The Akron Zoo is currently planning for an exciting new exhibit, Pride of Africa. This new area will feature new habitats for African lions, gazelles, storks and a new goat feeding area. The train path will be expanded and there will be more opportunities for hands-on learning and family fun. More news to come soon. It will be a Masai village. Farmland will also be re-themed. Species have not been confirmed. I will let you know when I hear more. Tiger Valley renovation news could be coming soon too.
The zoo has told me: We are still finalizing details and hope to make an announcement sometime this spring/summer.
It seems like every new African area has to have on of these. Also, will the Gazelles and Storks be mixed?
I have not seen any plans yet. I took a survey about message. The Tiger Valley renovation, which I have seen the name Big Cat Falls somewhere, will include Sumatran tigers, gibbons, and red pandas. Hopefully both areas will include primates because that is something the zoo lacks. I have seen the draft breeding plan for white storks and Akron is looking to relocate our pair. The storks mentioned for the exhibit must be another species. Farmland needs expanded. Several of those goats are huge. The goats and sheep could be separated. Goats are mean. I yell at them all the time.
I have heard about a 2019 opening of Pride of Africa and a 2020 opening for ‘Big Cat Falls’, but is not confirmed.
Multiple acres have been cleared behind Grizzly Ridge. There is also a new exhibit being added near the exit of Curious Creatures.
You can see the cleared land in the photo at the link. It is behind the red wolf exhibit. Instagram post by Akron Zoo • Jan 19, 2018 at 3:15pm UTC
I am wrong. I see the otter building, so this is from the back of the exhibit looking forward. Downtown is off in the distance.
From Akron Zoo on Curious Creatures construction: We are making adjustments based on feedback and will announce details soon!
I have found out some news. The new exhibit in Curious Creatures is likely going to be a lizard species. Several other smaller exhibits may also be added. A species of shrimp and sea apples are now in the garden eel and shrimpfish exhibit. Balloonfish are in one of the former cuttlefish exhibits. The other has the relocated flying gunard. I noticed that the cleared land for Pride of Africa may extend all the way over to behind the condor exhibit. The train will be relocated to the new land. Farmland will take over the train area. There will be goats and sheep on both sides of the entrance.
The Akron Zoo told me hopes to have Pride of Africa open for Memorial Day 2019. The site for the new area is approximately 3.6 acres. Only true confirmations that I currently know are an African lion exhibit, train relocated, and Farmland re-themed and expanded to the current train area. It will be a Masai village theme. Birds and hoof stock are likely, but the zoo has not confirmed at this time.
I have confirmed that there will be restrooms in Pride of Africa. Since the Zoo Gardens restrooms in the theatre are closed in the summer, they will be “popular”.
The zoo has added a compost building located in the side parking lot. See link for info. https://case.edu/sustainability/media/caseedu/sustainability/images/CWRU.pdf
It appears that the additions to Curious Creatures will feature one large exhibit and perhaps two smaller exhibits. The new concession stand between Komodo Kingdom and the picnic area that was added for Wild Lights is still there and it’s Christmas sign has been removed. Baer’s pochards and common mergansers have been added to Legends of the Wild’s waterfall waterfowl exhibits. The area behind the Wild Prairie barn has been in the process of renovation for animal holding areas. They are larger now. Usually Farmland animals were kept off exhibit here. The interesting thing is this area now has new tall metal fencing. This is something I did not expect. A new female snowy owl has hounded the male in Wild Prairie for breeding.
Spell check! It should say joined not hounded. She may hound him, but that depends on her personality.
