I have not been around long enough to see the growth and change in the zoo that you have but I would disagree with your above statement. The zoo has changed a lot over the last twenty years and overall become a better zoo in my opinion. Keeping rare species in small cages is maybe appealing to people just wanting to see a nice collection but is a terrible way to run a zoo. The zoo's current primary focus is education, something that was not as present 20 years ago. The new additions have not only created better welfare for the inhabitants of the Cincinnati Zoo but allowed for more conservation based education and connections between visitors and wildlife.
Take the the new Roo Valley for example which many zoochaters are upset with. Roo Valley allows people to get up close with kangaroos and form connections with them which could not have been made in a line of hoofstock enclosures. Each visit to the walkabout is unique and educational, allowing for visitors to have a fun experience while learning about such charismatic wildlife. Before this the zoo had no habitat that allowed visitors to learn about Australian wildlife so through this the people of Cincinnati can learn all about a new place in the world as well as the threats facing it. Every guest it seems comes out of Roo Valley with a big smile on their face talking to each other about how amazing that encounter was and everything they’ve learned. This incredible educational opportunity also allowed the zoo to provide a better home for their colony of little blue penguins.
That is why I believe that so many of us zoo nerds have not liked Cincinnati’s progress over the last 20 years as it does not appeal to us. What we have to remember though is that a zoo's goal should always be conservation and education which the Cincinnati Zoo has done a great job with over the last two decades. Their mission is to educate the public about wildlife and inspire them to care for our planet. As zoochaters we do not care for this as much but more for unique exhibits and collections. The average zoo visitor is not going to the zoo for this but rather to be entertained, learn about, and form connections with our natural world.
So I would argue that the Cincinnati Zoo has done a great job of turning a menagerie into a educational and fun experience for their primary audience, the general public, which has truly impacted our city and taught people to be better stewards of the earth. Now nothing any zoo does is perfect and I might be biased due to my profession in conservation biology but overall the Cincinnati Zoo's changes have been great for the community, city, and conservation as a whole and maybe it’s just us that need to change our views?
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