See Elephants at the Cincinnati Zoo’s Largest-Ever Attraction

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s resident gentle giants were treated to a major facilities upgrade on Oct. 1, 2024, when the zoo publicly unveiled its largest ever exhibit: the Harry and Linda Fath Elephant Trek.

The sprawling 7-acre space is home to the zoo’s now eight-member elephant herd, in addition to showcasing the breadth of wildlife present in Asia. The $60 million project represents nearly a third of the money raised through the zoo’s $170 million capital campaign called “More Home to Roam.”

“We were building the biggest exhibit the zoo has ever had,” says zoo director Thane Maynard. “So, we decided to do it for the biggest animals the zoo has ever had.”

The new space includes a 5-acre outdoor sand yard and a large indoor barn — measuring the size of a basketball court — with a dirt floor to mimic the elephants’ natural environment, making the ground softer and easier on their joints. The space’s design goes beyond physical comfort as well, incorporating strategically placed automatic feeders and hay-filled cargo nets hanging from trees to ensure the elephants stay mentally stimulated.

The new exhibit also features other Asian animal species, including Asian small-clawed otters, gibbons, rhinoceros hornbills and Asian pheasants, as well as the Komminsk Family Asian Waterfall Garden, an area dedicated to the natural fauna of southeast Asia.

Maynard sees the exhibit as a chance to inspire generations of visitors to continue protecting these creatures and their habitats. 

“It allows us to really share the lives of elephants,” he says, “but also share the work we do in conservation in Asia.”

3400 Vine St., Cincinnati 45220, 513/287-4700, cincinnatizoo.org

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