Erie Zoo

I love this zoo. As for the reviewers that disparage the gorilla enclosures... Samantha's mate died last year. I would be depressed too. She has a relatively good sized area outside that she does spend time in. And as for Leela (the orangutan) she interacts usually with all the kids at the windows. The father is a bit standoffish and the mother watches her baby as a mom would. It seems like you have only been the one time and therefore would not know how the animals behave regularly. I do concede, however, that the enclosures for the lions and polar bears could use some work. (Polar bears in particular). Both bears are new to the zoo also.

I wanted to first state that I'm not against zoos. I think with well kept facilities along with properly educated and motivated staff, it's a valuable asset to the community. The habitats are quite small and poorly arranged. For instance, the gorillas and orangutans had nothing but a blanket to provide privacy and only a couple of balls (that looked as if they had not been touched for some time) for enrichment. Any animal and especially highly intelligent animals as these primates need enrichment and some form of privacy for psychological and physical well being. It gets worse though. The big cats were in extremely small enclosures with little if any place to lounge out of sight and the cats were extremely agitated....pacing continuously. The polar bear had a sore on the right side of its head. As I watched it, I realized that this was from it pacing and scraping the side of it's head against the exhibit repeatedly. Finally, the giraffe exhibit. The exhibit looked pretty much like a parking lot. The entire ground was gravel rather than grass...or even dirt and would even be considered small for horses. At this point, the Erie Zoo is bordering on sub-standard care. I would save your money and plan a trip to a larger zoo that dedicates more time and dedication into their animals.

NO CLASS, They sent my child away at ZOO BOO Saying 12 yrs old was too old to trick or treat at the Erie Zoo. After i bought the tickets with my children with me in the office, That would of been the time to tell me that. Instead of being GREEDY taking my money, And then telling me the night of Zoo Boo and turning a child in costume away. No Class!!! And Bad Judgement.

I don't see how anyone who loves animals can love this zoo. The giraffes have very little space with nothing to graze on except the hedges on the other side of their fence, the bark of the tree that's covered so they don't eat it, and the building that they lick constantly. The gorilla Samantha was depressed. Gorillas live in a troop, and seeing her in isolation was terribly sad. The cheetah paces and is clearly agitated. The remaining polar bear had an open wound on its head and seemed to be in discomfort the way she would put her paw over her right eye, just below her wound. There is simply not enough room for some of the big animals. It was a miserable time for me...several of these wild animals made direct eye contact with me which I found bizarre, and I could just 'see' the sadness in their eyes. The size of the zoo is great, it's nicely manicured, and is pretty. They do seem to attempt to keep their animals cool with sprays of water. But they need to move these big animals out and replace them with smaller creatures who don't need as much space. The area with the birds was neat. I agree completely that it was more like an animal psychiatric ward than a zoo. There were a few good exhibits, but that does not cancel out the other bad ones. If you want to visit a zoo in the western PA area, go to Pittsburgh where their giraffes, elephants, zebras and other savannah animals roam 'freely' in a large vegitated area. If you want to do something else in Erie, go to Presque Isle or Waldameer Park.

Wonderful alternative to Cleveland Zoo! Erie Zoo is so enjoyable because it doesn't take all day to see everything. It's small enough that you are not exhausted from walking from one end to the other in the blazing sun! There are many places to stop and relax in the shade and enjoy the day. And the carousel was such a nice surprise and the highlight of each trip. The value is great. My kids love it. And so do I! I recommend this zoo to anyone in northeast Ohio, east of Cleveland. You'll not regret it. We plan to go just as soon as school is out.

The zoo was small, it took us an hour to get around it. But we thought it was really nice and the price was great. It was just right for the kids to get around. I didn't have to rent a stroller for my 3 year old.

The Erie Zoo is the perfect size for toddlers. It's just the right amount of walking and animals to hold the attention of a busy toddler. The children's zoo is great and a ride on the miniture train is a must! Join up to become a member and goes as often as you want during the membership year AND get discounts at other participating zoos! The animals are well maintained and the grounds are always spotless, it may be small but it gets the job done!

I love the fact that it's not expensive , and the kid's really enjoy all the different things there are to do . The Train ride is Great ! This is one place I'd recommend for anyone who wants to relax and enjoy themselves , while their child(ren) learn and get to see lots of different animals and their habitats !

I am not against zoos if they seem to be keeping happy animals, but I saw some pretty miserable looking animals when I visited. The cheetah was walking the same figure 8 pattern over and over - it had actually created a path in the grass; the gorilla and orangutans looked depressed; the polar bear was clearly in a terrible mental state as it popped its head out of the water, swam to the other side, popped its head out of the water, swam back, popped its head out of the water...etc. The lion enclosure was the same story with one female standing just facing the wall. It was like visiting some kind of psychiatric ward at a prison. I'm sure most people will be like the people I was standing with, and will see nothing wrong and find the polar bears pacing behaviour as funny, but if you have any kind of sense you'll find something else to to in Erie (good luck with that).

I'd like to respond to the person who wrote that the female gorilla looked bored and sad. She is most likely sad as her mate died in March of 2005. The zookeepers had found a new mate for her in November 2005, but he died in transit to Erie. They found another male who died in May 2005 being prepared for transit. I imagine I'll be incredibly sad if my sweetie dies before I do as well. The zookeepers are doing what they can for her. Yes, the Erie Zoo is smaller than most, however the zookeepers and staff there truly love their jobs and the animals and that shows both with the animals in their exhibits as well as in the news when one is sick or (sadly) dies or new babies are born. Beyond making the zoo family-friendly they make it clear that the animals are family and there is a great sense of community upon entering the gates. The changes in recent years at the Erie Zoo have made the zoo more hands-on, more kid-friendly and more fun to visit. It's a great place to spend a day.