TORONTO ZOO SCENIC SAFARI DRIVE-THRU EXPERIENCE WILL OPEN THIS WEEKEND!


TORONTO, ON, Tuesday, May 19, 2020: The Toronto Zoo is excited to announce that its new Scenic Drive-Thru Experience will open to the public on Saturday, May 23, 2020. Tickets for the new experience go on sale on Friday, May 22nd at 11 am and must be purchased in advance. Guests will see the Zoo from a whole new perspective as they drive on staff-only roads, pedestrian walkways through the Zoo site, and even through the lion cave in the African Savanna! Keep your eyes peeled at every turn, like you are on a real-life safari – only this time, it’s with a variety of animals from around the world!

“We are doing everything we can to keep providing City services to residents during this difficult time,” said Mayor John Tory. “I want to thank the Toronto Zoo for working with Toronto Public Health to plan and open the Scenic Safari. I hope families will enjoy this safe way to experience and support the Zoo.”

“We are so excited to introduce this new experience to our guests. We have truly missed welcoming people to our Toronto Zoo and this is a new and innovative way for our guests to enjoy the Zoo in the safety of their own vehicles,” said Dolf DeJong, Chief Executive Officer, Toronto Zoo. “I want to personally thank all the Toronto Zoo staff for creating this experience and to our key stakeholders including the Province of Ontario, City of Toronto, Toronto Public Health and Toronto Emergency Services for their ongoing support of this new program.”


Click above for video footage showing our Scenic Safari Drive-Thru!

The new Scenic Safari driving route will allow guests to see the Zoo’s animals from the comfort and safety of their own vehicle along a 3.4 kilometres route which takes approximately 45 minutes to one hour. Guests will drive through areas of the Zoo including: Indo-Malaya, African Savanna, Americas and Eurasia. Guests will drive their personal vehicles through the Zoo’s Main Entrance and exit will be on Old Finch Avenue via a service gate at the Zoo’s Administration Building. This experience will have minimal to no contact between guests and Zoo staff/animals. This proposed route will allow Zoo guests to have a unique animal viewing experience complemented by pre-recorded audio with educational content to guide them through the experience. The audio can be downloaded in advance of guests’ arrival in the form of a podcast. There will be additional signage along the route to guide the guests through the experience as well.

Check out http://www.torontozoo.com/scenicsafari/ for details.

What guests need to know:

  • BYOC (Bring your own car) Vehicle dimensions must not exceed 7ft. high or 9ft. wide
  • Only travel with household members. Staying in a car with non-household members is not recommended as that would be considered close contact and do not go if you have symptoms or are self-isolating
  • Safari patrons will not be allowed to leave their car at any point once they start the Scenic Safari route
  • Washrooms will only be available prior to the safari in the Zoo’s main parking lot

   

PLUS, listen to a guided audio tour during your Scenic Safari through our Wild For Life podcast!

Car with 2 or less occupants*
$44 Non-Member, $32 Member

Car with 3 or more occupants*
$59 Non-Member, $47 Member

*Tickets on sale FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020

MEDIA PLEASE NOTE: We will be hosting a media preview later in the week to try the drive-thru experience before it opens publicly. At that time we can coordinate filming, interviews and stories as well, so watch for details.

Before the preview opportunity we will not be allowing media onsite at the Zoo as we are dedicating full attention and resources to preparing for the opening.



Media Contact Information:

Katie Gray
Toronto Zoo’s Manager of Strategic Communications
(416) 938-5283
[email protected]