 Favorite
Part of the Day
We were taken aback with the Dinosaus!. They placed over twenty life-size
dinosaur robots that moved and made sounds outdoors in an environment that
they would have walked in millions of years ago.
Most Fun for Adults
We found the Rainforest to be the most unique permanent feature at the
zoo. We were able to see animals we had never even heard of before. There
were many special creatures to fawn over.
Most Fun for Kids
The kids loved the special Dinosaur Exhibit. As they walked down the path
attempting to read the names of the creatures, they could put a stamp
in their "passport" so they wouldn't forget what they saw. There
were also easy to read facts about each of the dinos.
What it's like
The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is home to thousands of animals. The zoo
is split into two main sections, the 168 acre zoo and 2 indoor acres of
the Rainforest. They offer a wide range of animal exhibits including Butterfly
Magic, Lorikeet Aviary, Australian Adventure, African Savannah, Wolf Lodge,
and even Dinosaurs! We came on Father's Day and there were some additional
activities just for fathers and mentions of the animal fathers at the
zoo. Each of the four of us chose one exhibit we wanted to see, but we
ended up coving almost the entire zoo in the six hours we spent there.
 This
zoo offers several opportunities for its visitors to interact with the
animals. At the seal exhibit we purchased fish to feed the seals. It cost
$1 for two fish. The seals swam up on the side of their pool and called
out to be fed when they saw you dangling a fish for them. Animals of various
breeds roam freely together in the African Savannah. Even though you are
outside of the fences, you can walk through the path making it seem as
though you are on a safari. Ostriches run right next to resting giraffes
while birds fly overhead. We even saw a nest of ostrich eggs. In the Wolf
Lodge you have to look closely, but you can see wolves resting in the
foliage of their own forest. The Australian Adventure allows you to take
a train ride through the animals. With the open sides of the train, you
are right next to the wallaby hopping around their yard. You can purchase
a cup of nectar for $1 and walk into the Lorikeet Aviary to feed parrots.
Most of the birds fly over and stand on the fence or a branch, but some
visitors were even trying to get the birds to sit on their arms as they
fed them. Butterfly Magic is offered in the summer. You enter a hothouse
filled with a wide variety of flowers and plants. Butterflies hatch from
their cocoons at various times during the summer and flutter around inside.
You can also see their cocoons and watch newly hatched butterflies before
they find their way to a home in the trees.
 The
Primate, Cat and Aquatic offer the largest collection of primate species
in North America. You can see gorillas, chimpanzees, lemurs and over forty
other species. A new species we were introduced to was the Slow Loris.
They are about 1 foot long and weigh about four pounds. He is a cute little
guy that moves so slowly! His arms and legs move like any other four-legged
animal, but it is in slow motion. It was very interesting to watch. Also
in this house are aquatic animals, including fish and sharks, as well
as a large variety of cats.
Experience the jungle in the Rainforest. This amazing section of the
zoo has over 600 animals (not including thousands of insects), and over
10,000 live flowers, trees and shrubs all native to tropical rainforests
in Africa, Asia and South America. Wander through and see creatures you
have never even heard of before. We saw porcupines that lived in trees,
hissing cockroaches, exquisite monkeys, the clouded leopard, giant anteaters,
sloths, fishing cats, and much more. Two animals that struck me were the
Prevost squirrels and Francois' langurs. The tri-colored fur of the Prevost
squirrel has a black back and head, deep chestnut-red legs and belly,
and the colors separated by a thick white stripe along the middle of his
body. Francois' langurs are inquisitive looking monkeys with a white stripe
between the corners of their mouth and their ears.
See the Slideshow!
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