Watch the Wolves Roam in Ohio

Zoos are roaring into the 21st century with a fresh philosophy and vision that make them extra appealing for visiting families. Long gone are the days when animals were displayed in cages like sideshow oddities. At the newest exhibits, creatures are given the royal treatment in elaborately recreated habitats that teach visitors about the world's ecosystems and their species. Now your family can watch zebras and cheetahs roaming across grassy plains, turtles swimming in rivers stocked with fish, and wolves running through thick forests. Ohio's Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is one that certainly entertains as it educates animal-lovers.

CLEVELAND, OHIO

At the zoo's Wolf Wilderness: Wildlife of the Great Lakes, visitors can watch gray wolves roaming and romping in their simulated north-country habitat. The exhibit, which opened in May 1997, also features screech owls, wood ducks, bald eagles and beavers. On computers inside the visitors' center, a re-created 19th-century trapper's lodge, guests can learn about wolves' ecological contributions, including rodent control, and track the movements of 200 radio-tagged wolves roving through Minnesota's backcountry. Admission is $9 for visitors ages 12 and up, $4 for kids ages two to 11, and free for children under age two. Call 216-661-6500.

Candyce H. Stapen is a frequent contributor to FAMILYFUN.

Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated August 2005.