Cleveland Metro Zoo: Introduction

 Ohio has perhaps more amazing zoos than any other state.  Every municipality of note except Dayton have large, modern, and deeply engaged zoos, and so does Akron!  Two of them even have Aquariums: Columbus and Toledo; while Cincinnati comes with a Botanical Garden.  Furthermore Columbus has created a associate sanctuary called The Wilds on land reclaimed from strip mining were larger scale breeding programs can occur with critically endangered species like Pere David's Deer, Przewalski's Wild Horse, and Bactrian Camels.  Perhaps more familiar would be Southern White Rhinoceros and Cheetah.  Ohio is sick with Animal Conservation.

I have been to the Cincinnati Zoo; although it has been years--I'm overdue another trip.  As a child I went to the Toledo Zoo, and again in 2024.  By visiting both the Cleveland Metro Zoo and the Akron Zoo on this trip, I have only the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and The Wilds left to explore.  

The Cleveland Metro Zoo is a large zoo situated on 183 acres.  It opened to the public in 1882, which makes it one of the oldest zoo's in America.  The land that it occupies wraps around a ridge of sorts with areas that extend from the original footprint up the slope.  I give it a moderate rating for Impact on touring and that's because there is a very helpful tram to take you to the highest hill where a satellite set of habitats featuring primates, cheetahs and a small aquarium can be found.  On the other marker it's a high opportunity zoo for seeing animals based upon the sheer number of animals available to see.  There were animals I would have liked to have seen, but didn't AND there were animals I never realized were so utterly amazing, and I got to spend a good amount of time with them.  

To accommodate this visit, I will present it in 5 sections that correspond to the official map.  There are two areas that won't be part of it.  The new Primate Forest which is very much under construction (opening in 2026), and the Waterfowl Lake which I just never got to.

A final note.  The Cleveland Zoo is presently conducting an after hours additional fund-raising event that involves presentations of silk sculptures that light up from within, include both light choreography and some animatronics.  Visits come in the evening after dark to experience that wonder and beauty of the pieces.  

These are just a small portion of all of the sculptures and associated light features.  And they were placed all over the entire zoo.  

When I thought I'd seen the most impressive thing, an even more impressive structure appeared!

In one area a series of Chinese Zodiac presentations provide guests both a reflection on their birth year and a photo opportunity.