Toledo Zoo: Odds & Ends

 Winding up in this area (M) as the zoo was closing and we were about to be shooed out we dashed about grabbing parting glances.  Most of the animals were off exhibit by then.  It was an extension of the African Elephants, Hippopotamus, Tasmanian Devil, Kodiak & Grizzly Bears and Indian Rhinoceros that we DIDN'T see.  And so here we didn't see Snow Leopards, Dingoes, and Andean Spectacled Bears.  

The area is generally listed on the website as "Tiger Terrace," and we did get to see Amur Tigers!  A large female and her adolescent cubs were present.  The cubs had just bounded outside when we arrived.  They were born back in October. Titan, their father, was transferred to the Toledo Zoo via a SSP recommendation for the purpose of mating with Talya.  Once the deed was done, he left for other opportunities.  This sort of Tiger "hook-up" is absolutely a recreation in captivity of the way it works in the wild--the only difference being the love connections maximize genetic diversity within the species.

Next door as it were a pair of North American Mountain Lions were also out (apparently, the zoo does not have African Lions among it's charge.)

And finally, a large area with waterbirds, most notably flamingos. The Toledo Zoo is home to a descent flock of Caribbean Flamingos (Pheonicopterus ruber).  There were also five or more White Storks (Ciconia ciconia), a species or two of exotic ducks I did not recognize and the ubiquitous 'volunteer' Sea Gull.  The Maryland Zoo has one that hangs out with our Penguins!  

With such a long list of animals we did not get to see here and in other areas of the zoo, a return trip would seem in order.  If I am fortunate enough to do that, I know where to start this time, and where to look for the things I was unaware of all over the zoo.

The entrance to Tiger Terrace, and area renovated mid-to-late 2010's (2015-2018)

Amur Tiger

Panthera t. tigris 

Close up of Talya, the mother tiger soaking up the warm sun.

Her cubs born in mid-October of 2023; Ember and Ash.  Ash is the cuter one!--IMHO  Both of the cubs are females.  

I saw two Mountain Lions in the neighboring habitat; however, I understand there are three siblings present here.  All were rescued as cubs and arrived at the zoo in 2017.

The large waterfowl aviary

Caribbean Flamingo

Pheonicopterus ruber

A parting glance at this area of the zoo from the highway crosswalk.