Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden Cincinnati Zoo News 2023

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I'll probably be visiting this place for the first time soon, any tips? Are any areas of the zoo currently closed?
 
birdsandbats said:
I'll probably be visiting this place for the first time soon, any tips? Are any areas of the zoo currently closed?
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My biggest tip is if you're there right when the zoo opens, go counter clockwise and start the day at Roo Valley. It usually has a line for the remainder of the day after the zoo opens, so best to get it done quick. You'll also be able to get through most of the buildings before they get too packed, (Reptile House, Night Hunters, World of the Insect) while everyone else is starting with the hippos. The most crowded building will end up being Manatee Springs in the middle of the day, but as you get to Birds of the World and Jungle Trails, the crowds should be more spread out. You'll also be able to finish the day in Africa when the hippos are more active towards an hour or so before close.
 
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Joseph G said:
There are so many iterations of their master plan floating around that I can't track any full version of one down (except the original original plans where Elephant Trek would've been an expansion of their current habitat), but I believe they intend to also expand the exhibit outwards towards the entrance plaza so they are the first thing people see when they enter the zoo.
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I'm not sure I've seen a major complex fizzle out as fast as Africa did. The antelope are all but gone, The giraffes are leaving. Save for a nice African wild dog exhibit, it's a poor set of exhibits all around.

I have to wonder if the zoo will re-imagine it a bit when the giraffes leave. The antelope/bird yard is a big piece of land without a lot in it at this point. The okapis will have to go somewhere if/when Rhino Reserve becomes a dedicated rhino complex. The same can be said for bongos and zebras. I look for one or two of those species to slide right into those 2 yards when the giraffes go back up the hill.
 
groundskeeper24 said:
I'm not sure I've seen a major complex fizzle out as fast as Africa did. The antelope are all but gone, The giraffes are leaving. Save for a nice African wild dog exhibit, it's a poor set of exhibits all around.

I have to wonder if the zoo will re-imagine it a bit when the giraffes leave. The antelope/bird yard is a big piece of land without a lot in it at this point. The okapis will have to go somewhere if/when Rhino Reserve becomes a dedicated rhino complex. The same can be said for bongos and zebras. I look for one or two of those species to slide right into those 2 yards when the giraffes go back up the hill.
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Unfortunately, the last mention of a reimagined Rhino Reserve is in an article the zoo posted in 2018 saying it would be completed for 2023. The article also mentions a reimagined polar bear habitat so... I am guessing the sudden need to come up with Bear Ridge/Sea Otter Coast threw a wrench in everything.

There's been a lot more coverage of Elephant Trek which isn't due open for another year and a half (at the soonest) than Bear Ridge/Sea Otter Coast which is only disclosed as being delayed another year on the physical signage at the construction site.

Not that any of us have any grounds to demand it, but I would really appreciate some sort of update on the revised masterplan before the completion of Elephant Trek.
 
Joseph G said:
Unfortunately, the last mention of a reimagined Rhino Reserve is in an article the zoo posted in 2018 saying it would be completed for 2023. The article also mentions a reimagined polar bear habitat so... I am guessing the sudden need to come up with Bear Ridge/Sea Otter Coast threw a wrench in everything.

There's been a lot more coverage of Elephant Trek which isn't due open for another year and a half (at the soonest) than Bear Ridge/Sea Otter Coast which is only disclosed as being delayed another year on the physical signage at the construction site.

Not that any of us have any grounds to demand it, but I would really appreciate some sort of update on the revised masterplan before the completion of Elephant Trek.
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I have no real idea, but the obvious guess is that Elephant Trek is straining the budget.

The bear/otter project is what it is. I really wish they'd do something else with the area.
 
groundskeeper24 said:
I'm not sure I've seen a major complex fizzle out as fast as Africa did. The antelope are all but gone, The giraffes are leaving. Save for a nice African wild dog exhibit, it's a poor set of exhibits all around.

I have to wonder if the zoo will re-imagine it a bit when the giraffes leave. The antelope/bird yard is a big piece of land without a lot in it at this point. The okapis will have to go somewhere if/when Rhino Reserve becomes a dedicated rhino complex. The same can be said for bongos and zebras. I look for one or two of those species to slide right into those 2 yards when the giraffes go back up the hill.
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I hope this isn't derailing the thread, but I'm very, very curious about this now - this is the third or fourth zoo I've recently heard opened what was once a mixed hoofstock African Savanna and was later reduced significantly to focus on giraffe. Brookfield and Lincoln Park underwent this; the other facility is escaping me but I think it was discussed in the Popular Zoo Mammals and Their Exhibits thread recently. I wonder if there's an underlying reason these mixes don't last?
 
JVM said:
I hope this isn't derailing the thread, but I'm very, very curious about this now - this is the third or fourth zoo I've recently heard opened what was once a mixed hoofstock African Savanna and was later reduced significantly to focus on giraffe. Brookfield and Lincoln Park underwent this; the other facility is escaping me but I think it was discussed in the Popular Zoo Mammals and Their Exhibits thread recently. I wonder if there's an underlying reason these mixes don't last?
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The Savannah never had giraffe in it.
 
I’ll be visiting Cincinnati within the week (what are the odds, @birdsandbats :p), and had a few questions regarding some animals on display:

- What would be the best time of day for the best chances to see the following: aye-aye, Coquerel’s sifaka, genet, aardwolf (the main target of the trip), okapi, and Visayan warty pigs?
- What would be the best time of day for the best chances to see Fiona and Fritz the hippos?
- Are there any exhibit complexes/buildings that close early?
- Are there still any civets in Night Hunters?
- What is the current population in the savannah habitat in Africa?
- Will construction of the upcoming bear and elephant exhibits by chance interfere with any of the paths?
 
Milwaukee Man said:
I’ll be visiting Cincinnati within the week (what are the odds, @birdsandbats :p), and had a few questions regarding some animals on display:

- What would be the best time of day for the best chances to see the following: aye-aye, Coquerel’s sifaka, genet, aardwolf (the main target of the trip), okapi, and Visayan warty pigs?
- What would be the best time of day for the best chances to see Fiona and Fritz the hippos?
- Are there any exhibit complexes/buildings that close early?
- Are there still any civets in Night Hunters?
- What is the current population in the savannah habitat in Africa?
- Will construction of the upcoming bear and elephant exhibits by chance interfere with any of the paths?
Click to expand...
We could run into each other! How funny would that be if we ran into each other at Cincinnati before Milwaukee?
 
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