Toronto Zoo shifts toward conservation, but critics want to eradicate animal captivity
CTV
The Toronto Zoo has been making a gradual, yet seismic shift towards prioritizing conservation and climate-change, focusing on breeding rare and endangered animals in the past few years. But critics say the zoo should focus all its resources on breeding animals for eventual release instead of keeping animals in captivity for display.
The Toronto Zoo has been making a gradual, yet seismic shift towards prioritizing conservation and climate-change, focusing on breeding rare and endangered animals in the past few years.
But critics say the zoo should focus all its resources on breeding animals for eventual release instead of keeping animals in captivity for display.
"What you're seeing is this zoo is making this jump from place to purpose," said Toronto Zoo CEO Dolf DeJong in an interview with CTV News on Sunday, adding it has roughly 1.3-million visitors each year.
"It'll be really subtle... we'll be making links to how the animals here, and what's going on here, are connected to what's happening out there."
DeJong says there are at least eight Canadian species that are rare or endangered that the zoo is breeding for eventual release, including the Massasauga rattlers, Vancouver Island marmots and Blanding's turtles.
"Those are animals where we have a lot of experience and expertise," said DeJong. "Reptiles, turtles and snakes... all examples of species that have had significant declines and they needed this help."
He adds that the zoo has also reduced the number of species it has in its care from 440 species about six years ago -- now down to roughly 300, with plans to reduce it even further.
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