Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden Cincinnati Zoo News 2025

@ZooNerd Is it like a moat? Or like mesh? Is it similar to the fencing for the giraffes and the savannah area, or is the fencing like horizontal? Sorry if it's a bit confusing
 
HawkAlot said:
A shame that this space is being used for black bear, when it could be better utilized for sloth or andean and actually contribute to something beyond display.
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The entire region is aiming for a North American rebrand according to the now former director. Andean/Sloth doesn't make sense being next to sea otters and skunks (and others in the future). You could argue that sea otters don't need to be part of it to avoid a North America theme, but the old polar bear expansion habitat looks like it was built for them - so they didn't have to change things too much to the exhibit itself.

The animal and guest spaces are now complete, and it looks fantastic, especially since foliage was given the chance to grow. As an added bonus, the addition of Bear Ridge and Sea Otter Coast means the zoo now has two more spaces for rescues.
 
Moebelle said:
The entire region is aiming for a North American rebrand according to the now former director. Andean/Sloth doesn't make sense being next to sea otters and skunks (and others in the future). You could argue that sea otters don't need to be part of it to avoid a North America theme, but the old polar bear expansion habitat looks like it was built for them - so they didn't have to change things too much to the exhibit itself.

The animal and guest spaces are now complete, and it looks fantastic, especially since foliage was given the chance to grow. As an added bonus, the addition of Bear Ridge and Sea Otter Coast means the zoo now has two more spaces for rescues.
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I just wanted to mention that sea otters are a Eurasian species as well since the nominate - and largest - subspecies (Enhydra lutris lutris) is native to the coasts of northern Japan and eastern Russia, so they could potentially be part of a geographical exhibit with Asian bear species such as Ursus thibetanus or even - if it's an ambitious exhibit showcasing the entire range of the Asian continent's fauna - sloth bears and sun bears. Of course the current captive population is drawn entirely from the Alaskan and Californian subspecies (the only facility to ever hold the Eurasian sea otter subspecies is the Sunshine Aquarium in Tokyo), but those details have never been a big deal for zoo exhibits.

In any case, right now the zoo is going with a North American theme, and I agree that it looks fantastic and opens up space for more rescues. I also agree with the other poster who said that American black bears have the right to be in zoos as much as any other species.
 
Couple other points:
  • I am torn about one of the former grottos being a plaza/nature play area, however from a logistical standpoint it makes sense to alleviate congestion and provide ample space to view the bears.
  • There's only one yard that's available, which works well for rescued bear species, not so much for SSP bears (in terms of modern facilities - which would need multiple spaces to provide ample outdoor access for a boar and sow/cubs respectively). With the knowledge of how limited the behind the scenes facility was back when polar bears were being floated for that space, even for other SSP bears those issues still arise.
  • Comparing plains zebras and African leopards to American black bears is a false equivalency. Amur leopards need all the holders they can get as do Hartmann's mountain and Grevy's zebras, and nuisance bears need good homes. The wild is shrinking for species worldwide, and any way of helping our native ecosystems out is just as paramount to a zoo's overall mission.
 
I don’t mind as much anymore but I’ll admit I was a bit disappointed about the news of black bears coming at first since for a while I could have sworn Andean bears were originally announced for the area. But I think I might have been mistaking it for another zoo, did St. Louis make a new exhibit for their Andean bear?

Tbh I still think the small patch of area probably could have been rethemed into a South American/Andean range exhibit. Returned the bear exhibit into a gorgeous Andean mountain themed exhibit with a gorgeous “Expedition Peru Trek of the Andean Bear” level themed complex, with the adjacent sea otter exhibit being repurposed into a giant otter habitat, and the area overall being rethemed into with lush South American foliage. Might have fit with the nearby tropical theme with the nearby primate jungle too.
 
BenFoxster said:
I don’t mind as much anymore but I’ll admit I was a bit disappointed about the news of black bears coming at first since for a while I could have sworn Andean bears were originally announced for the area. But I think I might have been mistaking it for another zoo, did St. Louis make a new exhibit for their Andean bear?

Tbh I still think the small patch of area probably could have been rethemed into a South American/Andean range exhibit. Returned the bear exhibit into a gorgeous Andean mountain themed exhibit with a gorgeous “Expedition Peru Trek of the Andean Bear” level themed complex, with the adjacent sea otter exhibit being repurposed into a giant otter habitat, and the area overall being rethemed into with lush South American foliage. Might have fit with the nearby tropical theme with the nearby primate jungle too.
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California residents might be surprised to learn this because they take them for granted to some extent, but among the various Carnivora species under discussion, sea otters are actually the rarest in captivity:

Sea otter - 14 holdings in the US (Cincinnati will make 15) + 1 in Canada + 4 in Europe + 1 in Japan + 1 in Abu Dhabi = 21 total.

Giant otter - 12 holdings in the US + 25 or 26 in Europe + 1 in Singapore + around 17 in Latin America = around 55 total.

Sloth bear - 18 holdings in the US + 10 in Europe + 1 in Singapore + around 17 in other Asian countries = around 46 total.

Andean/Spectacled bear - 19 holdings in the US + 23 in Europe + 3 in Japan + another 30 in Latin America = around 75 total.

Sun bear - 7 holdings in the US + 15 or 16 in Europe + 5 in Australia/NZ + 5 in Japan + 2 in Singapore + around 40 in other Asian countries = around 75 total.

American black bear - Around 170 holdings in North America alone + another 20-22 in Europe + 5 in Asia = around 200 total. It's definitely a lot.

I'm admittedly not familiar with the Latin American or Asian facilities (outside of Japan and Singapore) listed on Zootierliste, but even if you remove most of them, the initial claim and general pattern persists: sea otters are still relatively rare in captivity and since they are endangered and often can't be released back into the wild, more spaces in zoos for sea otters should be welcomed.
 
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I’m doing a little bit of lion family research just for fun and am hoping someone can help me! I think the zoo currently houses 15 year old John and 14 year old Imani. I know they had a litter of 3 cubs in 2014. I see that 2 of the cubs, Uma and Willa, went to a sanctuary in 2018. What happened to the other lion, Kya?
 
Sango said:
I’m doing a little bit of lion family research just for fun and am hoping someone can help me! I think the zoo currently houses 15 year old John and 14 year old Imani. I know they had a litter of 3 cubs in 2014. I see that 2 of the cubs, Uma and Willa, went to a sanctuary in 2018. What happened to the other lion, Kya?
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She passed away.
 
Sango said:
I’m doing a little bit of lion family research just for fun and am hoping someone can help me! I think the zoo currently houses 15 year old John and 14 year old Imani. I know they had a litter of 3 cubs in 2014. I see that 2 of the cubs, Uma and Willa, went to a sanctuary in 2018. What happened to the other lion, Kya?
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What sanctuary did they move to? I remember them leaving and the zoo not announcing it but never knew where they ended up.
 
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