Last October, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden unveiled a massive expansion and makeover to the habitat where the Asian elephants live. Visitors seem to love it almost as much as the herd who calls it home.

 

I love visiting zoos to watch the animals play and go about their adorable business. Sometimes, I can't help but be sad that they aren't free in their natural habitats, but more often than not, those natural habitats can be dangerous places for them. From environmental factors to poaching, some causes can make conservation efforts necessary.

Accredited zoos will care for and provide enrichment for the animals to live their best lives. I think I can safely say that if I were an elephant, I'd want to be at the Cincinnati Zoo. Their new Elephant Trek experience is incredible.

The Harry and Linda Fath Elephant Trek includes swimming pools, streams, overhead feeding stations, mud wallows and enrichment opportunities at every turn. It provides a world-class environment for the Asian elephant herd that lives there now and plenty of room for their offspring in the future!

According to their website, the zoo has global partnerships all over the world to collaborate in protecting Asian Elephant populations in areas where they're endangered.

The Cincinnati Zoo Elephant Trek is so state-of-the-art that it can handle up to three groups of elephants as offspring grow and evolve over time. The views are pretty epic too if you want to visit. One woman was so overcome by the beauty of the majestic animals in the new habitat, she said she cried! I'm not gonna lie, I would probably get misty too.

Phase two of this project will be completed this Spring 2025 for siamangs, Asian small-clawed otters, babirusa, and rhinoceros hornbills. Looks like it will be a good time to plan a trip to Cincinnati! Here's more information about the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.

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Gallery Credit: Dave Spencer

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