Now under construction, the new Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s Primate Forest will be a magnificent space where the natural world with real plants meets technology.
Gorillas, orangutans and hundreds of other animals including birds, insects, reptiles and amphibians will lead lives that mirror their natural habitats. Huge “interactive trees” surrounded by a rotunda of floor-to-ceiling video screens will create an environment that shows forests are vital to animals and humankind.
“We are changing the narrative away from being just about rainforests to the importance of trees around the world,” says Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Executive Director Dr. Christopher Kuhar. “That applies to the gorillas in Africa to the orangutans in Borneo to the people in Northeast Ohio. There is an incredible value in trees. They contribute to the health of animals and people by cleaning air and water, preventing erosion and flooding, providing shade and energy savings and increasing property values. It’s all about a “One Health” approach — healthy people, healthy animals, healthy environment.”
Primate Forest’s design will also allow visitors a closer look at animal care. Visitors will get a more intimate view of social interactions between people and animals and animals with one another.
The 140,000-square foot $120 million Primate Forest project will expand the zoo’s 30-plus-year-old RainForest’s footprint. Dr. Kuhar calls the complex’s metamorphosis a giant leap for the Zoo, creating a national and even global indoor destination for visitors, as well as animal researchers and caretakers. Zoo officials say Primate Forest will generate an estimated $131 million in economic impact to Northeast Ohio. It will be funded through partnerships, state capital funds, zoo capital funds and philanthropic donations. It will be funded primarily by philanthropic donations.
Phase one of the construction is projected to be completed by 2026. It includes a new entrance, a two-story CrossCountry Mortgage Forest Gallery and improvement or creation of some state-of-the art animal habitats, including a new outdoor access area for the orangutans. Phase two is expected to be finished in 2032, and its centerpiece is a new gorilla habitat.
One of the most impressive construction elements of the Primate Forest will be the use of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) roofing material. Currently used on the RainForest dome, the material allows year-round UV light access that benefits animals, plants and humans.
“The biggest challenge is waiting for this to be done,” says Kristen Lukas, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo director of conservation and science, and chair of the Gorilla Species Survival Plan, which serves 51 zoos across the country and is concerned about the well-being of all gorillas in zoos and in the wild. “I have confidence in the care of all the animals during the transition. But we also let the gorillas tell us what they need.”
Dr. Kuhar says the Primate Forest will “forever change the face of our zoo,” by making it more convenient and educational for visitors and more conducive to the well-being of animals.
