2010 Zoo Calendar On Sale Now

Hot off the press! A limited number of 2010 Zoo calendars are on sale now at the Zoo Gift Shop.

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Congratulations to Our 1 Millionth Visitor of 2009

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo proudly welcomed our millionth visitor of the year on Sunday morning, and we hooked her up with a big Zoo-per Duper Prize Package. Please meet lucky No. 1,000,000.

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Shoulda, Coulda...Woulda...Just Zoo It!

It's here. Labor Day weekend. And, if you're like me, you still have a long list of things you want to do this summer. If the Zoo is on your list, it's not too late.

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Will You be Our Millionth Visitor?

Within the coming days -- or maybe weeks -- Cleveland Metroparks Zoo will welcome its one millionth visitor of 2009. Will it be you? We hope so, because we'll be giving Lucky No. 1,000,000 a Zoo prize package including plush animals, $50 in ZooBucks, a family Zoo membership, an Adopt-an-Animal package and a complimentary lunch for four at the Amazon Cafe and Marketplace inside The RainForest.

As of closing time yesterday, we were at 948,625 visitors for the year. So 1,000,000 can't be too far away! Thanks to our partners: Event Network, ARAMARK and the Cleveland Zoological Society. And good luck to you!

Sloth Bear Gets (and Gives) a Creature Comforts Warm-up

Check out an exclusive video of our male sloth bear, Sakar, showing us exactly how you deal with a papier-mâché beehive (if you're a bear). It's one example of enrichment -- how the animal care staff keeps Zoo animals active and mentally engaged. We'll have lots more on Saturday at Creature Comforts, the Zoo's annual enrichment event.

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Frame your Summer with Bob Evans and the Zoo

Support Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and get a cool DINOSAURS! magnet frame for your refrigerator! Bob Evans is hosting a Zoo fundraiser by selling magnetic photo frames in celebration of DINOSAURS! Get yours at one of the 25 area Bob Evans Restaurants to highlight all your great summer memories.

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Half a Million Zoo Visitors and Counting ...

Yesterday marked an attendance milestone here at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, as we welcomed our 500,000th visitor of the year! For the year, our attendance is nearly 10 percent ahead of the same time in 2008, and we're hoping for that trend to continue. There's a lot of Zoo to do this summer without breaking the bank. You can see nearly 3,000 animals for just $10 a person! I think that's a decent deal. (Admission is $7 for kids ages 2 to 11 and free for children under 2 and Zoo members.)

Return to Nature(scape)

We just received an update on the continuation of an activity that Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's teen volunteers took part in last year. It comes to us from Zoo Crew volunteer Danny DiMarino, a tenth grader at Holy Name High School. He and eight other Zoo Crew volunteers got their hands dirty as they helped out in a Tremont neighborhood.

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FLUTTER! is a Photographer's Paradise (a Gallery)

Every year around this time, I go out on a photo reconnaissance mission to gather early shots of our summer exhibits before they open to the public - on May 21. Yesterday, I sneaked into the Zoo's Public Greenhouse to see if any of our FLUTTER! butterflies had taken flight yet. Success! Not only were there stunning new butterflies about, but there were spectacular new blooms everywhere. It's a visual delight for those addicted to the "macro" setting on their camera.

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The RainForest Features more than just New Animals

I just got back from a tour of the new Crocodile Café in The RainForest and I have to say, I may no longer be packing my lunch in the morning. An expanded menu and a more streamlined serving space are some of the highlights of the new café. You may be tempted to visit the Zoo just to get a bite of the mouthwatering pizza.

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