The keeper is challenging the cheetah with a contraption that is a thing tied to a line that is basically a big cat toy. Cat sees thing moving, cat runs after it. đŸ˜€
If you ever go to the zoo, do plan visits around the keeper talks. Always something interesting to learn. Such as sometimes nature provides the enrichment. One day, apparently a Canada Goose landed in this area & was not fast enough &...the cheetah stayed out overnight with its acquired dinner.
It amazes me that 1) people are surprised the African animals are mostly not available in their publicly-viewed pastures in the winter; 2) that the lions, cheetahs, hyenas are usually out. The keepers say that they are given a choice of staying indoors or going outdoors and they usually chose to go outdoors. These animals were born at the zoo, so not just taken off the plains of Africa and thrown into Canadian snow. And they have caves with heated pads. :)
For some reason baby cheetahs are called cubs, not kittens. It was fun watching a litter grow up at the Toronto Zoo, and I was surprised to see them climbing this tree. Live and learn. :)
This tree was too far from the edge of the enclosure to jump out, fortunately. Unlike the new orangutan facility that opened a few years ago, that did allow an enterprising orangutan to happily frolic in treetops outside its domain.
This is cool. Look at the end of the stick the singing frog is standing on.
And if that is a female frog behind the singing one, success!
The Toronto Zoo is an amazing place not only for the exotic animals. A lot of natural habitat exists, with a lot of nature. :)
This was taken through very smudgy plexiglass. She was close enough to boop. :)
Carolyn
