TORONTO, ON, Thursday, October 26, 2023: To commemorate International Bat Week at your Toronto Zoo we are kicking things off with a new and engaging educational bat exhibit, sponsored by our partners at the Nuclear Waste Management Organization. We were joined this morning by Toronto Zoo Board of Management members, Councillor Paul Ainslie (Chair), Deputy Mayor and Councillor, Jennifer McKelvie, and Ivan Hon for the official ribbon cutting and formal remarks about the importance of this new addition to your Zoo.
Ontario bats are facing a critical time: four out of eight species are designated as endangered provincially, and three of these are also endangered federally in Canada. They play a vital role in maintaining the balance in the ecosystems, and we hope educating our guests and our community about their importance will help change people’s perception of this amazing species so they will help protect them.
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This exhibit (which does not contain any live bats) takes a positive perspective on bats to counter their often-negative portrayal and will introduce guests to the diversity of bats in Ontario, the threats they face, and the work our Zoo is doing to keep them on the map. The exhibit includes graphics, interactives, video and audio, and some beautiful Indigenous artworks.
Nine Indigenous artists from across Ontario contributed their talents to this exhibit. The mural on the outside of the exhibit depicts the Anishnaabe bat creation story, created by Anishnaabe artist Angela Benedict. The eight Ontario native bat species were each created by an Indigenous artist, skillfully capturing the essence of each species, allowing us to truly understand and appreciate their unique characteristics and importance within our ecosystem.
“At your Toronto Zoo, our mission is to connect people, animals, and conservation science to fight extinction” says Dolf DeJong, CEO, Toronto Zoo. “With over 1.3 million guests visiting each year, we have a unique opportunity to help educate our community about the importance of saving and protecting the species we have right here in our great city. We know the more people learn about and connect with a species, the more likely they are to help save it and we’re hoping this exhibit contributes to that by putting a group of hidden and misunderstood species front and centre for our guests”.
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That’s why the Toronto Zoo’s Bat Conservation Program (BCP), in partnership with the NWMO, is conducting research to close knowledge gaps in the ecology of Ontario’s bat population. In the early stages of this partnership the support of NWMO allowed us to explore different aspects of bat ecology. Because of their continued support, we have since identified several focal research narratives where we are aiming to achieve measurable conservation impact for bats in Ontario and produce peer-reviewed science to support that.
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“The NWMO is committed to protecting people and the environment for generations to come,” says Allan Webster, Vice President, Regulatory Approvals. “A big part of that means connecting with communities and supporting organizations like the Toronto Zoo. We're proud to be working alongside researchers, Indigenous peoples, youth, and the public to help address knowledge gaps in the ecology of bat species in the region and build awareness on the challenges faced by this group of vulnerable mammals.”
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Collaborating with NWMO opened the door to monitoring bats in Northern Ontario, an area with vulnerable populations that are even less understood than those in the south. This work has produced a growing understanding of species presence and activity through acoustic monitoring, and two trapping expeditions that are helping to fill in basic knowledge for almost unstudied bat populations. In addition to this, the Community Science bat monitoring project, started with support from NWMO, has engaged volunteers to monitor more than 100 locations in Southwestern Ontario.
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There’s a new pumpkin in the patch 🎃 #NationalPumpkinDay
Born on October 4, this little pup is almost one month old and has been appropriately named ‘Pumpkin’ in honour of their autumn-time entrance to our bat colony 🎃
The Wildlife Care Team won’t be able to identify the sex until they are much older, as Keepers keep an eye on the pup and the rest of the colony from a distance.
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Due to this, the team also can’t confirm the pup's parents, however, the little one is spending their time under its mother’s wing. In a few weeks, we’ll be able to see the baby becoming more active and practicing flapping its wings which builds the muscles needed for flight.
Pumpkin and the rest of the bat colony are viewable in the African Rainforest Habitat and also Zoolife at zoolife.tv/torontozoo
Dawn and dusk are the best time to catch the 🦇’s active, starting around 4:00 pm this time of year.
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About Toronto Zoo
The Toronto Zoo’s mission is to connect people, animals and conservation science to fight extinction and our vision is a world where wildlife and wild spaces thrive.
An iconic tourist attraction and Conservation organization, 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 including December 25 and attracts approximately 1.2 million guests each year.
Toronto Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The Zoo has also achieved the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) Certificate of Good Animal Practice® and is inspected by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).
About Nuclear Waste Management Organization
Founded in 2002, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is a not-for-profit organization tasked with the safe, long-term management of Canada's used nuclear fuel, in a manner that protects people and the environment for generations to come. In 2020, Natural Resources Canada asked the NWMO to lend its technical and public engagement expertise to the development of an Integrated Strategy for Radioactive Waste.
The NWMO is guided for more than 20 years by a dedicated team of world-class scientists, engineers and Indigenous Knowledge Holders that are developing innovative and collaborative solutions for nuclear waste management.
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The Toronto Zoo’s mission is to connect people, animals and conservation science to fight extinction and our vision is a world where wildlife and wild spaces thrive.
An iconic tourist attraction and Conservation organization, 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 including December 25 and attracts approximately 1.2 million guests each year.
Toronto Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The Zoo has also achieved the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) Certificate of Good Animal Practice® and is inspected by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).
Toronto Zoo, 361A Old Finch Ave, Toronto ON, M1B 5K7
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We acknowledge the land we are on is the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit and the Williams Treaty signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands.
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