2010 to 2019
2010The new Fulton Road Bridge (Fulton Parkway), on the Zoo's northwest side, reopened after more than three years of construction. Three female African elephants returned, after two years at the Columbus Zoo. Willy, a 31-year-old African bull elephant, was acquired from Disney's Animal Kingdom in Orlando, the Cleveland Zoo's first bull elephant. Standing eleven feet at the shoulder and weighing 13,000 pounds, Willy is the largest animal ever housed at the Zoo. An endangered Goodfellow's tree kangaroo emerged from her mother's pouch for the first time at the Zoo, a rare sight, as there were only eight such animals on exhibit in U.S. zoos.
2011
African Elephant Crossing (AEC), opened on May 5. Spread over five acres of lightly wooded grasslands, AEC featured two large yards for roaming, ponds for swimming, expanded sleeping quarters, and a heated outdoor range. The naturalistic habitat can house up to ten elephants at a time. AEC is also home to meerkats, naked mole rats, an African rock python, and a number of colorful birds. Kallie, a female elephant, arrived from the International Conservation Center near Pittsburgh, a facility that specializes in the care and breeding of African elephants. Shenga, a 28-year-old African female elephant was acquired from Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium (Omaha, Nebraska). A free mobile app premiered, including maps, animal facts, and location of amenities. Trevor, a baby giraffe, was delivered at the Zoo in July. Four Grizzly bear cubs were acquired from Montana and Wyoming zoos. Two endangered species produced three new offspring at the Zoo: two golden lion tamarins, and a François' langur. The golden lion tamarins are part of a Species Survival Plan (SSP) organized by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, in which accredited member zoos and institutions collaborate to manage the population of endangered species. The Zoo has contributed nineteen golden lion tamarin births to the SSP since 1997.
2012
After twenty-four years of service, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Director Steve Taylor retired. Cleveland Metroparks named Christopher Kuhar, Ph.D. the tenth director in Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's history. Three new animal species debuted: an aye-aye (a nocturnal primate), a Persian onager, and two dingoes. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and the CZS support many important conservation projects around the world, from North America and Latin America to Africa and Asia. The Zoo debuted 'Quarters for Conservation' which invites guests to take a direct role by helping the Zoo decide where conservation funds should go. For each admission sold, visitors received a token, then could use their token to vote for one of three ongoing Zoo field projects. The Zoo rescued two adult female African lions from a private exotic animal rescue organization in southern Ohio. A male eastern black rhinoceros calf was born July 1. The birth marks the start of a third generation of rhinos at the Zoo. The calf is the offspring of Kibibbi, 8, and Jimma, 22, and it made the Zoo's other female adult rhino, Inge, a grandmother. AEC received two prestigious awards during the annual AZA Annual conference. Thousands of tiny tadpole travelers left Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Monday for a 1,800-mile journey to Puerto Rico, part of the Zoo's contribution to the Puerto Rican crested toad Species Survival Plan, managed by AZA.
2013
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo reached a significant milestone in 2012: twenty consecutive years with more than a million visitors through its gates. There were a number of births in the spring, including a black howler monkey, a Reed titi monkey and a litter of capybaras. The Zoo breeds capybaras as part of the AZA's Species Survival Program. African Elephant Crossing earned Gold certification through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification program, the nationally accepted construction industry standard for sustainable architecture and construction. Key factors that contributed to the exhibit's Gold certification included: more than ninety percent of construction waste was recycled and diverted from a landfill, about a third of the materials used to build the exhibit came from recycled materials, and the exhibit's state-of-the-art water filtration system cut water usage from about 26.3 million gallons per year to about 7.5 million. The first annual Steve H. Taylor African Conservation Award, created by the Cleveland Zoological Society in honor of the retiring Zoo Director, was awarded to George Owoyesigire, senior wildlife officer for the Ugandan Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities. The Zoo had its first-ever birth of a baby giant anteater. The Zoo exhibited this species in The RainForest since 1992, a welcome addition to not only The RainForest, but also to the managed nationwide population of giant anteaters, which are classified as vulnerable in the wild. Two rare members of the crocodile family were put on exhibit in The RainForest—a pair of critically endangered gharials, born at a conservation institution in their home range country of India. Gharials are related to crocodiles and alligators, but they have more slender snout, which is adapted for their fish-heavy diet in the wild. They are classified as critically endangered.
2014
In 2014 The Circle of Wildlife Carousel opened with sixty-four hand-carved carousel animals. Twelve bird tiles from Cleveland artist Viktor Schreckengost, originally used on the Birds of the World Building, are inlaid at the carousel pavilion. Solar recycling and trash compactors, donated by the Alcoa Foundation, were installed at numerous Zoo locations to support the Zoo’s sustainability goals. For the first time, Kera Wak, an orangutan, gave birth to the Zoo's first Bornean Orangutan.
2015
Penguin Shores arrived at the Zoo, a temporary traveling exhibit featuring six African Black-footed Penguins. The Ben Gogolick Giraffe Encounter opened in summer of 2015, and guests can view giraffes up close and feed them lettuce leaves from the deck.
2016
More animal births: an anteater was born in September in the RainForest, and Snow Leopard cub, Sameera, is born in July. Travis the giraffe passed away on June 24. Rosebrough Tiger Passage opens June 3.
2017
Bebac, a male Gorilla passed away at thirty-two years of age. Zoo babies that arrived this year include kangaroos and a saki monkey.
2018
Debut of the Asian Lantern Festival, an after-hours ticketed program, which brings Asian lanterns, culture, live performances, and foods to the Zoo's summer events calendar.
2019
Rhino Yard expansion and additional barn replaces the Monkey Island exhibit. Work to prepare the site began April 22, 2019.