The zoo has begun work on more parking. The Edgewood and Euclid corner of zoo property is being worked on. I expect the neighboring tennis courts and playground will disappear soon.
The tennis court relocation was approved by city council earlier this year, but the new one has not been built yet as far as I know. It would not need the prep work the rest of the land would need since it is already flat. Time will tell. I am waiting for more information from the zoo.
I can confirm that the new parking lot will not include the tennis courts and playground as I expected. It will include 168 new parking spaces. No real master plan update. Primates will likely be added to Tiger Valley when it is renovated and a Journey to the Reef renovation is likely to open in 2017.
The hill with the Akron Zoo sign next to the road entrance is gone and has been flattened for the parking lot expansion.
Akron is preparing to become an institution to hatch and rear condor eggs. The current three are Los Angeles, Denver, and San Diego Safari Park. The zoo is also connecting to the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail. A bike storage facility will be added next to the Metro RTA bus stop. It will include lockers and a bike repair station.
From the Akron Zoo's Facebook page: We will be getting a new male red wolf soon! In addition, Katniss has left for the Endangered Wolf Center as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP). Our new male, Itabia, will be arriving in Akron in early November and will be on exhibit shortly thereafter. After Itabia gets used to his surroundings we will introduce Itabia and Rue on exhibit together in the hopes of one day having pups as part of the SSP.
Growing Akron Zoo seeks to attract wider audience Also, the old prairie dog exhibit has been removed for the new monarch butterfly conservation garden.
"He said the updated exhibit might even include a little extra “wow” in the form of a ferris wheel that would offer unique views of downtown Akron as well as into the lion and tiger exhibits." I don't know how I feel about the "Disneyfication" trend that most zoos are going for now a days. The zoo is clearly doing well despite a third of the zoo being in desperate need of updating and numerous empty exhibits. Maybe I'm being to much of a zoo nerd but I would much rather see the zoo focus more on the animals and not drawing more crowds with alcohol and gimmicks. I don't know, Im just having really mixed feeling about this update.
I'm conflicted over such matters - while on the one hand, I would love to see new development of animal exhibits over the addition of rides and alcohol, I do see the need for additions that allow for increased revenue. I don't necessarily see the addition of a single ride as "disneyfication" (or, perhaps more aptly, "SeaWorldification") and the funds gained from an expanded liquor license and a ride would certainly allow for expansion of the animal collection in time. The sad fact is that in today's economic climate, the addition of extra-cost experiences, whether it's something like these small changes to the Akron Zoo, the addition of zip lines to the Wilds (and soon Toledo), or Columbus's purchase and running of a water park and family amusement park, appears almost necessary to make zoos financially feasible.
The two liquor license issues passed in last week's election by decent margins. This saves the zoo from applying for individual licenses for each event.
The garden will be a Monarch Waystation. The Journey to the Reef closes in fall of 2016. Most likely after Boo at the Zoo. Parking construction continues.
I meant more as in making it less about the animals and more about making it into an amusementapark/attraction. I do understand its inevitable and its not in ill attentions, it just makes me feel strange that slowly but surely amazing animals and exhibits are becoming not enough for the average person.
Not sure if I follow. Adding rides doesn't usually take away from seeing animals. Rides have long been an additional stream of revenue for zoos, that's what they've always been about. In the 1990s, the Binder Park Zoo in Michigan that was able to cover its salary costs from the zoo's train rides.
