Toronto Zoo to allow paid naming rights. The Toronto Zoo may soon be emblazoned with the names of rich individuals and logos of big corporations. This is because the zoo’s board of management has voted to approve a new naming rights policy that will allow both individuals and corporations to make an offer to have a facility named after them.
According to a report presented at the February board meeting, “eligible assets [for naming] may include: buildings (e.g., pavilions, learning centres), habitats/exhibits, trails and nodes, plazas and entrances, amphitheatres, viewing platforms, transportation assets (e.g., shuttles), and program spaces (e.g., laboratories, classrooms, event spaces) from among Zoo Property.”
This means basically every part of the spacious City-owned public facility will now be up for grabs. The only restrictions on the policy is any naming that get in the way of their “ability to manage Zoo party, support clear wayfinding, and not impair emergency response or service delivery.”
Toronto Zoo President and CEO Dolf DeJong will have the authority to consider all naming rights and proposals and negotiate with the contributor for the terms of the deal. DeJong will have the ability to reject any proposal.
The Toronto Zoo had a drop in attendance in 2025, with 100,000 fewer visitors attending than in the previous year. While visits had been declining from the 2016 number of 1.3 million, numbers had been bouncing back after the pandemic. The zoo has recently been exploring new ways to strengthen revenue, including making their facilities more welcoming for rentals like parties and weddings.
