Animal Care
A recognized national leader in animal care and welfare, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo supports a holistic view of animal health – from diet, to enrichment and environment.
The Zoo’s Animal Care program consists of all aspects of care — from the foods the animals eat, to habitat design and enrichment opportunities those animals receive, to innovative research that informs future management practices.
Each year, the Cleveland Zoological Society provides $200,000 to the Zoo for animal care. Research supplies and equipment, high-quality food, and staff training are supported by generous private philanthropy. In addition, Zoo Society donors have funded Zoo facilities — the Sarah Allison Steffee Center for Zoological Medicine and an on-site hay storage barn — to support animal care and welfare teams.
$1M
Annual food and supply spending by the Zoo
$200K
Annual funding provided by the Zoo Society for animal care
550T
The amount of hay the Zoo's animals consume each year
Feeding the Zoo
As the Zoo’s nonprofit partner, the Cleveland Zoological Society raises money to help offset the cost to feed and care for the Zoo’s many species each year.
The Zoo’s total grocery bill, which includes hay and other grasses, fruits, vegetables and all the rest of the ingredients for all the animals’ specialized diets, is huge! Medical supplies and veterinary work is expensive, too. Our yearly goals provide animal feed, animal welfare items, habitat upkeep and equipment, medical and laboratory supplies for the year. All of this helps the animal care and veterinary teams provide world-class welfare for the animals you love.
$100,000 to feed koalas for a year
They eat only the tips of eucalyptus plants, which makes them very picky eaters - and one of our most expensive animals to feed.
$72,000 to feed the big cats annually
The Zoo's large cats can consume 33,000 pounds of meat in a year.
$35,000 to feed the seals and sea lions
The Zoo's seals and sea lions eat around 24,000 pounds of fish in a year.
Feed the Zoo video playlist
Learn more about the amount of food individual Zoo animals eat in our Feed the Zoo video playlist.
Explore Articles
Tree kangaroo research results
Science-driven adjustments to husbandry practices in AZA zoos have showed a positive effect on tree kangaroos.
Looking at animals (at the population level)
A veterinary epidemiologist is a vet who focuses on the health of animal populations.
