With extreme temperatures ranging from sweltering highs to freezing lows, southern Ontario is an especially complex region in which to accommodate animals, and this has always posed an interesting challenge for the Toronto Zoo.
Animal Care Supervisor Oliver Claffey has been with the zoo for 38 years. He's seen his fair share of harsh Ontario winters.
"Especially in the seventies, it was awful. We don't get the winters like we used to," said Claffey, speaking at the Toronto Zoo.
The winters may not be as bitter as Claffey remembers, but a decision was made this year to send the elephants away as a result of the cold climate. This marks one of the most significant changes the zoo has ever made.
"The general thought now is that elephants are probably better off in a warmer climate," explains Claffey.
"I thought for about 20 years since I went to San Diego and saw elephants in this huge 25-acre paddock in the heat that that's a better place for them," he said.
Claffey explains that like any profession, zoo standards change.
"The more we're in it, the more we learn about ourselves, the best practices, and what we can do to support the animals," he said.
Throughout the history of the zoo, the staff has been fastidious about which animals they have chosen to exhibit. The climate in southern Ontario has always been one of the deciding factors.
"We ask ourselves, what will thrive and breed successfully in the exhibits, which animals will be happiest and which animals can easily withstand southern Ontario's climate," said Claffey.
It appears the zoo was successful in its selection, with a surprising number of fascinating animals to be seen outdoors in the winter, playing in the snow.
Surprisingly, camels are one of them. Most people who think of camels assume they're desert dwellers. Well, they are -- but those deserts are not necessarily hot ones. Camels are able to live in some of the harshest environments on earth.
"(Camels) can deal with the changing Ontario climate easily," said Claffey. "This is milder than the climate they're used to naturally," he explains.
The camels kept at the zoo are from the Gobi Desert of Mongolia, where temperatures can range from -40 C to 40 C. By comparison, Toronto is no trouble for these big furry creatures.
"Animals from temperate zones where it gets cold naturally in their climate have evolved and adapted and they even grow a thick coat in the winter," said Claffey.
And though the camels are used to the cold climate, the zoo makes sure they are comfortable if the weather becomes overwhelming.
The camels are provided with a large overhang to prevent the snow from covering the ground. They're also given a den with a big stable to shelter them from the wind. Staff at the zoo will even plow pathways for the camels.
Typically though, they get along just fine in the cold.
"See how their feet flatten out? They've got big feet and that's for deep snow, deep sand. It spreads the weight," explains Claffey, standing beside a group of camels.
The Siberian tigers also stay out year-round, and their only real complaint in the winter may be a frostbitten ear or two should the temperature drop significantly.
"These guys we'd have to watch. If it's – 40 C or something like that, you might have to take them in," said Harry Hofaur, a senior keeper at the zoo.
Unlike the camels, the tigers get locked into their dens every night. A heater in the den and wood shavings in their beds will keep them much warmer than they would be in their natural climate.
Snow leopards, well, they love playing in the snow. They're from the high Himalayas and are used to it.
"We don't clear the snow out here. You want it to be as natural for them as it can be so we've got to just leave it out," said Hofaur.
In fact, the summer is the hardest part of the year for the snow leopards.
"There's hardly any way for them to keep cool in the summer," explains Hofaur.
"But we're not super hot compared to the rest of North America. There are places further south with snow leopards and they probably have more concerns than us," he said.
In the cold, their long furry tails act as scarves.
"They can go into a fetal position, really tuck in, and wrap their tail around them to use as a scarf" said Hofaur.
Generally speaking, all of the animals from the geographic region of Eurasia stay outside year-round.
"These animals from the Himalayas, they're out 24 hours a day. They'll go into a big cave they've got up there with a herd, just as they would in the wild," said Claffey.
He explains that animals like sheep and reindeer will all cuddle up to keep warm.
For animals from Australia and Africa, it's a different story.
Most of the African animals are taken inside for the winter.
"They're out for short periods but generally they're inside and they can be seen in the African pavilion," he said.
In Australia, the wallabies remain outside since they're hearty and live in colder areas, but all of the kangaroos and most other animals are inside for the majority year.
The kangaroos are kept in pens and have access to heated yards. The dens are not open to the public, but Claffey says the keeper will allow families to see the animals should they ask.
"It's good for the kangaroos to see the public or different people, not just people in zoo uniform, because they'll recognize a difference," said Claffey.
"Winter gets kind of quiet, so the more people they see the better."
The area in which the kangaroos are kept seems cramped, especially with so many of them, but Claffey explains they're perfectly happy being in a big group.
"And the reason we keep this particular species of kangaroo is because they're the smallest species," said Claffey.
"In the winter, a lot of the northern climate zoos like us keep this animal because it's smaller, and they're inside for longer periods. "
As for the tropical animals, they're accommodated year-round in large indoor exhibits, and the only real difference between the summer and winter is that temperature and humidity controls will change.
There are more than 5,000 animals kept at the Toronto Zoo, and taking care of them all in harsh weather can be a challenge at times. But it's one the staff is willing to face.
Though the zoo may not be the first place most people think to visit on a wintery day, it certainly shouldn't be the last.
