This zoo grows on me every time we visit. Unlike most zoos with different wings or sections, this zoo is a big circle. My wife and I once visited Cincinnati for a Cubs/Reds game and were able to walk the entire zoo in an hour. It’s most famous for the Harambe the Gorilla incident from 2016, which is disappointing because this zoo has a lot to offer. While getting through it in an hour requires you to rush through, it’s still pretty easy to navigate and still enjoy all that it has.
Highlights:
- Hippos – The Cincinnati Zoo is home to the internet famous Fiona the Hippo – the premie hippo born super early that the zoo kept alive; being both a miracle that she lived as well as shortly after the Harambe incident, the zoo attached itself to Fiona from a branding perspective, as multitudes of visitors come only to see Fiona; they also have a large line of merchandise centered around her
- Big cats – this zoo not only has a clear window where you can get up close to the tigers, but it also has a white tiger – very rare to see these in zoos
- African Savannah – I appreciate the savannah in Cincinnati because it has a watering hole and multiple animals, but it doesn’t include the giraffes – they have their own area complete with a high rise feeding deck
- Cheetah Run – make sure you save time to see the cheetah run demonstration; we haven’t seen it since 2014, but they do a nice job of showcasing the cheetah and other animals
- Manatees – is one of just two places north of Florida (the other is the Columbus Zoo) to have manatees; nice opportunity to see these giants in the midwest
Lows:
- Layout – the one downside to the layout is that the animals in the middle section of the zoo (rhinos, seal, okapi) don’t have a whole lot of room; the Bears are also on a straightaway section next to each other, and it’s a downhill slope – usually leads to a lot of excess traffic; I mentioned above that Fiona the Hippo is an attraction – due to her popularity, the zoo needs to consider redoing the hippo exhibit to make it more viewer friendly
© 2018, Zoo With Us. All rights reserved.