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Zoo in Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Dr. Leonard Goss, DVM, PhD (1913–1999) was a veterinary pathologist and retired from the Cleveland Zoo (later renamed the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo) as its director in 1979. Prior to assuming the director position in Cleveland, he was the fourth chief veterinarian at the New York Zoological Society's Bronx Zoo as well as assistant director of the Bronx Zoo. Goss was President of the AZA and twice Vice President. At the Bronx Zoo, which is the headquarters for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Goss conducted clinical, epidemiological and pathological research in collaboration with eminent field zoologist George Schaller. Schaller was the Director of the Bronx Zoo's Animal Research and Conservation Center, which is now referred to as the Wildlife Conservation Society's Global Conservation Program. The Cleveland Zoo has since made efforts to replicate this type of collaborative research relationship as demonstrated by Drs. Goss and Schaller in the 1970s and more recently by Atlanta, Chicago (Lincoln Park & Brookfield), National, San Diego, and Saint Louis zoos. In the mid and late 1990s General Curator Hugh Quinn hired Patricia McDaniels as the first of three successive curators for the CMZ's Science and Conservation section. The unit now has a veterinary epidemiologist on staff. Sharon Deem, DVM, PhD Dipl. ACZM (now with the Saint Louis Zoo), was the first formally trained epidemiologist on staff and was both a researcher and experienced clinician from the National Zoo. When Goss, a graduate of the Cornell University and The Ohio State University veterinary colleges returned to Ohio to assume the role as director of the Cleveland Zoo, he continued to conduct research in zoological medicine and related animal science disciplines. Goss was a president of the board of directors of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (previously the "American Zoo and Aquarium Association", and originally the "American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums").

Michael "Mike" Vitantonio was hired as the eighth director of the Cleveland Zoo in its 130 plus year history.

Inspired by the TV show Zoorama, zoo director emeritus Steve H. Taylor, B. S. began his zoo career in 1972 as an animal keeper at the Los Angeles Zoo. According to his website, he is now a "Zoo Consultant and Entertaining Speaker". Moreno and Kuenzer are included in a list of other notable North American zoo and aquarium professionals. Other recipients include William G. Conway, Hon. PhD (Director General/President Emeritus, Bronx Zoo based Wildlife Conservation Society), Lester Fisher, DVM (Veterinarian/Director Emeritus, Lincoln Park Zoo), Murray Fowler, DVM (Veterinarian/Professor, University of California), Jack Hanna, Hon. PhD (Director Emeritus, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium), Charles H. Hoessle, Hon. PhD (Director Emeritus, Saint Louis Zoo), Marvin Jones (Registrar Emeritus, San Diego Zoo), Peter Karsten (Director Emeritus, Calgary Zoo), Edward Maruska, (Director Emeritus, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden), Dennis Meritt, Jr., Ph. D. (Professor–Assistant Director Emeritus, Depaul University–Lincoln Park Zoo), George B. Rabb, PhD (President/Director Emeritus, Brookfield Zoo), Alan H. Shoemaker, MS (Curator Emeritus, Riverbanks Zoo), Kurt Benirschke, MD (Board of Trustees, San Diego Zoo), Gary K. Clarke (Director Emeritus, Topeka Zoo), Roger Conant, Hon ScD (Curator Emeritus, Toledo Zoo) and Ted A. Beattie (President/Director Emeritus, Shedd Aquarium).

Dan Moreno joined the CMZ after serving three decades at the helm of the Cleveland Aquarium as both its director and curator under the auspices of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. The Cleveland Aquarium's animal collection was "absorbed" by the CMZ in 1986 after structural elements of the aquarium building forced its closing. Until his retirement in 1997, Moreno managed the aquatic animal collections at the Cleveland Zoo under General Curator Don Kuenzer. He supervised animal husbandry programs for the Rainforest and Aquatics exhibits. Moreno was a charter member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (originally the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums) and served on its board of directors from 1971 to 1976. In 2012, the Greater Cleveland Aquarium opened to the public as the only free standing aquarium in the state of Ohio.

Don Kuenzer retired after a 40 year career serving in multiple capacities, including senior curator, general curator and acting director. In 1961, Kuenzer began his career at the Cleveland Zoo's Petting Farm as an attendant animal care technician. After serving as an animal keeper, he was promoted to Assistant General Curator in 1975 by zoo director Dr. Leonard Goss. Kuenzer was credited with designing The Rainforest, a state of the art indoor naturalistic living exhibit dedicated to the display of tropical and subtropical species from multiple continents. He served on the Board of Regents for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (CMZ) is divided into several bio thematic areas that house animals from different regions of the world. Each area is themed for the particular region of the world they represent, although the older areas (such as the Primate, Cat & Aquatics Building) are less thematic than those that were constructed more recently. Upon entering, visitors arrive in the Welcome Plaza which features administrative buildings, an amphitheater, food court, and the Zoo's largest souvenir shop. Numerous smaller concession/souvenir stands are located throughout the park. Aside from walking, Zoo patrons may opt to ride the "ZooTram" line which shuttles visitors between the Welcome Plaza (near African Elephant Crossing) and the Primate, Cat & Aquatics Building.

The RainForest, opened in 1992, is one of the most popular exhibits at the CMZ. It is contained in a large, two story building with over of floor space, making it one of the largest indoor tropical environments in the world. The RainForest boasts more than 10,000 plants, and over 600 animals, from the tropical regions of Australasia, Africa, and the Americas. The opening of the RainForest also introduced the Metroparks Zoo's first permanent reptile collection since the flooding in 1959. The RainForest's herpetile collection includes Amazon milk frogs and tree boas, Baron's green racers, Burmese pythons, climbing toads, dwarf crocodiles, Fiji banded iguanas, green and black, blue and black and 'Mint Terribilis' poison dart frogs, green tree monitors and pythons, harlequin frogs, Indian gharial, Indochinese box turtles, Madagascar leaf tailed geckos, magnificent tree frogs, spider tortoise, Panamanian golden frogs, prehensile tailed skinks, the aquatic tentacled snake, tiger ratsnakes, tomato frogs and Yemeni veiled chameleons. The outer ring of The RainForest is home to a wide variety of tropical plants including lancepods, ficus, dracaena, philodendron, prayer plants, clusia (or balsam apple), Indian almond, bixa/achiote (or lipstick trees), numerous varieties of orchids, a kapok tree (Malvaceae family), and the annual blooming titan arum (corpse flower). The central "Tropical Rain Storm" exhibit is a life like recreation of a rainforest "island", with a large tree in the center, surrounded almost entirely by a moat stocked with tinfoil barb and pangasius catfish. The island itself is inhabited by several Cape porcupine. Several times daily (seasonally dependent), a simulated tropical thunderstorm occurs; darkened ambience, flashing "lightning" and rumbling thunder sound effects signal the several minutes long event's commencement. Above the moat and encircling the island, a vertical "wall" of water provides visitors a glimpse of a tropical downpour, with water streaming down into the river below. After the "storm" passes, a sense of tranquility is created as fog fills the entire exhibit. The core animals of The Rainforest are the Bornean orangutans, of which the zoo has five: males Tiram and Zaki, and females Kera Wak, Kayla, and Merah. Zaki is the most recent orangutan baby at the zoo, born in 2021 to Tiram and Kera Wak. Animals contained in the RainForest include the binturong, red rumped agouti, a large group of free flying straw coloured fruit bats and Rodrigues flying foxes, the giant anteater, a group of capybara, scarlet ibis, the prehensile tailed Brazilian porcupine, white faced whistling ducks, green aracari, Prevost's squirrel, leafcutter ants, ocelot, clouded leopard, Luzon bleeding heart pigeons, roseate spoonbill, yellow spotted river turtles, Asian small clawed otter, François' langur, and fishing cats. Additionally, visitors will encounter numerous smaller, "discovery" type exhibits featuring tropical invertebrates, Australian rainbowfish, upside down catfish, jewel cichlids, red bellied piranha, small mammals, and many reptiles and amphibians.

The African Savanna area is located near the park entrance. Visitors can observe African lions, flamingos, giraffes, zebras, bontebok, a variety of African birds, and eastern black rhinos. the African elephant crossing contains elephants and meerkats. On February 7, 2018, a baby rhino, named Lulu, was born to parents Forrest and Kibbibi. On August 20 of the same year, another baby rhino, named Nia, was born to parents Forrest and Inge.

As part of CMZ's focus on conservation, the Zoo constructed the Steffee Center for Zoological Medicine in September 2004. The center hosts medical, laboratory and surgical suites, in addition to a ward and quarantine area. Its veterinary hospital is equipped with the first CT scanner for use in a zoo hospital. Located in a nearby pavilion is the Reinberger Learning Lab, where Zoo patrons can learn about veterinary care at every stage of an animal's life. The Learning Lab offers interactive, hands on educational displays as well as views into surgical suites where visitors may observe treatment procedures in progress.

Consisting of several large yards, the African Savanna features a variety of mammals and birds. The exhibit houses animals such as Masai giraffes, Grant's zebras, bonteboks, ostriches, white backed vultures as well as several species of African storks and geese. In 2015, the Ben Gogolick Giraffe Encounter was completed, and visitors are now able to purchase leaves to feed the giraffes. Due to Northeast Ohio's inclement winters, Australian Adventure is weather dependent in the colder months.

Located in Koala Junction, Gum Leaf Hideout is home to the zoo's collection of bettongs, koalas, and Matschie's tree kangaroos. The exhibit also features interactive displays that teach visitors about the devastating effects of deforestation on Australian ecosystems.

Modeled after a traditional 19th century sheep station, the Reinberger Homestead offers Zoo visitors a look into Australian home life. The area contains animatronics of a koala and kookaburra, who speak about the culture.

Designed to replicate the Australian outback, Wallaby Walkabout features winding paths that visitors share with kangaroos, Red necked wallabies, and Common wallaroos during the months of April through October. The landscape includes vegetation intended to be consumed by the animals. Families can also take a train ride through the exhibit. In July 2007, the Zoo fell under scrutiny from PETA after a one year old kangaroo was struck and killed by the exhibit's "Boomerang Railway" train. In response, the Zoo quickly dismissed the employee who was operating the train, and installed a fence along the tracks to prevent future injuries from happening.

The artificial, 55 foot tall Baobab known as the Yagga Tree is the star of Australian Adventure. It contains exhibits for a prehensile tailed skink, a cane toad, and a sugar glider, as well as another animatronic, this time a crocodile named Wooly Bill. On January 14, 2019, a female sloth bear named Shive gave birth to a female cub named Shala. Shala was the first sloth bear cub born at the zoo in 30 years.

Wolf Wilderness gives visitors a comprehensive look into the environment and wildlife of a northern temperate forest. Wolf Lodge, which anchors the exhibit, serves as an education and viewing center for gray wolves, beavers, and a variety of wetland species. Wolf Wilderness is one of the principal North American habitats at the CMZ. The exhibit opened in 1997 and consists of the Wolf Lodge, a large woodland enclosure for the wolves, a 65,000 gallon pond, and panoramic viewing rooms. Visitors access the exhibit through the Wolf Lodge, a building that is modeled after a 19th century fur trading post. Upon entering, visitors arrive in the welcome center, which offers information on the indigenous animals of North America's deciduous forests and wetlands; this room leads into the two main exhibit areas. The first exhibit room is dedicated to the six Mexican gray wolves contained in a vast, wooded area directly behind the Wolf Lodge. Zoo patrons are able to observe the wolves through a large viewing room with floor to ceiling windows, which look out into the habitat. Surveillance cameras within the enclosure are linked to monitors in the viewing room, allowing visitors to see the wolves even when they are out of direct view. The viewing room leads into the second exhibit area—the wetlands and wolf display room. Here, visitors can observe both the wolves and several other North American animals through floor to ceiling windows, similar to the viewing room. Although visitors can also view the wolves from this room, the principal exhibits are the Canadian beaver habitat, the freshwater pond, and the Zoo's collection of bald eagles. The Canadian beaver habitat features an artificial beaver dam with cross sectional windows that grant visitors a chance to view the beavers' nest within. The freshwater pond is adjacent to the viewing windows, thereby creating an aquarium effect that allows visitors to see what a wetland pond looks like beneath the water's surface. The pond contains numerous fish indigenous to the North American wetlands.

Opened June 3, 2016, this exhibit features "four separate, interconnected habitat areas for the [zoo's] Amur tigers to roam", and includes "two overhead elevated pathways".

Asian Highlands opened June 12, 2018. This exhibit features expanded habitats for snow leopards, Amur leopards, Malayan tigers, and red pandas, and also includes Sichuan takins. on April 22, 2018, three snow leopard cubs were born.

Opened originally as the Primate & Cat Building in 1975, the Primate, Cat & Aquatics Building houses one of the largest collections of primate species in North America, The nearby Public Greenhouse contains hundreds of tropical plant species in addition to a seasonal butterfly exhibit. Today, the hall serves as a Victorian ice cream parlor for Pierre's Ice Cream Company.

The CMZ is one of five city zoos in Ohio. The 'Buckeye State' has been referred to as a "Zoo State", as only California rivals Ohio in the sheer number of options zoogoers have for visiting reputable zoos. A 2014 "Top Ten" ranking of the nation's zoos by USA Today (based on data provided by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums) recognized the CMZ for being nominated for the USA Today award. Three other Ohio zoos were nominated and won awards for the 'Best US Zoo' contest: the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden and the Toledo Zoo.

Arguably the most famous animal resident in the Cleveland Metropark Zoo's history, Timmy the Western lowland gorilla attained greater fame as a very prolific sire at the Bronx Zoo. Although he was known as the "dud stud" at the Cleveland zoo, he proved to be quite virile after he arrived at the Bronx Zoo on loan. Timmy was managed indoors in human care for 25 years before being sent on breeding loan to the Wildlife Conservation Society's main campus and headquarters at the Bronx Zoo. The move was highly controversial. The consideration of separating Timmy from his companion Kate, was met with much protest by animal rights activists and was the subject of a federal court case. CMZ Director Emeritus Steve H. Taylor cites the lawsuit surrounding the breeding loan as one of the most significant in the history of modern zoos. Timmy's offspring Okpara was born to Pattycake at the Bronx Zoo. Okpara returned to Cleveland before moving on to another facility.

On January 13, 2014, the CMZ's Nile hippopotamus "Blackie", was euthanized at approximately 60 years of age. He formerly lived at the Pachyderm Building from 1955 until 2008. For the remaining years of his life, he lived at the zoo's private Africa barn in a two room enclosure. Blackie may have been the longest lived male Nile hippopotamus ever recorded in human care in North America. As far as hippos go, he had a gentle demeanor and weighed approximately 3700 lbs. Campers at Rising Waters stay in the zoo's African Savanna for an authentic safari experience complete with animal encounters. Each overnight program combines elements of Australian, Native American and African culture with an overarching theme of conservation. Participants are tasked with preparing meals, cleaning enclosures, conducting training exercises, and providing animals with enrichment items to stimulate them both mentally and physically. The CMZ is a part of Miami University's graduate level Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP). The program offers a Master of Arts in Biology or Master of Arts in Teaching through online coursework and face to face experiential learning experiences at the zoo.

The zoo also offers numerous grant opportunities which fund research and conservation projects around the world. In 2011, the zoo and Zoological Society awarded grants to more than 90 field conservation projects and programs in 39 countries. Some of these projects include elephant conservation in southern Africa, studying gorilla ecology and behavior in central Africa, and anti poaching initiatives for Asiatic freshwater turtles. Current initiatives include "Quarters for Conservation" and spreading awareness of the burgeoning Palm Oil Crisis in Malaysia and Indonesia.

CMZ's annual fall event, "Boo at the Zoo", takes place in October. Visitors can observe the various cold weather animals that still roam outside, and are encouraged to wear costumes to the park. The Boo at the Zoo event is a safe Halloween option that offers animal shows, live performances, and other fall related activities.

During the summer months, the Zoo features prehistoric animals along the wooded path around Waterfowl Lake. Younger visitors have the opportunity to dig for "fossils" and learn about the field of paleontology. The 2007 and 2010 "DINOSAURS!" exhibits showcased dinosaurs from around the world: Tyrannosaurus rex, Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Pteranodon, Omeisaurus, Dilophosaurus, Baryonyx, Iguanodon, Styracosaurus, Apatosaurus, Kentrosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Suchomimus and more. The 2013 "DINOSAURS!" exhibit featured 20 animatronic dinosaurs, including Quetzalcoatlus and Troodon.

In Spring 2015, the CMZ opened a new reception event center, Stillwater Place. Offering scenic views of nearby Waterfowl Lake and a capacity of up to 300 guests, Stillwater Place is open year round and caters to many occasions, such as weddings, birthdays, reunions and more.

In 1938, Judy Zemnick, a young artist with the Works Progress Administration (WPA), was pulled into an enclosure by a polar bear named "Silver" and "badly mangled," according to news reports. Two other WPA artists, James C. Kulhanek and Clarence Zuelch, witnessed the attack, called for help, and attempted to drive the bear away from Ms. Zemnick. Zoo visitors were known to throw things, including broken glass, at "Silver" for several years in retaliation for the incident with Ms. Zemnick. In October 1940, an anonymous "10 year old girl" sent $2.00 ("her savings") to the zoo "protesting the throwing of bottles and stones at the bear." She specified one dollar was to be given to the zoo staff members who "are good to animals" with the other donated for "a new place for the zoo." In 2015, Mitchelle Schwab was charged after allegedly dropping her 2 year old son into a cheetah exhibit. His parents were finally able to retrieve him from the exhibit and was taken to MetroHealth Medical Center.