At the advanced age of 25 years, I’m aggrieved to say that I’d never visited the Toronto Zoo before! Hence, I took great pleasure in walking through as much of the sprawling zoo as possible, peering in at the animals and wondering at their magical lives, during a recent weekend visit.

The Zoo opened in  August 15, 1974 with the support of successful industrialist Mr. Hugh A. Crothers (Wikipedia article). It now encompasses 710 acres divided into seven different regions, including: Indo-Malaya, Africa, Americas, Tundra Trek, Australasia, Eurasia, and the Canadian Domain (Wikipedia article). Represented are 5,000 animals (including invertebrates and fish), totalling over 450 species (Wikipedia article).

You must be ready to do a lot of walking throughout this sprawling attraction – wear comfortable shoes on the day of your visit! I would also recommend that you find a way to interact with the people at the Zoo who so passionately care about the animals. I toured through the facility with a lovely volunteer who had delivered tours for 15 years – she knew each of the animals by name, and could speak to their unique characteristics and behaviours.

Check out the Google Map below to learn where the Toronto Zoo is located. Parking is a little expensive, but well worth the cost for the joy and learning that will happen inside the Zoo. I have also included two Youtube videos and several images from my visit to the Zoo.

Google Map: