TORONTO ZOO'S WILDLIFE HEALTH CENTRE
MILESTONE CELEBRATION

Leaders in Wildlife Care and Conservation are Getting State-of-the-Art Facility

TORONTO, ON (Friday, June 5, 2015) - The Toronto Zoo Board of Management and invited guests attended a milestone event for the new Wildlife Health Centre. The event took place at Toronto Zoo, in front of the future Wildlife Health Centre location – which is scheduled to be opened in 2016. Present on this occasion were: Joe Torzsok, Chair, Toronto Zoo Board of Management, John Tracogna, CEO Toronto Zoo, Dr. William Rapley, Executive Director of Conservation, Education & Wildlife, Paul Goddard, President & CEO, Pizza Pizza and the Richardson/Woods families, relatives of the late Mary Millard.

The occasion featured the unveiling of the commemorative cornerstone that will be placed at the future site of the Wildlife Health Centre, representing the state-of-the-art facility. The Toronto Zoo is tremendously excited about undertaking a significant and much-anticipated infrastructure renewal. The new facility will lay the foundation for the Centre’s current and future mission: high-quality wildlife health, nutrition and conservation research. We are privileged to have in our care over 5,000 animals representing almost 450 species. With this privilege comes great responsibility to ensure every individual animal need is met by our veterinarian staff,  scientists, researchers, nutritionists, and wildlife care staff.

“The Toronto Zoo is excited to be celebrating this milestone in the construction of the Wildlife Health Centre. The new state-of-the-art Wildlife Health Centre symbolizes the Toronto Zoo as being a centre of excellence for high-quality veterinary care, reproduction and wildlife research,” says John Tracogna, CEO, Toronto Zoo.

This project is an investment in the care and well-being of our animals. Creating a state-of-the-art animal healthcare facility is at the heart of our expanded vision and will position the Toronto Zoo as a world leader in wildlife care and conservation. The Toronto Zoo is grateful for generous contributions from Pizza Pizza and the Estate of Mary Millard, which will help make the new Wildlife Health Centre a reality.

"On behalf of the Toronto Zoo Board of Management, I would like to thank important donors including Pizza Pizza and the Millard Family for their generous donations toward this future state-of-the-art Wildlife Health Centre,” says Joe Torzsok, Chair of Toronto Zoo Board of Management. “It is with generous donations that the Zoo can save and protect species at home and abroad.”

For the design of the new facility, the Zoo engaged Toronto architects Diamond+Schmitt in partnership with DesignLevel, an architectural firm specializing in animal healthcare facilities from Columbus, Ohio. These partners worked in close consultation with Zoo staff to ensure that the facility responds precisely to our range of needs. The design includes leading-edge sustainable construction techniques, materials and technology, with the goal of achieving LEED silver certification. The almost 30,000 square feet of interior space - nearly double the current space - will be easy to maintain in a hygienic state and provide ample room for handling animals, post-operative care and modern diagnostic and research equipment. Veterinary staff will be able to treat larger species such as gorillas at the Centre rather than in their exhibit. A viewing area for visitors on private guided tours will provide a behind-the-scenes look into wildlife care and conservation research. The Toronto Zoo Board of Management awarded Gillam Group Inc. with the project, and commenced with construction Spring 2015.

“Each year, Zoo staff in the Wildlife Health Centre conduct more than 5,000 procedures including exams, treatments, sample collection, medication administration, processing, immobilizations and surgeries,” says Dr. William Rapley, Executive Director of Conservation, Education and Wildlife, Toronto Zoo. “In addition to the health care services, the Wildlife Health Centre is also home to the Zoo’s reproductive physiology lab, numerous conservation breeding programs, turtle head start programs, Amphibian Rescue Centre (ARC), a veterinary residency program, high school co-op programs and many research projects with universities, colleges, government and non-government agencies.”

Wildlife Health Centre - New Features

Wildlife Health Centre - Species Success Stories

Wildlife Health Centre - Construction

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Should you have any questions please contact Cynthia Shipley, Manager of Public Relations and Events at cshipley@torontozoo.ca.

About the Toronto Zoo:

The Toronto Zoo is Canada's premier zoo and a leader in animal preservation and environmental protection. More than a tourist attraction, the Toronto Zoo boasts a number of leading programs for helping wildlife and their natural habitats – from species reintroduction to reproductive research. A world-class educational centre for people of all ages, the Toronto Zoo is open every day except December 25 and attracts approximately 1.3 million visitors each year. For more information, visit www.torontozoo.com.

Toronto Zoo is accredited by CAZA (Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums). Look for this logo whenever you visit a Canadian zoo as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. For more information, visit caza.ca.