Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden Cincinnati Zoo News 2025

Moebelle said:
There's a reason the zoo has two (three if you count there offsite center) areas dedicated to cheetahs. They have an excess amount, I don't know the exact number, but enough to have multiple areas dedicated to cheetahs. Putting them all in one space by Treetops would mean rotating a bunch of big cats in one exhibit vs. rotating several in two spaces.
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To add on to Moebelle's point, the zoo currently has 13 cheetahs at Mast Farm and 9 and the zoo so needs all the space they can for them.
 
I feel like it will be a long time before the zoo holds rhinos after the current ones depart. The giraffes actually have to leave their current yard first, which means that the old elephant holding will need to be completed as the giraffe exhibit. That's not to mention demolition and construction to ready the old giraffe area for rhinos and potentially other Rhino Reserve residents.

The departure of rhinos and to a larger point the final nail in the coffin of the Veldt area is something of an end to an era in Cincinnati. It was once a fairly defining part of the park. Many interesting species have been held there over my lifetime. Now it will apparently become a polar bear/pinniped exhibit (?). I'm sure many will appreciate the change, but I for one am not a big fan. Polar bears area a species that have a poor history as captives. Building an good exhibit for them
requires a lot of innovation and real estate. I would have liked to have seen the valuable space used for something else.
 
groundskeeper24 said:
I feel like it will be a long time before the zoo holds rhinos after the current ones depart. The giraffes actually have to leave their current yard first, which means that the old elephant holding will need to be completed as the giraffe exhibit. That's not to mention demolition and construction to ready the old giraffe area for rhinos and potentially other Rhino Reserve residents.

The departure of rhinos and to a larger point the final nail in the coffin of the Veldt area is something of an end to an era in Cincinnati. It was once a fairly defining part of the park. Many interesting species have been held there over my lifetime. Now it will apparently become a polar bear/pinniped exhibit (?). I'm sure many will appreciate the change, but I for one am not a big fan. Polar bears area a species that have a poor history as captives. Building an good exhibit for them
requires a lot of innovation and real estate. I would have liked to have seen the valuable space used for something else.
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To be fair the polar bear/pinniped concept is simply a rumor and for all we know it’s still being discussed on what they’re going to do with the space. I also totally agree with the giraffes and not seeing rhinos for a while. They are putting all their efforts into finishing the sea otter and black bear area. I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t start the new giraffe exhibit until after they finish the New Mexican Wolf exhibit. All of this to say I won’t be expecting rhinos back at the zoo for at least 3-4 years.
 
groundskeeper24 said:
I feel like it will be a long time before the zoo holds rhinos after the current ones depart. The giraffes actually have to leave their current yard first, which means that the old elephant holding will need to be completed as the giraffe exhibit. That's not to mention demolition and construction to ready the old giraffe area for rhinos and potentially other Rhino Reserve residents.

The departure of rhinos and to a larger point the final nail in the coffin of the Veldt area is something of an end to an era in Cincinnati. It was once a fairly defining part of the park. Many interesting species have been held there over my lifetime. Now it will apparently become a polar bear/pinniped exhibit (?). I'm sure many will appreciate the change, but I for one am not a big fan. Polar bears area a species that have a poor history as captives. Building an good exhibit for them
requires a lot of innovation and real estate. I would have liked to have seen the valuable space used for something else.
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I am one of those that appreciates all these upcoming changes - if of course, the zoo follows through with them as planned. Some of the projects over the last decade+ were either 'meh' (Roo Valley), downright bad (Night Hunters), or it had one glaring flaw to an otherwise amazing exhibit (Hippos). Obviously we all have to wait for these to complete to form viable opinions, but including the Elephant Trek, upcoming Bear Ridge, Wolves, and the semi-rumored exhibits, for the first time, I have faith these won't come with serious criticisms (by the way, I take back what I said about Siamang Point's exhibits being bare and too small, they're actually quite nice - average, but nice).

I honestly don't mind the end of the Veldt, ever since the loss of the Indian rhino, I lost interest, stopped making frequent loops over the last few years, and I'm excited for any changes it may go through. Plus, it sounds like the animals will return someday so I'm not worried about that - just as long as the animals' lives will be improved, and so far that sounds like it will be the case.
 
To add to everyone's great points last December I spoke to the zoo director thane Maynard and we were by the old elephant house so I asked him how many giraffes are going to be in they and he said 15 ok even if they expand the habitat there's not enough room for 15 giraffes but what do you think about this?
 
zoo fan55 said:
To add to everyone's great points last December I spoke to the zoo director thane Maynard and we were by the old elephant house so I asked him how many giraffes are going to be in they and he said 15 ok even if they expand the habitat there's not enough room for 15 giraffes but what do you think about this?
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What's to say there's not enough room for 15 even after an expansion? I imagine he got that specific number from AZA regulations.
 
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Moebelle said:
I am one of those that appreciates all these upcoming changes - if of course, the zoo follows through with them as planned. Some of the projects over the last decade+ were either 'meh' (Roo Valley), downright bad (Night Hunters), or it had one glaring flaw to an otherwise amazing exhibit (Hippos). Obviously we all have to wait for these to complete to form viable opinions, but including the Elephant Trek, upcoming Bear Ridge, Wolves, and the semi-rumored exhibits, for the first time, I have faith these won't come with serious criticisms (by the way, I take back what I said about Siamang Point's exhibits being bare and too small, they're actually quite nice - average, but nice).

I honestly don't mind the end of the Veldt, ever since the loss of the Indian rhino, I lost interest, stopped making frequent loops over the last few years, and I'm excited for any changes it may go through. Plus, it sounds like the animals will return someday so I'm not worried about that - just as long as the animals' lives will be improved, and so far that sounds like it will be the case.
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I suppose that while many species have left the zoo, it's really interesting to see the transformation that it's going through. It will have undergone major changes in what's probably over half of the grounds when this is all over. perhaps there will be some nice surprises along the way.
 
The zoo kicked off their annual May Zoo Babies celebration: Zoo Babies - Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Every zoo born/obtained baby or expecting mother on display temporarily has their own large sign to highlight the new arrivals. As it always has been, some were born recently, others were born/hatched several years ago but still have their juvenile look.

Here's this year's list:

Zola, Lulu, Kiara - Cheetahs
Gladys - Expecting Gorilla
Daisy - Bonobo
Orchid, Vora, Lilypad - Rescued Manatees
Maple - Lesser Kudu
Scamper - Rescued Red Fox (ambassador only)
Kal - Bat-eared Fox (Cheetah Encounter)
Morty - Hognose Snake (Future ambassador)
Frunobulax - Komodo Dragon (hatched in 2021)
Violet - Cape Porcupine (Cheetah Encounter)
Kip - White-cheeked Gibbon adopted by Buff-cheeked Gibbons (born 2022)
Mokonzi - Okapi
Juno - Two-toed Sloth (Now recently moved to the Children's Zoo)
Fritz - Hippo (Born 2022...)
Pickles, Beets, Kimchi - Blue Penguins
Lily & Glacier - Striped Skunks (Ambassador)
Sunburst Diving Beetles
Thorny Devil Walking Stick
Dead Leaf Mantis
Armadillo lizard
Aruba Island Rattlesnake
Rhinoceros viper
 
Moebelle said:
The zoo kicked off their annual May Zoo Babies celebration: Zoo Babies - Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Every zoo born/obtained baby or expecting mother on display temporarily has their own large sign to highlight the new arrivals. As it always has been, some were born recently, others were born/hatched several years ago but still have their juvenile look.

Here's this year's list:

Zola, Lulu, Kiara - Cheetahs
Gladys - Expecting Gorilla
Daisy - Bonobo
Orchid, Vora, Lilypad - Rescued Manatees
Maple - Lesser Kudu
Scamper - Rescued Red Fox (ambassador only)
Kal - Bat-eared Fox (Cheetah Encounter)
Morty - Hognose Snake (Future ambassador)
Frunobulax - Komodo Dragon (hatched in 2021)
Violet - Cape Porcupine (Cheetah Encounter)
Kip - White-cheeked Gibbon adopted by Buff-cheeked Gibbons (born 2022)
Mokonzi - Okapi
Juno - Two-toed Sloth (Now recently moved to the Children's Zoo)
Fritz - Hippo (Born 2022...)
Pickles, Beets, Kimchi - Blue Penguins
Lily & Glacier - Striped Skunks (Ambassador)
Sunburst Diving Beetles
Thorny Devil Walking Stick
Dead Leaf Mantis
Armadillo lizard
Aruba Island Rattlesnake
Rhinoceros viper
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Just a small edit. I think you forgot to mention that Munti, the female Asian Small Clawed Otter, is also pregnant and expecting (I believe they said by the end of May is when she’s expected to give birth).
 
ZooNerd said:
Just a small edit. I think you forgot to mention that Munti, the female Asian Small Clawed Otter, is also pregnant and expecting (I believe they said by the end of May is when she’s expected to give birth).
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Yep! I did, realized it before it was too late :) I got the list from the link above and only remembered that Glady was expecting (who is not mentioned in the link).
 
Also the birds not the hornbills are off exhibit I think because of the kids keep climbing on the exhibit fence and scaring the birds
 
The magpies have not arrived yet but the pheasants are back out on exhibit now.

Just a few other happenings around the zoo:

- Both black rhinos have been moved to the old elephant barn
- The wall between their former habitats in rhino reserve has been torn down and renovations are currently taking place on it (not sure what for)
- South America habitat is finished and animals should be moved in shortly
 
Toledo Zoo Guide said:
Can you still walk all around the old elephant reserve, and if so how many people still walk around it traffic wise?
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You can, the black rhinos currently live in the old bull elephant part of the barn which is not visible so there is nothing up there right now to see besides some construction material being stored in the elephant yards but it is a nice space if you want to get away from the crowds as no one goes up there.
 
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