Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Cleveland Metroparks Zoo News 2018

blospz said:
Asian Highlands Review

Pros:
  • The visitor areas are nicely themed and there are well placed graphics.
  • Borrowing from the idea of Philadelphia Zoo's 360 Zoo Trails, the snow leopards have access to walk above the moon doorways into the main viewing area. This high spot to view their surroundings is perfect for the big cats. One of the snow leopards was fascinated by the red crowned crane next door.
  • The snow leopards have a view of the forest behind them. This can keep them intrigued with the wild critters that may be moving about.
  • Platforms provide more vertical space for the inhabitants and allow the snow leopards to get into their exhibits from their holding building.
  • Sameera had access to the snow leopard cub yard giving her more space to roam.
  • Shading material has been added to parts of the top of the exhibit to eliminate heat for the inhabitants.
  • The wood from the platforms and walkways was recycled from trees they had to cut down to make space for the exhibit.
  • Air controlled caves and logs are placed in front of windows for visitors to view animals when they rest on warm days.
  • Volunteers are monitoring the activity of the animals and reporting back to the keepers to help enrich the animals and make them less stressed with the new surroundings.
  • I always think its an inconvenience to go to the PCA building, either walking or waiting for the tram. Then you get up there to ugly, outdated exhibits. This new area makes it easier to see these beautiful animals and their surroundings are nicer too.
Cons
  • The wooden platforms and walkways distract from a natural look for the exhibits.
  • The exhibits should hopefully approve with age when the trees grow in the exhibit. Right now, the exhibits look a bit bare/basic. I would have loved if the vertical space in the snow leopard exhibits included more of the hillside or a rocky cliff feature.
  • They say all exhibits provide more space for the inhabitants, but I feel like the red pandas lost space. They definitely lost more vertical space from their former exhibit. The width of the exhibit almost looks the same, or maybe a bit less than what they had before.
  • Right now the takin yard has an ugly black tarp around part of its barrier. Apparently one of the takins tried to knock down one of the poles so they put up the tarp to lessen their view of visitors. Within time, the tarp will be taken down. I almost wish that the takins had more climbing structures as well.
On a side note, visitors may be worried about the female red panda who's tail and back side is missing its normal thick fur. She apparently over groomed her last set of cubs and herself and the fur is growing back.
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I wish there would have been at least one rock ledge on each exhibit like Akron has on the side of the building. There is not a lot of steep vertical height.
 
Jaxton said:
Are they planning on a breeding program.
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African Elephant Crossing was designed for a breeding herd. You can see a lot of those elements in the exhibit, i.e. the pool can be sectioned of to just the shallow portions in the event of a calf running around. But I think the SSP for African elephants decided to focus on adding older females to the current herd rather than try to add new females of breeding age. I know Brain Zimmerman - the CEO of Cleveland Metroparks - is adamant about an elephant breeding program, but it's not his call.
CMZ has (and remains to have) one of the oldest populations of zoo animals. It's a real testament to the dedication and expertise of the staff that so many animals have lived so long - Blackie was one of the oldest hippos in captivity when he passed a few years ago, Mokolo living as long as he has with diabetes, etc. But that's not as fun or attention-grabbing as babies so you never hear about it.
 
As I think about the money being spent on looking at updating the Rainforest, I wonder long-term what the goal is for that area. At one point they talked about reconfiguring the whole entrance area, with the new welcome plaza, I'm not sure how that would work now. Inside, the walk and ambiance is very well done with the water fall and the flora makes you really feel immersed. The exhibits need some rethinking though, just a lot of small animals on the lower level, which is fine, but I wonder if they can be presented in a better way. The bat exhibit is cool though. Upstairs, the best part is walking through the the middle with the birds and anteater. The Orangutan exhibit is in the center and does not look great. Otters are a nice touch on the other side along with the upper level of the monkey exhibit. Not sure what can be done to drastically change anything without a major gutting of the way the floor plan works. I guess part of me wishes that all of the lower level was more like the initial walk through the trees and vines and keep the upper level the same with a renovated orangutan pen.
 
jibster said:
I am glad clouded leopards are returning to CMZ's collection, but I wish they would get a better exhibit than their old one in the Rain Forest (or the one in PCA where they were for years before that). The Rain Forest exhibit is too small and lacks any meaningful vertical space.
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Having seen this exhibit today, I would have to concur with what you write. I would suggest that, as a enclosure for a medium-sized cat, this is almost totally inadequate. Clearly, those who work at the zoo are trying their very hardest – there was lots of interesting looking enrichment within the exhibit – but, overall, not a good area! Mind you, the same could be said of the enclosures for fishing cat, ocelot, langurs, orangutan...
 
sooty mangabey said:
Having seen this exhibit today, I would have to concur with what you write. I would suggest that, as a enclosure for a medium-sized cat, this is almost totally inadequate. Clearly, those who work at the zoo are trying their very hardest – there was lots of interesting looking enrichment within the exhibit – but, overall, not a good area! Mind you, the same could be said of the enclosures for fishing cat, ocelot, langurs, orangutan...
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Don’t get me talking about the orangutan exhibit. So many issues to list. The RainForest as a whole has so much wasted space. Mind you, so does the zoo as a whole. The orangutans are friends and they are the only reason I go in the RainForest every visit. Otherwise, I would not.
 
There were only two onagers out when I went to the Asian Highlands. It was the females. He may have went back to the Wilds. Both females looked pregnant. I do not know if the other is pregnant.
 
TigerValley98 said:
There were only two onagers out when I went to the Asian Highlands. It was the females. He may have went back to the Wilds. Both females looked pregnant. I do not know if the other is pregnant.
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I believe he did return to the Wilds. Also, both females looked very pregnant to me when I went last month so I wouldn't be surprise if the other female gives birth any day now.
 
Before I make any assumptions in my next episode, with the opening of Asian Highlands, are red pandas no longer part of the PCA?
 
Moebelle said:
Before I make any assumptions in my next episode, with the opening of Asian Highlands, are red pandas no longer part of the PCA?
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There exhibit was empty the day Asian Highlands opened. The zoo was evaluating what to do with the red panda and snow leopard exhibit.
 
Moebelle said:
Before I make any assumptions in my next episode, with the opening of Asian Highlands, are red pandas no longer part of the PCA?
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A keeper to whom I spoke suggested that the erstwhile Snow Leopard and Red Panda exhibits may be turned over to the Fossa - but I think this was a possibility rather than a certainty....
 
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