Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden Dragons!

tigertiger

tigertiger

Well-Known Member
Trolling on the Cincinnati Zoo website for info about their Penguin Days event, I found this tidbit:

Dragons!
Opening June 5, 2010
Dragons! is an exciting new exhibit that features the largest, longest, smallest and some of the most colorful monitor lizards in the world.

As someone who loves dragons, I'm super excited. Anyone know anything about this like what types, where this'll be in the zoo (the old anteater exhibit? Doesn't make much sense though...) or really anything?
 
tigertiger said:
Trolling on the Cincinnati Zoo website for info about their Penguin Days event, I found this tidbit:

Dragons!
Opening June 5, 2010
Dragons! is an exciting new exhibit that features the largest, longest, smallest and some of the most colorful monitor lizards in the world.

As someone who loves dragons, I'm super excited. Anyone know anything about this like what types, where this'll be in the zoo (the old anteater exhibit? Doesn't make much sense though...) or really anything?
Click to expand...

The largest monitor would mean the return of komodos to cincy, longest would be croc montior, smallest would be short-tailed goanna and colorful, I would guess, blue, green, yellow tree monitors and maybe blue-tails as well. I am also very interested to see a species list for this exhibit.
 
This sounds quite interesting. When I was there a few weeks ago for The Festival of Lights on the door to the old Giant Anteater exhibit is said that the exhibit was being renovated for amazing new animals. I'm pretty sure this is what they were talking about.
 
Awesome! Monitors are my favorite (well, hyenas, too). I hope they have some cool setups for them. Someone at the zoo told me they were going to put croc monitors in the old Komodo exhibit. Maybe this was coming down the pipe. Also, maybe if it's permanent it could be a setup to the closure of the old Reptile House.
 
That's a good point: the anteater exhibit used to be the komodo home before my time.

It would be great if this was a transition to closing the reptile house (and what is that weird pool behind the building?!?!) but I can't see that. That building really should be like the passenger building and be a 'monument' to the zoo or hold a small area of animals (would make a great mouse house or expanded collection of frogs with some work). I've been told Cincy has a great selection of reptiles behind the scenes. I can't imagine anywhere they'd be able to put this other than the komodo/anteater old exhibit but the little tidbit makes it sound more like a multi animal exhibit and well...to be frank...that exhibit space fits one animal or a few in one display. Can't imagine them sticking a bunch of monitors in an exhibit and taking over a year to do it.
 
Well, they already have 2 species of crocodilians, tortoises, alligator snappers and snakes in the manatee building. There's a radiated tortoise in Jungle Trails. There are also a couple of reptiles (iguanas, swifts) in Wings of the World Exhibit. You said, I believe, that you heard there was going to be a snake exhibit in the Cat House. They may just decide to scatter the herps around the park. All they'd need to do is find a good spot for those baby Galapagos tortoises in the reptile house. That little tank won't hold those guys forever!
 
This sounds pretty cool, I'm heading down to Cinncinati in June I can't wait to see the zoo, this'll be great.
 
Good news and other Cincy updates:

1. Looks like the Okapi yard is being expanded (saw Okapi out today) into the form goose/pig exhibit.
2. Manatees will be back in Spring....well, new ones with an exhibit upgrade.
3. Speaking of upgrades, the children's zoo is getting a total revamp. For those familiar, the area from the little penguins/goose exhibit, nursery, barn animals to the sea lion is closed off and ripped up.
4. The zoo map promises komodo's again as part of the dragon exhibit!!!!
5. Speaking of exciting, the summer promises an expanded cheetah encounter exhibit. I'm excited!!!
 
Good! I'm so glad they are expanding the Okapi exhibit! It was so small before. Not nearly big enough for the animals it housed. After they moved the Okapis there I always wondered why they didn't tear down the wall inbetween their exhibit and the Red River Hog exhibit seeing as they already have one Red River Hog exhibit in Wildlife Canyon.

The revamping of the Children's Zoo is good news as well. I can't wait to see what they do with it!
 
I saw them tearing that wall down in November. I hope it turns out as nice as the exhibit the okapis had in Vanishing Giants.
 
the Zoo now has a website for the dragons Exhibit opening soon

Dragons! Cincinnati Zoo
Cincinnati Zoo's Dragons! | Facebook

On June 5, Zoo visitors will get the chance to experience Dragons! and come face to face with several of the coolest monitor lizards the Zoo has ever seen

green tree monitor
crocodile monitor
Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), which will be the main species featured in the Zoo's newest exhibit

the one they have Hudo is the gradson of Nada (the original Komodo Dragon)
 
Dragons was actually quite the nice surprise. Small (obviously, if you were familiar with the renovated space) but actually quite nice. One small terrarium when you walk in for a tiny monitor, two much larger ones for a bit bigger monitors, one giant one for (I believe...) the croc monitor and then the renovated main space for the star of the show (komodo). Lots of enrichment for the big boy (we actually couldn't find him but his keeper assured us he was in his exhibit).

Obviously not worth making a trip to Cincy for but a great year for new exhibits with this, the new Children's Zoo, the new flamingo exhibit (really cool, actually) and the gorgeous new cheetah run with 40% more space for visitor and animal.
 
Dragons was actually quite the nice surprise. Small (obviously, if you were familiar with the renovated space) but actually quite nice. One small terrarium when you walk in for a tiny monitor, two much larger ones for a bit bigger monitors, one giant one for (I believe...) the croc monitor and then the renovated main space for the star of the show (komodo). Lots of enrichment for the big boy (we actually couldn't find him but his keeper assured us he was in his exhibit).

Obviously not worth making a trip to Cincy for but a great year for new exhibits with this, the new Children's Zoo, the new flamingo exhibit (really cool, actually) and the gorgeous new cheetah run with 40% more space for visitor and animal.
 
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