海角破解版

The broke ground on its Asian Highlands habitat last year. Now, ten months later, the new space is ready for its public debut.

The habitat, open to the public on Tuesday, June 12, offers zoo visitors close encounters with several vulnerable species, including the Amur leopard -- the most endangered cat in the world. Chris Kuhar, the zoo鈥檚 executive director, spoke with ideastream prior to the grand opening.

Home to Endangered and Vulnerable Species

鈥淚t鈥檚 a great new space. It鈥檚 got 6 exhibits actually. It will house four different species. We鈥檒l have Amur leopard, snow leopard, red panda and a new species for us, takin. We haven鈥檛 had it (takin) here, so people are going to be I think surprised to see it. It looks like a Dr. Seuss animal. It鈥檚 considered a goat antelope, so it has some traits of goat and some traits of antelope. We鈥檝e got three new boys, and they鈥檙e kind of cruising around the space hanging out. They鈥檙e very cool. I think people are going to really like them.鈥�

On Introducing the Animals to the New Space

鈥淲e鈥檙e in the middle of that introductory phase right now. The takin came in from the Wilds down in Central Ohio. They鈥檙e bold guys, so they just kind of walked out and explored every little corner of it right away. The cats however are more cautious. So we鈥檙e actually working them through the exhibits. We鈥檙e giving them time to adapt, let them do it on their schedule.鈥�

Ready for Cleveland Weather

鈥淎ll the animals in this exhibit are going to be cold weather adapted. They鈥檙e used to cold weather. These are animals that are going to love Cleveland 365 days, they鈥檙e going to be outside 365 days a year. They鈥檙e going to love the winter and the fall the most, and we鈥檝e made exhibit design modifications to really allow them to deal with the heat of our summers.鈥�

Exhibit Design

鈥淲hen we鈥檙e building exhibits now, we鈥檙e looking at two things 鈥� one, trying to build as many habitats as possible and rotate animals through them. But more importantly they鈥檙e covered, which allows us to use that three dimensional space. Cats like to get up and look down on the world. We鈥檙e really providing them that opportunity.鈥�

Conservation Impact

鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to see in this exhibit that we鈥檝e got a real strong messaging element around the need for conservation and how people can be involved.  We want to look at conservation through a lens of empowerment and change, as opposed to sad and depressing. You鈥檙e getting a different feel for what our zoo is going to look like moving forward. We鈥檙e moving away from that old style of exhibit, moving to more dynamic exhibits that get people engaged and really focusing on that key securing focus for wildlife element.鈥�