ZB12.3
Appendix 2
Steve Jones
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schools <[email protected]>
November 10, 2016 4:24 PM
What's New at the Zoo - November 2016 Edition
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WHAT'S NEW AT THE ZOO!
E DUC AT OR S'
E D IT ION
Current
9:30 am – 4:30 pm
Hours:
School Group Admission
Rates:
Child Care Centre*:
Elementary:
Secondary:
Post-Secondary:
$8
$8
$9
$10
*Child Care Centres must be licensed with the
Ontario Ministry of Education to receive the $8
admission rate. A minimum of 10 children
required. Excludes school holidays.
School Group Supervision
Ratios:
PreK – 3:
4 – 8:
9 – 12:
1:5
1 : 10
1 : 20
Book Your School Visit!
Contact Information
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What’s New in the Tundra Trek?
Happy 1st Birthday Juno
Juno, the polar bear cub, is growing up and celebrating her
1st birthday on November 11. After a precarious start in life,
being hand-raised by Wildlife Health Centre staff after it was
determined her mother was not producing enough milk,
Juno now weighs over 85 kg and has discovered a love for
swimming, especially in the larger, deeper pool. Juno is very
adventurous and independent and she is now part of the
husbandry behavioural program, working with Wildlife Care
staff to learn important behaviours, such as presenting
different parts of her body to assist with veterinary
procedures.
School
Programs:
Guided
Tours:
Admissions
only:
416-392-5944
416 -392-5942
416 -392-5932
“I love this program. What was
taught in the zoo classroom
came to life when we got to see
the animals. The kids had so
much fun!”
- St. Francis Xavier Catholic School
After being born on Remembrance Day in 2015, Juno was
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‘adopted’ by the Canadian Army, given the rank of ‘Honorary Private’ and was named in honour of ‘Juno Beach’ and the important successful operations carried out by Canadian soldiers on D-Day in World War II. As a pre-birthday celebration, Juno was promoted to ‘Honorary Corporal’.
�
Welcome back Hudson & Humphrey
The Toronto Zoo is excited to announce the return of polar bears Hudson and Humphrey, who were born
in 2011 and 2013 respectively. Both bears had been living at the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, where
they were able to socialize with several other similar-aged polar bears. Hudson and Humphrey will rotate
through the Zoo’s three exhibits with Juno and adult females, Aurora and Nikita, once they clear their
quarantine period, a standard process that keeps animals new to the Zoo separate while health tests are
completed to ensure no illnesses will be passed to other species.
With the return of Hudson and Humphrey to Toronto, the Assiniboine Park Zoo now has additional space
to rescue orphaned polar bear cubs should the need exist. Their return also marks the departure of
Inukshuk, father of Hudson, Humphrey, and Juno, to the Polar Bear Habitat in Cochrane, Ontario. While
Inukshuk will be missed in Toronto, his move was recommended as part of the polar bear breeding
program, as Inukshuk’s genetics are already well-represented in the population.
Educator Resources – Discover Polar Bears Today!
 On your next Zoo field trip, check out the Polar Bear Meet-the-Keeper talk @ 12:00 pm.
 Polar Bears & the Arctic Teacher Resource Package (K-12) – download this free Zoo resource
package today for ideas on how to incorporate polar bears into your classroom.
 Join Polar Bears International from November 14-16, 2016 as they stream live webcasts with Polar
Bear experts from the Churchill, Manitoba.
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 Check out the Polar Bear Tracker with your students and discover how many kilometers polar
bears travel each year.
Zoo School – Grade 11 Biology Credit
Summer 2017
Do you know a grade 11 student who is passionate about wildlife and is looking for a unique and
exciting learning opportunity? If so, Zoo School might just be the place for them.
While earning their grade 11 biology credit (SBI3U) at the Zoo during the summer, students are engaged in
interactive learning opportunities that use Zoo wildlife to connect to curriculum concepts, collaborative
discussions, behind-the-scenes tours and close animal encounters, career discussions with a variety of Zoo
staff, and memorable projects.
Registration for Zoo School in July or August 2017 is now open. For more information about Zoo School
and for registration details, please click here or email [email protected].
End of School Year Trip Idea – One WILD Night at Serengeti Bush
Camp!
How will your adventure unfold?
The sun sets over the African Savanna. The buzz of crickets is briefly dulled by the roar of distant lions. We
stroll along the trails, ever watching for a glimpse of the diverse African wildlife. The stars appear and light
our way, as we brave the Serengeti night and return to camp. The flames of the campfire dance as stories of
the day's adventure are told.
The Toronto Zoo's Serengeti Bush Camp is a unique, end of the school year overnight field trip adventure
where your students will have an opportunity to experience the wildlife of our African Savanna and
Rainforest Pavilion. Enjoy guided tours, evening activities, campfire tales, and the chance to sleep under
the stars in our authentic African tents. Your experience includes a fun-filled educational program,
accommodations, dinner and breakfast, and the unique opportunity to go behind-the-scenes. Plus, as part
of package, your students will be able to explore the rest of the Zoo, including visiting giant panda cubs,
Jia Panpan and Jia Yueyue, either the day of your Bush Camp stay or the day after. Please click here for
more information about Serengeti Bush Camp.
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Registration for school and youth groups in 2017 is now open online, with limited dates remaining in May
and June. Please email [email protected] to have your school set-up with an online account.
*Please note that there are limited nights available for groups. Registration is on a first come, first served basis and a deposit is required at the
time of booking.
D I D
Y OU
KNOW?
Eastern Loggerhead Shrikes – Re-introduction of a Local Species Takes
Flight
Have you met Bandit?
Bandit is an eastern loggerhead shrike who was one of two shrikes hand-reared by Wildlife Care Staff after
their parents failed to care for them as fledglings. Due to their exposure to humans at an early age, neither
shrike was a candidate for release to the wild. Both have now become ambassadors for the species, with
visitors, including students, now able to learn more about this local species when they visit Bandit in the
Zoo’s Americas Pavilion.
As with many of the Toronto Zoo’s endangered species that are bred for release in the wild, our eastern
loggerhead shrike breeding program takes place out of sight from public view in order to limit exposure to
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humans before release. Unlike the majority of our native songbirds, such as robins and finches, loggerhead
shrikes are skilled predators and are known to use to their hooked beaks to catch insects, mice, voles, frogs,
lizards, bats, and even smaller birds. Without the strong talons and claws that larger birds of prey have for
grasping their prey, shrikes have adapted to their environment and impale their dead prey on barbed wire
fences and shrubs with thorns, which then allows them to tear their prey into small pieces.
The Toronto Zoo has been breeding eastern loggerhead shrikes since 1997, when the Ontario population
was thought to be just 18 pairs. At that time, 43 nestlings were collected from wild nests in Ontario to
establish the captive breeding population. Historically, the biggest threat to their survival has been habitat
loss, particularly with farmland being replaced by housing developments in Southern Ontario, as the lack of
thorny bushes and barbed wire fences makes it very difficult for the shrikes to eat. Dr. Kevin Kerr, Curator of
Birds and Invertebrates at the Zoo, says the goal of the Zoo’s breeding program is to keep the shrike
population alive, while alternative, long-term solutions can be found. “It buys us time, but we don’t want
the Zoo to become a permanent home.”
Good News – Ontario Population No Longer Declining
Over 200 shrikes have hatched at the Toronto Zoo since 1997, and with upwards of nine breeding pairs a
year, the Zoo’s goal is currently to raise 50 fledglings each year, releasing the majority to the wild. Together
with other breeding facilities in the province, approximately 100 young shrikes are released into the wild
each year and due to these efforts, the eastern loggerhead shrike population has ceased to decline in
Ontario. Dr. Kerr considers the breeding program to be a success, especially with increasing public
awareness, and credits keen birdwatchers with tracking and reporting the banded and released birds. “This
is a species that could literally show up in your backyard!” he says. If you happen to spot one of these
unique birds, look for a coloured leg band – a blue band above a red band denotes a Toronto Zoo-raised
shrike! Be sure to report your sighting by emailing [email protected].
CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS:
Primary
 Inquiry – What makes a bird ‘a bird’?
 Activity – Using pictures of various bird species, how many different ways can you sort the birds?
 Investigation – How does the eastern loggerhead shrike adapt to seasonal changes in its
environment?
Junior
 Investigation – What characteristics and adaptations allow shrikes to fly? How do these
characteristics and adaptations compare to other wildlife species
 Design, build, and then test your own flying bird. How does the flight of your bird compare to
how birds actually fly, including how they use unbalanced forces to control their flight?
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Intermediate
 Eastern loggerhead shrikes have already adapted to use barbed wire as part of their hunting strategy.
If grassland habitats continue to disappear with increasing development, could shrikes continue to
adapt to a changing environment and survive in a completely urban environment? Why or why not?
Secondary
 If you were responsible for implementing the Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery Program, including
the captive breeding and re-introduction of young birds to the wild, would you consider the program
to be successful. Why or why not? What criteria would you use to determine when the recovery program
is no longer necessary to sustain the shrike population? Investigate whether this type of recovery
program can be applied to other species of wildlife?
 Construct a model of the shrike’s digestive system. Describe the anatomy and physiology of the
digestive system, including identifying the major functions of each component. How does the digestive
system of a bird compare to other species of wildlife and humans?
Toronto Zoo is accredited by CAZA (Canada’s Accredited Zoos and
Aquariums) and AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums). Look
for CAZA’s and AZA’s logos whenever you visit a North American
zoo or aquarium 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.
Toronto Zoo
361A Old Finch Ave
Toronto, ON M1B 5K7
Canada
torontozoo.com
For more information, please visit caza.ca or aza.org.
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We want to hear from you! Your feedback is important in helping us to continue delivering quality educational
programs/experiences. Contact us at [email protected].
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