|
Thursday, December 18, 2014, Toronto, Ontario: The Toronto Zoo is very excited to announce the opening of one of the largest indoor giraffe houses in Canada to the public. The new habitat is 173 square metres and the giraffes can be viewed inside where visitors will get a unique opportunity to get up close to this magnificent species. The new giraffe house is currently home to the Zoo’s 24 year-old Masai giraffe ‘Twiga’ and her one year old female calf ‘Mstari’ and is open year round.
"It is estimated that there are fewer giraffes in Africa than hippos and they are facing ongoing threats in the wild. The Toronto Zoo is proud to be participating in the Masai Giraffe Species Survival Plan (SSP) and conservation efforts to spread awareness of the plight of these incredible animals”, said Maria Franke, Curator of Mammals. There are nine subspecies of giraffes with two recently listed as endangered and the others listed as least concern/conservation dependent by the International Union for Conservation and Nature (IUCN). However, with the overall 40% decline observed in the wild giraffe population over the past 15 years due to habitat destruction and poaching, risk of higher classifications is likely/imminent.
The new indoor viewing house has a beautiful African Savanna landscape mural with several new features that help the keepers care for the giraffes. This includes different feeding stations which allow keepers numerous feeding enrichment opportunities for the tallest land mammal on earth, a fallen log enrichment devise that encourages the giraffes to use their long, dark tongue to manipulate and pull out food items, and hidden raised waterers.
In addition, the new indoor house includes a variety of graphics and an interpretive area to provide visitors with educational and interactive information about this incredible species. A life size custom illustration of a giraffe head and neck greets you in the front entrance vestibule, which includes life-like giraffe vertebrae visitors can touch and feel. Members of the public will also be exposed to wall-sized interactive illustrations of all nine giraffes subspecies, where they can compare their patterns and where they live in Africa.
The Toronto Zoo's new outdoor Masai Giraffe Habitat opened to the public in July 2014 which includes three outdoor exhibits and a yard covering over 4,370 square metres. Although the exhibit will initially be home to the Zoo’s giraffes, there are future plans to add other species that inhabit the African grassland savanna, one of the most delicate natural ecosystems on this planet.
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.
-30-
Should you have any questions please contact
Celebrating 40 Years Of Saving And Protecting Species At Home And Abroad
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.
|
