The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Had a “Baby Boom” in 2025

If you visit the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo this year, you’ll see some cute new faces, following a “baby boom” of high-profile animal births at the park in 2025. The zoo welcomed a baby sloth bear, tree kangaroo, giraffe, red panda, tufted deer, rhino and howler monkey.

While some of the animals have grown to adult sizes, many continue to follow their parents in their spaces, says Andi Kornak, the deputy executive director of the zoo. But during the winter months, you might not see every baby animal out and about.

"The baby rhino, of course, is out, weather permitting," says Kornak. "So if it's a little too chilly, that baby rhino may choose to stay in a little bit warmer area, and the public might not be able to see it."

Some are a little more comfortable in the wintery climate, like the red panda, tree kangaroo and tufted deer.

Kornak says that there weren’t more zoo babies than usual in 2025, but that there were more births from higher profile species. The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo works with other Association of Zoo and Aquarium-accredited zoos to determine which animals should breed and when.

“We look at their genetics, we look at their history across the accredited zoos of all those species, and then determine when specific animals are recommended to breed and when they're not, so that we don't have some gene pools overrepresented,” Kornak explains. “It's a very intensive program that requires a lot of collaboration and cooperation amongst AZA-accredited zoos.”

While some of the animals are bred at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo for captivity in conservation programs, others are bred for eventual release into the wild — like the zoo’s programs which have bred Puerto Rican crested toad tadpoles, or Eastern garter snakes, for release in the wild. Kornak says the organization is also exploring a program to boost the population of Ohio’s spotted turtles, a threatened species.

This year, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo plans to complete and open its Primate Forest, an expanded version of its longtime indoor Rainforest building. In the meantime, the Primate, Cats and Aquatics Building is open for an indoor retreat during a winter visit.

Despite the Primate Forest’s ongoing renovation, Kornak recommends coming to the zoo during the winter season.

“Coming to the zoo in the winter season is a little known secret for some of our most dedicated visitors that come to us. The wintertime gives a unique perspective, particularly up in the Wilderness Trek area, with our cold-hardy animals,” Kornak says. “It’s one of my favorite times to go to the zoo and observe animals, on some of those colder, snowy days. The animals’ activity stays the same, even if the weather is a little bit cool.”

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