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Spend Boxing Day with the (real) Animals
Oh, Boxing Day. The Canadian equivalent to Black Friday, the day where normally level-headed consumers turn into rabid animals at the thought of getting a dvd player or flat-screen tv for outrageously cheap prices. The day turns us into wild beasts, frothing at the mouth at the idea of a deal. But I'm proposing an alternative. This year for Boxing Day, instead of fighting your way through a herd of shoppers at your local mall, why not watch a herd of wood bison or a pride of lions instead?
On December 26th, the Metro Toronto Zoo is having it's 32nd Annual Christmas Treats Walk, their popular yearly event where admission for everybody is half-priced and all the proceeds go towards the Endangered Species Fund. The walk is a special day at the zoo where the public are invited to watch the animals such as Siberian tiger cubs Coco, Jack and their mother Tatiana, get their seasonal treats from keepers (I'm putting odds on them being meaty!)
While the zoo opens at 9:30am, the walk starts at 10 and will be accompanied by Carollers and hot chocolate. Stick around after the walk as the zoo will continue it's regular seasonal hours and be open until 4:30pm, perhaps take the time to meet the Zookeepers.
The only request is that you bring a non-perishable food item for the food bank.
Photo: "tigers burning bright" by blogTO Flickr pooler angiemckaig
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But what would you suggest instead of a robot dinosaur? Like, what exactly does a zoo do to expand and update?
If the exhibits haven't been updated, are newer exhibits elsewhere higher-tech or something? I don't know but I'd guess they're the same.
Personally, I'd recommend that they purchase <a href="http://www.spotsnstripes.com/ZonkeyMares.htm"; target="_blank">Sugar</a>, a <a href="http://www.spotsnstripes.com/ZorseInfo.htm"; target="_blank">wild Zonkey</a> from California.
Perhaps the Zoo isn't the best place for these animals. Perhaps they'd be better off in the wild, or a wildlife preserve. However, the Zoo is the only place our young children will likely ever get a chance to see an endangered Tiger, or other animals that are threatened with extinction. When these children are responsible for the fate of these animals years from now, I for one, would be glad they had the chance to see them in person before they make decisions that could threaten the natural habitat of these creatures.
Stop whining about the zoo Lamb. Are you a vegan too? Go back to your silly blog and take more blurry photos :). Everyone should visit, see for themselves and be ashamed.
A lot of us still like it and it is our nearest option to see a lot of these creatures, most of which are being hunted in the wild.
Brett - If I were advocating everybody go to a road-side zoo in Toronto, you'd have a point. However, the Toronto Zoo is home to some important animal conservation programs ranging from ferrets to marmots, to the once presumed extinct Przewalski's horse, where they had a foal in their herd this year. These behavioural concerns would be more appropriately voiced retarding the disgraceful conditions of animals at the High Park zoo, for example.