Description: Toronto Zoo first opened in 1974 but was called Metropolitan Toronto Zoo to begin with. In 1998 the zoo was officially renames the Toronto Zoo. It is the third largest zoo in the world, covering 710 acres and is the home to over 500 different species and over 5000 animals.

Prices:
General: $21
Senior: $15
Child 4 - 12: $13
Child 3 and under: Free
Admission includes access to all pavilions, exhibits and daily shows.

Toronto Zoo is open 364 days a year and is only closed on Christmas Day.
May - Sep 9.00am to 7.30pm
Sep - Oct 9.00am to 6.00pm
Oct - May 9.30am to 4.30am
Last admissions are one hour before closing time.

The zoo is sectioned into 7 different parts:

INDO-MALAYA
Indian rhinos, Malayan tapirs, lion-tailed macaques, orangutans, mandarin ducks

AFRICA
olive baboons, greater kudus, sable antelopes, white rhinos, elephants, hippopotamuses

CANADIAN DOMAIN
musk ox, bison, moose, cougar, grizzly bear

AMERICAS
jaguars, spider monkeys, flamingos, scarlet macaw

AUSTRALASIA
wallabies, emus, wombats, kookaburras, red-tailed black cockatoos

EURASIA
Siberian tigers, snow leopards, Przewalski's wild horses, red panda

TUNDRA TREK
reindeer, polar bears, snowy owls, snow geese

ZELLERS DISCOVERY ZONE
goats, falcons, turkey vultures, hawks, skunks, ferrets

The zoo also hosts a variety of things to for children which includes camel and pony rides, face painting, airbrushed tattoos and a simulator ride all for an extra cost. The camel rides were only $6 which I thought was extremely reasonable for this sort of attraction as they usually charge as much as possible. The camel ride was certainly interesting and something I doubt I would have been able to do again for a very long time. The camel was pretty friendly and had a little trot around. I wouldn't say it was really exciting but it was definitely an interesting experience that I am glad I had.

The Toronto Zoo is huge so I would suggest getting there as close to the opening time as possible and spend the whole day there. When I went, I got there about midday and found that I didn't get to spend a lot of time looking at each exhibit and I was still utterly exhausted at the end of the day.

Although visiting the zoo makes it a long day, it's fantastic that the animals get such large enclosures so they have lots of space to move around. While this is a good thing for the animals, it isn't all that great for the visitors. Especially on hot days, you will probably find that a lot of the animals will be hiding in their enclosures. This is one of the main reasons why I would suggest getting there early because you will have to wait around to see some of the animals. I didn't know it was the world's third largest zoo at the time but once you get there, you will definitely be amazed at the size.

Although the Canadian Domain is massive, it was my favourite section to walk around. This was mainly because I was so interested in everything Canadian while living there. The grizzly bears were so much bigger than what I was expecting but luckily there were in such a large area that they weren't very close at all. Each animal's enclosure had some information in front which was very interesting because it enables everyone to lean exactly where everything comes from and also little facts like what they eat etc.

Unlike some zoos that I have been to, Toronto Zoo seems to take great pride on the size of the exhibits for all of the animals. Not one of them seemed too small or that there were too many animals cramped into a tiny space. This does mean that sometimes the animals are hard to see or right at the back of their enclosure. Even though I didn't get to see all of the animals, I would rather they be comfortable and happy. There were some exhibits/ animals that I was unable to see due to maintenance but that is to be expected when the zoo is open 364 days of the year.

I have been to the zoo in both September and in the middle of summer and as crazy as it sounds, I preferred it in the summer. Although it is busy in the summer, the zoo is over run by school trips during term time and can be quite stressful if you don't want to deal with children running around your feet all day. Even where there are so many kids, the exhibits don't seem to be crowded. I think this is mainly due to the size of the zoo and it takes everyone so long to get around. Some of the animals are more popular than others obviously but I never had to wait more than 10 minutes to get a good look.

There are many food and drink stands around the zoo but they are pretty pricey. At the time I went, it cost around $2 for a bottle of water so I would either suggest taking your own or filling a bottle up at a fountain. If you go in the middle of summer you will need to drink lots as you will be walking around for miles in the sweltering heat.
I had a great day at the Toronto Zoo but there was just too much to see in one day and that's why I went back the next time I was in the city. I don't think the admission prices are too high because of how much time you can spend there. This really is a must do if you ever visit Toronto. Close