Press Releases

The Toronto Zoo is very proud to announce a new exciting and innovative exhibit called “Wild Connections.” This exhibit features the world premiere of National Geographic’s Air, Land & Sea an INDE Appshaker Augmented Reality Experience and complimented with stunning images from National Geographic photographers. This experience is the first of its kind in Canada.

“On behalf of the staff and volunteers at the Toronto Zoo we are very excited to launch this new exhibit and to highlight the critical work the Zoo does to ensure the ongoing survival of many of the worlds’ most vulnerable and endangered species,” said John Tracogna, Toronto Zoo’s Chief Executive Officer. “By showing animals in an augmented reality experience, it complements our existing programs and demonstrates how we must take actions today to ensure these species exist in ‘real life’ for future generations,” he added.

“I am very excited to debut the Air, Land and Sea experience at the Toronto Zoo along-side some of National Geographic's stunning nature photography, said Abigail Bysshe, National Geographic’s Director, Museum Partnerships. “Installations such as this really brings the content of National Geographic to life allowing the public to experience our brand in a whole new way,” she added.

The Toronto Zoo would like to acknowledge and thank the Government of Ontario for their support of this new exhibit as well as the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation for their contribution towards the National Geographic images.

The new experience opens to the public on Saturday, June 27, 2015 at 9 a.m. with an admission cost of $4.42 (plus tax) per person ages 3 and up. Wild Connections is located next to the Panda Interpretive Centre in the Giant Panda Experience.

CLICK HERE  for more information and to watch the video.

CLICK HERE for the downloadable video.

Toronto Zoo

The Toronto Zoo is Canada’s premier zoo and a national leader in saving wildlife to ensure the rich diversity of nature for future generations.  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.

Air, Land and Sea

National Geographic presents Air, Land and Sea, an INDE Appshaker experience. Centered on a dynamic, ever-changing watering hole, the experience allows you to meet a diverse range of animals from Africa to the Arctic as they graze, drink, and interact with the environment around them. This experience is making its worldwide debut at the Toronto Zoo. Paired with stunning photography from National Geographic, visitors will not only be able to interact with these animals, they will have an opportunity to learn more about these critical species and their environments.

INDE Appshaker

INDE Appshaker develops award-winning interactive and immersive products and experiences in advertising, entertainment and education. It develops using emerging technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, motion capture, computer vision and robotics to create products that change the way people interact with digital content. Since 2011, it has launched award-winning systems in over 35 countries for clients such as AMEX, 20th Century Fox, National Geographic, Coca-Cola, Universal Studios, BBC Worldwide, GE, and Guinness Book of World Records among many others. In-house integration of technology, 3D content and worldwide delivery makes it unique in the industry.

National Geographic Traveling Exhibitions

Founded in 1888, the National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. With a mission to inspire people to care about the planet, the member-supported Society offers a community for members to get closer to explorers, connect with other members and help make a difference. The Society reaches more than 500 million people worldwide each month through its media platforms, products and events. It is one of the world’s leading organizers of large-scale, traveling exhibitions. Since it launched “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs” in 2004, National Geographic has organized two more Egyptian-themed exhibitions, “Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs” and “Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt.” Other traveling exhibitions include “Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology,” “Birds of Paradise: Amazing Avian Evolution,” “Women of Vision: National Geographic Photographers on Assignment” and “Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul.” Since 2009, National Geographic traveling exhibitions have been seen by more than 35 million visitors.

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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.