YOUR TORONTO ZOO IMPLEMENTING MANDATORY VACCINATION POLICY FOR ALL ZOO GUESTS EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 25, 2021

TORONTO, ON, Wednesday, October 13, 2021: Your Toronto Zoo today announced that it will be implementing a mandatory vaccination policy for eligible guests, members, business partners, contractors and all other visitors ages 12+ to our Zoo site beginning Monday October 25, 2021. Through the pandemic, your Toronto Zoo has been consistently reviewing operations and developing processes to ensure the safety of all. As a next step and additional precaution, this new mandatory vaccination implementation will support us in doing our best to protect our staff and volunteer teams, our guests, COVID-19 susceptible animals, and our broader community.

“Our decision to implement this policy is based on many factors, including our responsibility to ensure the safety and protection of our staff, our guests and our animals. As a science-based institution, we fully support the evidence that vaccination protects individuals from serious illness and COVID-19 spread”, said Dolf DeJong, Toronto Zoo CEO. “It is also important to understand that some of our animals are susceptible to COVID-19 illness, including gorillas, orangutans, tigers and lions, to name a few. We will use every tool at our disposal to protect our animals and in particular, endangered species from developing illness due to COVID-19.”

Zoo guests and members have shown great confidence in the health and safety protocols that have been enforced as they returned to the Zoo throughout the various stages of this pandemic and re-opening.  While a Zoo visit includes a lot of outdoor space for guests to enjoy, many animals, including  our COVID-19 susceptible animals, and amenities are located indoors, and as the weather begins to shift to cooler temperatures, guests will be visiting these indoor locations more frequently, making this mandatory vaccination policy even more critical at this time of year.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR OUR MEDIA CONTACTS:  Please note that all media visiting the Zoo as of Monday October 25, 2021 will also be required to show proof of full vaccination in order to gain entry to the Zoo.

For full information and details on our new vaccination policy and implementation please click HERE.

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Media Contact Information:

Katie Gray
Manager of Strategic Communications
[email protected]

Amy Naylor
Media Relations Associate
[email protected]

For general information visit torontozoo.com

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 Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA) and 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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