"On-Line Dating" ... Ice Bear Unit" ... Ontario Visited tours Toronto Zoo

This series of Blog articles comes from our recent “Behind the Scenes Tour of the Toronto Zoo” with Katie Gray, Public Relations Supervisor. Ontario Visited toured with Festival Nomad Correspondent’s Carol Law (Volunteeerscan.ca ~ Volunteer systems Consultant) and Ron Clifford (www.ronclifford.com ~ Professional Photographer). With extra our extra correspondent and photographer, we were able to focus on the generous amount of information being provided by the Toronto Zoo staff for this wonderful opportunity. We would like to share our insight, knowledge and experiences with you. Hope you enjoy the series!

On-Line Dating … In-House Research …

 

The research “Behind the Scenes” is rich in leadership. An in-house psychology department plays an intricate role in the development of such programs as “on-line dating”, the “e-harmony for animals” as it were. If we look at the Panda’s for example, it is critical to not have “in-breeding”. The oncology and fertilization process is vital to remain pure.

The Toronto Zoo prides itself on their “In-house Research Nutrition” programs. The Zoo can sell its canine diet to supplement some of the nutrition research programs, for example.

The Zoo tries to capitalize on all their exhibits seen in the public as the educational piece for all. As the Toronto Zoo has many new and creative innovations, we found out that other Zoo’s around the world are “happy to work” with them to share knowledge and experiences. The Toronto Zoo certainly has demonstrated their success and it is clear how much the Zoo contributes to society.

Ice Bear Unit …

On our walk-about at the Tundra Trek … not only are the Polar Bears amazing to watch, I was fascinated to learn the Toronto Zoo helps our environment by using the Ice Bear unit during off-peak electricity time during the middle of the night, when demand on the grid is low to make the large blocks of ice the Polar Bears require. As the ice slowly melts off it helps cool the air in their environment as well. The Ice Bear storage technology is the Zoo’s latest green technology and can be seen just outside the Caribou Café.

During our tour, the question came up, how does this Ice Bear unit save Polar Bears? The answer … "if we all continue to use more energy, the more power stations we use mean more greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases increase the global warming effect = less ice in the sea". I have to imagine it must impact the longevity of our environment and our world.

With the initiatives that the Toronto Zoo is taking, there's a lot more that you can learn on their website. There are a number of other initiatives that the Zoo is involved with to help save polar bears, and they were recently introduced to the public via YouTube. The newest sensation is a baby polar bear cub, which should be on exhibit by the spring.  Breeding programs will help the animal care staff at the Zoo learns more about polar bears so we can help them better in the wild.

Stay tuned for more exciting insight from the Toronto Zoo Behind the Scenes Tour ~ Controversy … Or Knowledge? … Our Future … In the meantime, don’t forget to check out the Toronto Zoo website where you can view ongoing amazing “in-the-moment” videos and so much more at www.torontozoo.com. Enjoy!