Extreme weather drives Toronto Zoo attendance below targets in 2026
Wildfire smoke, heat and a snowy winter led to a nine per cent drop in visitors by the end of September, zoo officials say.
TORONTO — Extreme weather has resulted in fewer visits to the Toronto Zoo so far this year, according to a report submitted to the city Thursday.
Wildfire smoke along with extreme heat in July is the main culprit, as it depressed visits for the first three weeks of what is a crucial month for the zoo, said Jamie Austin, the zoo’s chief transformation officer.
“When there are advisories for people to avoid the amount of time they’re spending outdoors, a trip to the zoo just isn’t on the top of their list,” he said.
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In mid-July, smoke from fires burning in northern Ontario drifted over Toronto, causing the city to have some of the world's worst air quality. July visitor figures are 14 per cent below the zoo’s targets.
By the end of September, 1,095,286 people had visited the zoo in 2026, which is nine per cent below the predicted target.
Austin said the first few months of the year featured a cold, long, snowy winter. “We had a couple of closures due to snow accumulation on site; it just wasn’t safe to open. That’s very rare in the zoo’s history,” he said.
What followed winter was a cool, rainy spring that also did not encourage extended time outdoors.
But now into the fall, above-target visitor numbers through September are indicating the zoo will have a strong October, said Austin. September saw close to 162,000 guests visit the zoo, which is 13 per cent higher than predicted.
Events at the zoo like the Glow in the Wild lantern festival happening Thursdays through Sundays until January 2027 are drawing visitors.
Regardless, Austin said preparations are ongoing to make the zoo more of an attraction that is not so reliant on the summer season.
“We’re looking long-term at how to make the site more resilient to things like climate change and make it more comfortable for guests to be here year-round, no matter the weather and no matter the time of year,” he said.
Yet guests remain relatively exposed to the elements within the facility’s Rouge National Urban Park campus that features exposed outdoor trails.
Climate change was also on the zoo’s radar when examining a drop in 2025’s attendance. Zoo visits in 2025 reached just over 1.25 million, down from about 1.36 million in 2024. In January, zoo CEO Dolf DeJong said 2025 heat waves and an ice storm in November that year also hurt demand.
The long-term vision for the zoo will increase the site’s resilience for animals and visitors, said Austin. That involves cooling stations, warming stations and more shading and shelter.
For now, Austin said he wants to encourage residents to visit this fall as they welcome new animals, including a baby wombat.
“I’d say it’s my favorite time of year to visit the zoo. The comfortable weather, the beautiful colors as the trees change and active animals…we’re seeing good attendance,” he said.
With files from Global News