LARGEST EVER GIFT LANDED BY CLEVELAND ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY
Posted: November 19, 2015
A naming level gift has been secured for Rosebrough Tiger Passage, opening in 2016 at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. The $2.1 million gift, from Carol and Walt Rosebrough, will ensure the new exhibit meets its full potential as a dynamic environment for the Zoo’s Amur tigers and for the Zoo’s nearly 1.1 million visitors. It is the largest gift ever received by the Cleveland Zoological Society, the nonprofit organization that supports the Zoo.
Rosebrough Tiger Passage will be five times the size of the 1960s-era moated, grotto-style exhibits and feature interconnected habitats for the tigers to roam in, including overhead passages that pass right over the heads of visitors on the ground. “This exhibit is a major milestone in our master plan. The design increases the size and complexity of the space available to the tigers while also providing an immersive experience for our guests. Rosebrough Tiger Passage exemplifies what we mean when we talk about our mission, ‘creating compelling experiences that connect people with wildlife,’" said Zoo Executive Zoo Director Chris Kuhar. The exhibit will include climbing poles, meadows, shallow streams and soaking pools for the tigers; and interpretive graphics highlighting the work of tiger conservationists working in Russia to protect these magnificent cats.
“We are very grateful to Carol and Walt Rosebrough, who live in Northeast Ohio, for sharing their enthusiasm for the Zoo and for strengthening its role in the community. This is a tremendous investment that will benefit the Amur tigers and visitors to the Zoo for generations to come,” said Zoo Society Executive Director Liz Fowler. The Cleveland Zoological Society is the nonprofit support agency for Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and is actively fundraising for campus improvements and programmatic initiatives in animal care, science education and wildlife conservation. The new $4.1 million tiger exhibit will be funded through a combination of Cleveland Metroparks funds and donations to the Cleveland Zoological Society.
The Zoo currently has two tigers, a male, Klechka, 12, and Dasha, 14, a female.
As they wind around the paths of Rosebrough Tiger Passage, guests will be immersed in a Russian forest and learn about the plight of the world’s largest cat in the wild. Amur tigers are classified as “endangered” in the wild by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. This particular subspecies of tiger is found almost exclusively in the Amur River region of Russia, with some individuals straying over into China. The IUCN estimates that there are fewer than 500 Amur tigers left in the wild, but currently classifies the population in Russia as stable.
Northeast Ohio’s most-visited year-round attraction, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
General Contractor: Panzica Construction
Architects: VAN AUKEN AKINS ARCHITECTS (Cleveland, OH) and WDM ARCHITECTS (Wichita, Kansas)
Funding: Cleveland Zoological Society + Cleveland Metroparks
Media Contact:
Liz Fowler
216-635-3342
