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.

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.

Feed the Zoo video playlist

Learn more about the amount of food individual Zoo animals eat in our Feed the Zoo video playlist.