Erie Zoo Erie Zoo News 2025

Smaggledagle

Smaggledagle

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
Piece of November 2024 News Not Mentioned:

On November 1st, the zoo announced they received a $2 million grant from the Redevelopment Assistance Captial Program which will be used towards funding their new hospital building.

Erie Zoo

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On February 28th, it was reported that the zoo acquired (0.2) Pere David's deer from Keystone Safari in Pennsylvania and a (1.0) black-and-white ruffed lemur from the Audubon Zoo in Louisiana. It was also reported that the zoo is finishing up construction on a new viewing area for the African wild dogs and a redesigned exhibit for their Himalayan red pandas, as well as looking to add a new roof to the rhino building among other smaller projects.

Erie Zoo: The new animals, event and improved exhibits in 2025

On March 20th, the zoo announced they acquired 2 eastern grey kangaroos named Maisie and Nellie from Fort Wayne Children's Zoo in Indiana in January which are now on exhibit.

Erie Zoo
 
Is this zoo worth a visit? I may be in the Erie area this summer and I'm thinking about stopping by. However the photos on ZooChat make it seem less than great.
 
We visited in June 2023 as part of a two-week Zoo Road Trip. It was the only non-AZA stop on our tour of 15 zoos, and it was abundantly clear why. The Main Building was depressing, as were some of the large cat yards adjacent to it. Beyond that building, everything else was below average or average at best. Nothing noteworthy.
 
TheCappyCouple said:
We visited in June 2023 as part of a two-week Zoo Road Trip. It was the only non-AZA stop on our tour of 15 zoos, and it was abundantly clear why. The Main Building was depressing, as were some of the large cat yards adjacent to it. Beyond that building, everything else was below average or average at best. Nothing noteworthy.
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That's kind of the vibe I'm getting off the photo gallery. Maybe I'll just go out of the way and do Pittsburgh instead on my way home.
 
EagleScout610 said:
Is this zoo worth a visit? I may be in the Erie area this summer and I'm thinking about stopping by. However the photos on ZooChat make it seem less than great.
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Having visited yesterday, I had a very enjoyable time at the Erie Zoo. Whether or not you should visit it largely depends on why you enjoy visiting zoos. For me, I try visiting as many as I can, when I can and I don't go into it expecting them all to be world class. If your going in the hopes of seeing something that is unique or high class exhibitry, yeah this one isn't for you.

Erie is your pretty typical, small city zoo that has lost AZA accreditation within the last 10 years largely due to financial issues. Yes, the AZA also cited exhibit quality as a reason for removal, but the financial issues are clearly the bigger concern as that has been a common theme amongst zoos like Erie losing their accreditation.

All that being said, Erie is overall a pretty average, small city zoo. The only real unusual species of note are the Cape Genets (just 5 places in the US have them), and perhaps the Allen's Swamp Monkey (but seeing as you are from Cleveland, that would not be a very unique species for you). The main building looks like many others from its era at small zoos like this. The exhibits aren't anything special, a bit on the small side, and the fact there isn't outdoor access for those species (except the lion) is definitely not great. Exhibits being on the small side was a theme throughout the zoo in my opinion, but they weren't tiny by any means. Safariland was closed and I didn't catch when they said it would be reopened, but they were fixing something.

Having visited Cleveland today, I personally found nothing at Erie as abhorrent and ugly looking as Cleveland's seal/sea lion exhibit and the Primate, Cat, & Aquatics building is probably only a slight step up from the Main Building at Erie. Unfortunately, in order to continue to improve, Erie likely needs to further reduce species, as their are enough outdoor exhibits surrounding the Main Building to give those inside outdoor access, but they would need to give up the species outside to do so.

Overall, if your in the area, the Erie Zoo is enjoyable time for a couple of hours, but I definitely wouldn't recommend anyone go out of their way to visit.
 
NSU42 said:
Having visited yesterday, I had a very enjoyable time at the Erie Zoo. Whether or not you should visit it largely depends on why you enjoy visiting zoos. For me, I try visiting as many as I can, when I can and I don't go into it expecting them all to be world class. If your going in the hopes of seeing something that is unique or high class exhibitry, yeah this one isn't for you.

Erie is your pretty typical, small city zoo that has lost AZA accreditation within the last 10 years largely due to financial issues. Yes, the AZA also cited exhibit quality as a reason for removal, but the financial issues are clearly the bigger concern as that has been a common theme amongst zoos like Erie losing their accreditation.

All that being said, Erie is overall a pretty average, small city zoo. The only real unusual species of note are the Cape Genets (just 5 places in the US have them), and perhaps the Allen's Swamp Monkey (but seeing as you are from Cleveland, that would not be a very unique species for you). The main building looks like many others from its era at small zoos like this. The exhibits aren't anything special, a bit on the small side, and the fact there isn't outdoor access for those species (except the lion) is definitely not great. Exhibits being on the small side was a theme throughout the zoo in my opinion, but they weren't tiny by any means. Safariland was closed and I didn't catch when they said it would be reopened, but they were fixing something.

Having visited Cleveland today, I personally found nothing at Erie as abhorrent and ugly looking as Cleveland's seal/sea lion exhibit and the Primate, Cat, & Aquatics building is probably only a slight step up from the Main Building at Erie. Unfortunately, in order to continue to improve, Erie likely needs to further reduce species, as their are enough outdoor exhibits surrounding the Main Building to give those inside outdoor access, but they would need to give up the species outside to do so.

Overall, if your in the area, the Erie Zoo is enjoyable time for a couple of hours, but I definitely wouldn't recommend anyone go out of their way to visit.
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I don't think anyone would argue Clevelands seal pool is anything but an eyesore. PC&A is kind of existing at the moment as the Gorillas will be moving off the hill when the Primate Forest expansion is done and the Cheetahs are getting a new exhibit soon.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on CMZ over in the theread.
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Since Erie has closed for the season, I figured it would be appropriate to post their year in review now:

Births
  • Lesser Spot Nose Guneon (1.0)
Deaths
  • Caracal (1.0) Onkwani
  • Visayan warty pig (1.0) Alfie
  • Linne’s two toed sloth (1.0) Coconut
Arrivals
  • Pere David’s deer (0.2)
  • Eastern grey kangaroo (0.2) Maisie, Nellie
  • Black and white ruffed lemur (1.0.3) Dipper, Zuko, Sokka, Iroh
  • Linne’s two toed sloth (1.0) Coconut
Departures
  • None reported
 
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