Toronto Zoo roars with tales of animal adventures and new toys

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The Toronto Zoo was roaring with excitement on Saturday.

As part of the zoo’s World Lion Day activities, toy manufacturer Schleich let kids take centre stage with the Let Your Imagination Run Wild event, a craft and live storytelling program.

Kids took the stage (with some help from MC Hayley Podschun) and their selection of animal friends and wove tales of animal adventures in exchange for a new animal buddy to take home.

The event coincided with the launch of Schleich’s brand new product line of sustainable animal figures. In partnership with the Toronto Zoo, the new Cradle to Cradle certified figurines will be available exclusively at the zoo’s gift shops. Three animals — the bonobo, sea turtle, and of course, a lion — were chosen as the first to be made with Cradle to Cradle certification.

“The only physical place you can get these is at the Toronto Zoo,” explained Kelli Masilun, senior director of marketing for Schleich North America.

Regular visitors to the zoo will know the giant lion figure inside the Zootique, a large-scale creation of Schleich’s. However, for more portable varieties, the smaller animals include a vast array of species.

Masilun said the company will be transitioning each of its figures to Cradle to Cradle certified in the coming years. The certification process ensures products are recyclable, so when kids are finished playing with them, the animals can have a new life as a shark, tiger, or raccoon. The company plans to have all their animal figures as part of the program by 2030.

Saturday saw 20% of Schleich proceeds at the two zoo shops donated to the Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy. The conservancy aims to fight extinction by raising funds toward programs such as breeding and reintroducing endangered animals to their native habitats.

With lions currently listed as “vulnerable” on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, World Lion Day, observed annually on Aug. 10, is held to raise awareness of declining lion populations.

According to World Animal Protection, the population of African lions has dropped by 43% since 2001. The Toronto Zoo is home to three lions, Fintan, Makali, and Lemon, who make their homes in the Africa area.