One Of The World's Most Diverse Zoos Is A Must-Visit On A Trip To This Canadian Destination

If you're ready to answer the call of the wild, a trip to one of the world's most diverse zoos is in order. The Toronto Zoo is a renowned facility next to Rouge National Urban Park and attracts nearly 1.3 million visitors per year. With close to 6,000 animal residents across hundreds of species and seven geographical zones, the Toronto Zoo takes you on a journey around the world in a single afternoon. Similar to the best-rated zoos in the Midwest, this facility is not just about admiring beautiful creatures — it's a place with a much deeper purpose. In addition to providing its animals with comprehensive and high-quality care, the zoo is at the forefront of conservation efforts to restore critically endangered animal populations and create change in the global fight against extinction.

The Toronto Zoo is located just outside of the multicultural city of Toronto, which is Canada's biggest city. Once you've explored the zoo and the sprawling Rouge National Urban Park, a few days exploring the city center is an absolute must. Positioned on the shores of Lake Ontario, Toronto is famous for being a city that has it all.

A trip to the Toronto Zoo is essential for animal lovers eager to add more wildlife sightings to their checklist. The zoo spans 710 acres and is home to more than 5,800 animals across 495 species. The animals live in seven distinct areas throughout the zoo: Africa (Rainforest and Savanna), Indo-Malaya, Canadian Domain, Tundra Trek, Australasia, Eurasia Wilds, and the Americas. The largest resident is Samson, the male river hippo, who is 13 feet long, 5 feet tall, and a whopping 4,500 pounds. The smallest is a leaf-cutter worker ant, which is only about 0.3 inches in size.

Instead of observing your favorite creatures from afar, you can upgrade your visit by taking a Wild Encounters experience. These tours allow you to get up close to many of the zoo's most extraordinary animals, including camels, giraffes, gorillas, hippos, polar bears, and adorable meerkats. Some of the Wild Encounters are more immersive, allowing you to hand-feed capybaras and kangaroos.

The Toronto Zoo is deeply committed to giving the animals in their care an excellent quality of life. It uses an evidence-based animal welfare strategy as the basis for all of their initiatives, including providing the animals with species-suitable diets, opportunities to self-maintain their environment, high-quality healthcare, social enrichment, and mental stimulation. However, the zoo has an even greater mission that extends far beyond its facilities. The Toronto Wildlife Conservancy runs a variety of programs dedicated to saving as many species as possible from extinction and reconnecting the public with nature. The zoo has released thousands of critically endangered Canadian species back into the wild.

Although one of Canada's best national parks is an underrated paradise of shimmering lakes, Rouge National Urban Park offers a rich natural history and diverse scenery. This 19,500-acre reserve happens to be one of the largest urban parks in the continent. You will not regret spending an afternoon hiking this beautiful park. Along with its location to the zoo, Rouge National Park is home to the ZooShare biogas plant, a facility that turns animal waste into clean, renewable energy that powers the city.

The zoo is about 22 miles outside of Toronto's city center, but getting downtown is easy by car or public transit. Between the hippie boho flair of Kensington Market and the unparalleled nightlife of the Entertainment District, Toronto is a vibrant multicultural destination with endless things to do and places to see. Aside from the iconic CN Tower, some of the city's famed attractions include the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Royal Ontario Museum, Casa Loma, Ripley's Aquarium, and the St. Lawrence Market Complex. With a trip to the zoo and Toronto's downtown, you can experience the best of the real-life jungle and the concrete jungle all in one weekend. To escape the city, head to Bruce Peninsula National Park, which is considered one of the best summer vacation spots in North America.