

    The next section of the pavilion features free flying birds.  One of our favourites is the Victoria Crowned Pigeons.  They have white tips on the feathers that stick up from the top of their head like a crown.  If you are lucky you might hear the drumming whooping sound they make when they wish to attract attention.

  Next we went through a Staff Only door for a behind the scenes visit.  The tour guide opened a wooden door and we found ourselves at the back of the Macleay's Spectre exhibit.  We half expected insects to come flying out to make their escape.  Nothing happened as the usual defense mechanism for this stick insect is to cling to a branch and gently sway in order to make us think it is a leaf.

  We travelled down a small hall and were taken into the kangaroo winter home.  There were a few holding areas where the kangaroos were all lying around just relaxing.  Once we arrived and lettuce was offered things picked up.

   The Toronto Zoo has a mob of Western Grey Kangaroos.  A mob is what you call a group of kangaroos.

 

    The kangaroos have big teeth for munching.  The kangaroo above on the left was a new mother about three months ago.  The baby joey will not leave the pouch for almost six more months.

  One enclosure contained what the keepers called the old timers.  This is where the senior kangaroos were kept.  They often get annoyed by the constant hopping about of their more youthful family members.

  There was a Bennett's Wallaby in with the older kangaroos.  Wallabies are much smaller than kangaroos so despite being thirteen years old this wallaby appeared very young.  Thirteen is an upper age for a wallaby but hanging around kangaroos keeps it looking youthful.

  Another wallaby was in an enclosure by itself.  It was called a Swamp Wallaby.  The keepers ensured us that it was not alone and behind a piece of wood a bettong was sleeping waiting for dark.  A bettong is still a marsupial but more of a kangaroo rat than a kangaroo.

 

  After leaving the kangaroo area we travelled through the pavilion to the Great Barrier Reef tank.  This tank is filled with various Australian fishes.  We went through another Staff Only door and up some steps to the top of the tank.

   We enjoyed feeding the fish in this tank.  Two of our favourites were the Clown Triggerfish and the Scribbled Angelfish who make a snapping sound when they bite down on the seaweed we dropped into the water.

    If you wish to identify the other fish in these videos above you can check out our Toronto Zoo page and scroll down to the Australasia Pavilion (Great Barrier Reef) section.  We enjoyed our tour and hope the money donated helps Australian wildlife. You can always go "down under" anytime if you visit the Toronto Zoo.

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Map of Our World
Toronto Zoo (Australasia Pavilion)

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Post # 276