Toronto Zoo pivots to 'drive-thru' format, welcomes adorable new baby giraffe

The Toronto zoo says it will be a "drive-thru experience" when it gets the green light to open its gates to visitors after COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

"The pre-booked driving route would allow guests to see the zoo's animals from the comfort and safety of their own vehicle," spokesperson Amanda Chambers said Thursday, adding the zoo's 3.4-kilometre route goes above and beyond the Ontario government's framework to reopen the province as the spread of COVID-19 slows.

Whether the format would be temporary or permanent, Chambers didn't say.

Pivoting to drive-thru is one of numerous options zoos and aquariums are contemplating as they figure out how to safely reopen now that the spread of COVID-19 is slowing across much of Canada.

"While it varies from facility to facility, there are some commonalities amongst them," said Jim Facette, executive director
of Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums. He said the organization's members are also looking at providing masks to visitors, having them walk along a predetermined route or having people pre-book timed visits online, limiting the number of guests and reducing the number of cash outlets.

Pandemic posing financial strains

Roughly two-thirds of accredited zoos and aquariums have made use of government assistance, Facette said, and this week's federal announcement on help for the tourism sector is expected to bolster the industry.

But zoos have also had to make some compromises, including asking for donations from the public to make sure they can feed their animals while continuing conservation work.

In April, the Toronto Zoo, Calgary Zoo and Vancouver Aquarium all said they were facing new financial strains because they typically rely on admissions and parking fees to pay for such necessities as food and environment upkeep.

Calgary Zoo returning pandas to China

The Calgary Zoo announced this week it will be returning two giant pandas on loan from China because the COVID-19 pandemic has made it hard to get enough bamboo to feed them. 

The zoo's president, Clement Lanthier, said the facility spent months trying to overcome transportation barriers in acquiring fresh bamboo and eventually decided it's best for the animals to be in China, where their main food source is abundant.  

Meanwhile this week, the Toronto zoo also announced the birth of a healthy Masai giraffe calf, saying it is an important contribution to an endangered species.

Staff say the calf is the first offspring for six-year-old mother Mstari and seven-year-old father Kiko, who was transferred to Toronto from a zoo in South Carolina in 2015.

They were paired at the recommendation of the AZA Masai giraffe Species Survival Plan.

The zoo says it's closely monitoring the new calf but both it and its mother are doing well.