{"id":375286,"date":"2025-12-29T14:46:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T14:46:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/375286\/"},"modified":"2025-12-29T14:46:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T14:46:10","slug":"how-the-toronto-zoo-helps-its-animals-thrive-during-canadas-4-seasons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/375286\/","title":{"rendered":"How the Toronto Zoo helps its animals thrive during Canada\u2019s 4 seasons"},"content":{"rendered":"

While winter is a frigid reality in most of Canada, it isn\u2019t a major issue for the vast majority of the Toronto Zoo\u2019s roughly 3,000 animals, says Marc Brandon, one of its managers of wildlife care.<\/p>\n

Many of the Scarborough-based zoo\u2019s animals have roots in other parts of the world \u2013 notably tropical regions with warmer climates. However the animals – even the tropical ones – are, for most part, acclimated to Canada\u2019s four seasons.<\/p>\n

\"\"Toronto Zoo gorillas Endangered orangutans Sekali and Budi are seen here at the Toronto Zoo. (YouTube\/Toronto Zoo) <\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of our animals are Toronto animals,\u201d Brandon said, adding all of the 200 or so species at the Toronto Zoo are actually zoo-born, many of which are managed through survival plans.<\/p>\n

This is the case, he noted, for the zoo\u2019s Sumatran orangutangs and Western lowland gorillas, who originate in the jungles of Africa, but now get by just fine all year long in southern Ontario.<\/p>\n

\"\"Wali, the Sumatran orangutan He continues to grow and gain more independence under the watchful eye of second-time mother, Sekali, the zoo said. <\/p>\n

Brandon said the Toronto Zoo takes a number of steps in the winter to keep its animals comfortable and ensure they don\u2019t experience harmful outcomes when the temperature plunges. <\/p>\n

Preparation for this transition begins in the fall.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe prepare ahead of time so its easier for the animals,\u201d said Brandon,<\/p>\n

Brandon\u2019s job entails handling all wildlife care operations at the Toronto Zoo from caring for the animals to undertaking projects associated with them and everything in between.<\/p>\n

\"\"Toronto Zoo tiger A male tiger walks in his enclosure at the Toronto zoo in Toronto on Thursday, March 17, 2022. (Nathan Denette \/ The Canadian Press) <\/p>\n

One such measure, he said, is to provide them with what the Toronto Zoo refers to as \u201cheat zones.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of our animals are actually given warm spaces, heated shelters. \u2026 We offer them indoor and outdoor options,\u201d he said, adding a similar model is also followed in the summer, when the zoo\u2019s inhabitants are provided \u201ccomfort zones\u201d and other options to help them cool down.<\/p>\n

Brandon said any animals they acquire from zoos in warmer climates are given a gradual acclimation period to assist them in getting used to our bitterly cold winters and hot, humid summers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is one of our projects at the zoo, to expand seasons for animals,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of the decisions we make with the animals at the zoo is for their ability for them to be a four-season animal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"highland cows Two shaggy new faces will be on display at the Toronto Zoo starting on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Handout – Toronto Zoo (Mandatory Credit) <\/p>\n

In the winter, the Toronto Zoo also modifies the diets of some animals, especially those who have hooves, as it does take more energy for this type of species to keep warm, Brandon explained.<\/p>\n

There are several animals at the zoo who love and thrive in the colder weather, like snow leopards and red pandas, who are both originally from the Himalayas, as well as polar bears from the Arctic.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re loving life right now. These are the animals at the Toronto Zoo that are most acclimated to the cold,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"\"Polar bear cub The Toronto Zoo’s polar bear cub is seen frolicking in the snow in this undated handout. <\/p>\n

Red pandas, Brandon added, actually do better around 18C and as a result the zoo is now working to build a brand-new habitat for them.<\/p>\n

Some animals at the Toronto Zoo, notably yaks, caribou, alpacas, cougars, and its new Highland cows, grow a thick coat to keep warm at this time of the year, said Brandon.<\/p>\n

\"\"Carrie, the Bactrian camel She is named in honour of the late Carrie Fisher, a great animal enthusiast and activist, which is quite fitting given her birthday is on May the Fourth (be with you). (Toronto Zoo\/photo) <\/p>\n

Another unique animal at the Toronto Zoo that does well in different temps is the Bactrian camel, which is originally from Central Asia\u2019s Gobi Desert. This double-humped mammal, also known as a Mongolian camel, can withstand temperatures ranging from -50 C to 50 C, Brandon said.<\/p>\n

Other animals at the zoo, like grizzly bears, may not be visible during the winter as they prefer to take a long nap when the temperature drops and hibernate throughout the winter months. <\/p>\n

\"\"Samson grizzly bear Samson was a gentle, intelligent grizzly bear, the Toronto Zoo said in a press statement. Source: Toronto Zoo <\/p>\n

The Toronto Zoo\u2019s marmots, large rodents that are part of the squirrel family, are known as true hibernators as they can spend up to eight months of the year sleeping in their burrows. These animals are part of a conservation program at the zoo.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re basically marmot popsicles for the entirety of the winter,\u201d Brandon said.<\/p>\n

\"\"Lau banded iguana A Lau banded iguana at the Toronto Zoo. (Supplied) <\/p>\n

On the other hand, there are some animals at the Toronto Zoo who physically cannot handle the cold, especially those who are cold-blooded and can\u2019t regulate their body temperature such as lizards and other amphibians as well as some types of fish. Those animals remain in temperature-controlled environments, like pavilions, throughout the year, Brandon explained.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all about ensuring the animals at the Toronto Zoo are able to function in optimal ways throughout the year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cater to their needs. \u2026 Our goal is for our animals to thrive,\u201d Brandon said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"While winter is a frigid reality in most of Canada, it isn\u2019t a major issue for the vast…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":375287,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[712,49,48,295,66],"class_list":{"0":"post-375286","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-apple-news","9":"tag-ca","10":"tag-canada","11":"tag-environment","12":"tag-science"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375286","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=375286"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375286\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/375287"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=375286"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=375286"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=375286"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}