# Toronto Zoo



## Kerohime (Jan 10, 2011)

Went to the zoo today, couldnt resist it was such a gorgeous day out!

Wish I put some sunscreen on my face though, I got sunburnt pretty well...

Got to touch sting rays in a big pool, they'll have sharks in that exhibit soon!










I swear... I would have stayed there all day touching sting rays!


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

oohh the didnt have the sharks? I went last summer and had a blast. Got soaked and bit by rays.. Was super fun!


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## Kerohime (Jan 10, 2011)

The sharks were held up at the border or something... 

And the sting ray thing was soooo fun, but these kids next to me were punching and pinching the sting rays... not cool. The mother just stood there and laughed. 

I was not impressed. D=


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## ThaChingster (Feb 25, 2011)

If only they had a school of cardinal tetra's that I could touch 8)


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

They do have a school!  But I don't think you can get your hands in the tank X)


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

Kerohime said:


> And the sting ray thing was soooo fun, but these kids next to me were punching and pinching the sting rays... not cool. The mother just stood there and laughed.
> 
> I was not impressed. D=


Which is why the negatives of these I think outweight the educational purpose. I'm sure they also love swimming around with hand cream and sun screen from everyones hands.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

I know they have a handwashing station.. and I made sure I did wash properly but they really didn't supervise or explain why it would be important... :/ (but that was just one experience)


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## Canadiancray (Apr 27, 2006)

Terrible exibit. They should be teaching kids to leave wild animals alone not that should walk up and touch them. Not to mention its unfair to the animals. Why is it ok to harrass fish but not any of the other animals at the zoo?

Do you think the kid would get the same experience if they walked up to a wild stingray in the shallows tried to touch it? Likely they would get a very painful trip to the hospital.


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## Kerohime (Jan 10, 2011)

I dont feel like its the exhibit thats the problem, its irresponsible parents. If my kid was punching the water and scaring the crap out of the sting rays I would be carrying the kid off and going home. End of trip. 

And I feel like aquatic animals and reptiles are under represented in general, you have petting zoos for goats, horses, lhamas donkeys, etc. but people are generally scared or lack knowledge of reptiles and big fish like sting rays and sharks. Even in some of the zoo exhibits I can hear some tween girls rant about how fish are boring, and they wanna go see the gorillas or something.

I think its great that these animals are given more exposure to the public, and its not about harrassing the fish in this case, its about learning to respect them and appreciate them, By teaching kids to gently and respectfully touch the elusive creature.


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## shark (Jan 28, 2009)

i love that exhibit when i went last year they had a nurse shark with the rays and i got to touch the tip of his tail. The rays love coming up for food and to be touched.  thanks for sharing made my day


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## bigfishy (Jun 19, 2009)

it's a nice exhibit, but only touching stingray, it's lame 

My touch dream list ~

A great white shark
A silverback gorilla


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## Canadiancray (Apr 27, 2006)

Great White can actually be done.


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## Guest (May 23, 2011)

Canadiancray said:


> Great White can actually be done.


Only one aquarium on the planet has managed to keep one for longer than 6 months (Monterey Bay) in an aquarium that was basically part of the ocean. It was returned to the sea.

Captivity survival records are measured in days.

http://homepage.mac.com/mollet/Cc/Cc_captive.html


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## Canadiancray (Apr 27, 2006)

Who said anything about an aquarium??? Not me!!



h_s said:


> Only one aquarium on the planet has managed to keep one for longer than 6 months (Monterey Bay) in an aquarium that was basically part of the ocean. It was returned to the sea.
> 
> Captivity survival records are measured in days.
> 
> http://homepage.mac.com/mollet/Cc/Cc_captive.html


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## Guest (May 23, 2011)

I see your reference....

I think the Silverback would have the edge at being easier with less money. Paying some small zoo or even a cash strapped big zoo for a chance to touch a silver back (in secret) through a cage would be easier than paying some charter company a huge wad of cash to take you out in a boat to touch a great white. The shark tour operators, who are all shady for the most part, probably wouldn't want to risk a law suit for someone losing a limb or worse because of a riled up Carcharodon. "You can look but don't touch"


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## Canadiancray (Apr 27, 2006)

There are plenty of charter boats offering this in South Africa. Its not even that expensive since its a daily charter boat and you all sign waivers anyway so they are covered,


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## Guest (May 23, 2011)

Canadiancray said:


> There are plenty of charter boats offering this in South Africa. Its not even that expensive since its a daily charter boat and you all sign waivers anyway so they are covered,


Cheap flight to South Africa is still $2000+/- not including the rest of the stuff involved in staying/charter boat etc etc.

I'm sure $1000 donation to a zoo like ZooGranby could get you 15 minutes of "monkey" petting.... plus you can get wet in their water park


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

Chris S said:


> Which is why the negatives of these I think outweight the educational purpose. I'm sure they also love swimming around with hand cream and sun screen from everyones hands.


When I went there, there were pretty strict supervision about properly washing hands before touching the rays.

In the end, we will only conserve what we love, and we will only love what we understand. That's why I believe these kinds of exhibits, and zoos in general, are invaluable, despite the downside of keeping animals in captivity.



> I dont feel like its the exhibit thats the problem, its irresponsible parents. If my kid was punching the water and scaring the crap out of the sting rays I would be carrying the kid off and going home. End of trip.


Was the child punching water, or the ray? If the latter, then it's definitely unacceptable. If the former, then it can be excused, though the parent should correct the child's behavior.


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## Kerohime (Jan 10, 2011)

The kids got excited and punched the water when the sting ray approached, resulting in the quick dashing away and splash of the sting ray as it was spooked.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Well, we (hobbiest) always get overly protective and excited when we get near fish that we don't normally get a chance to interact with.
I was there last summer and there was a very strick policy on hand washing. If you didn't know better, you'd think I'd ran the place.
Let's see:
- I snitched on a family that walked pass the hand washing station 
and all 7 of them was forced to go back inline and wash their hands. 
- Then I got into a shouting matching with 2 other families because the first one's kids was trying to grab the stingray's tail and the other one's kid baby kid put his feet with shoes in the water. 
- Then I stare down a stupid kid who spit in the water.
I think the employees there were glad when I leave the tent. I was creating so much tension in there.

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## Kerohime (Jan 10, 2011)

I really would have done the same thing. 
I think these people dont deny what their kids were doing is wrong, but people dont like to be told what to do, especially when their kids are involved. 

I resisted the urge to correct a kid when he was explaining to his mom how Komodo dragons spit saliva at their enemies and blind them. And this was a 10 year old kid that was explaining things coherently. 

My friend was relieved that I didnt say anything because she was watching me... on one hand, you feel like you dont want the kid to acknowledge the wrong information, and on the other you really have no right as a stranger to teach someone else's kid whats right and whats wrong.


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## Marowana (Jul 28, 2009)

solarz said:


> In the end, we will only conserve what we love, and we will only love what we understand. That's why I believe these kinds of exhibits, and zoos in general, are invaluable, despite the downside of keeping animals in captivity.


+1. i saw many excited kids that were well-behaved and enjoyed the exhibit.



Zebrapl3co said:


> Well, we (hobbiest) always get overly protective and excited when we get near fish that we don't normally get a chance to interact with.
> I was there last summer and there was a very strick policy on hand washing. If you didn't know better, you'd think I'd ran the place.
> Let's see:
> - I snitched on a family that walked pass the hand washing station
> ...


LOL... 
maybe you should run the place, the rays would be much happier


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## ChuckRum (Sep 11, 2010)

I personally prefer to watch animals interacting in their environment as they normally do rather than petting them, but this is a really cool exhibit.

I think its good, as it is teaching kids to have a respect for the animals, that is as long as parents dont let them punch them. why do these people even pay money to enter a zoo?


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