Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, located at 3900 Wildlife Way, in Cleveland, Ohio, United States , was founded in 1882 and the first elephant arrived in 1940.
"The zoo first opened as Wade Park in 1882 on the current location of Cleveland Museum of Art. In 1907, the city of Cleveland moved the zoo to its current location where it’s still found today. For the most part the early years of the zoo kept only local animals of origin. Starting in 1910 the zoo built Monkey Island, Sea Lion Pools and bear exhibit. In 1940, the zoo received its first Elephant an Asian Elephant and at the same time the Cleveland Museum of Natural History assumed control of the zoo. Between 1955 and the transfer of management to the Cleveland Metroparks in 1975 the zoo experienced much expansion and at the same time some setbacks due to flooding. In 1975, construction began on The Primate & Cat Building, in 1992 The Rainforest, followed by Wolf Wilderness in 1997, Australian Adventure in 2000, and The Sarah Allison Steffee Center for Zoological Medicine in 2004."
"Construction will start very soon on the new African Elephant Crossing at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. The expanded habitat will sit on 5 acres -- more than quadrupling the amount of space the Zoo currently dedicates to elephants -- and include two sprawling yards for roaming and foraging, large ponds, expanded sleeping quarters, a heated outdoor range and an education village. Scheduled to open in 2011, African Elephant Crossing will be able to house a multi-generational Herd of up to 10 elephants at a time, including at least one bull elephant and eventually calves. The exhibit also will house meerkats, naked mole rats, an African rock python and a spectacular collection of colorful birds. As the Zoo\'s largest capital project since the opening of The RainForest in 1992, African Elephant Crossing\'s $25 million cost is being funded equally by Cleveland Metroparks and the Cleveland Zoological Society. While construction of African Elephant Crossing creates a temporary absence of elephants in Northeast Ohio, it represents a long-term investment in the Zoo\'s commitment to improving the future for endangered elephants."
