Putting the head on a 200 foot dragon

How do you put the head on a 200' dragon?

Very Carefully.


A highlight of the Asian Lantern Festival at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo will be the nearly 200-foot-long and 20-foot-tall Chinese Dragon that sprawls across Waterfowl Lake. #asianlantern

Click on the white arrow in the image below to watch a video of the head being put on the huge dragon.

See more photos of the dragon getting its head at the Asian Lantern exhibit

Asian Lantern Festival preview - Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is transforming into an all-new summer experience beginning Thursday, July 19th during the first-of-its-kind Asian Lantern Festival, presented by Cleveland Clinic Children's. Each Thursday through Sunday for five weeks, hundreds of large-scale, colorful lanterns will illuminate the Zoo and offer an amazing and unique look in an exclusive, after-hours setting.

When you enter the Zoo you will see this beautiful Asian entrance and just inside is a 100-foot-long entrance pathway in the Welcome Plaza.

Asian Lantern Festival #AsianLantern will feature more than 40 displays and hundreds of lanterns across several destinations of the Zoo.

More details and photos and videos of the Asian Lanterns at the Zoo

Asian Highlands Exhibit Opening at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Asian Highlands, the new state-of-the-art destination at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, is now open to the public.

The immersive addition is home to Amur and snow leopards, red panda and a new species to the Zoo, takin.

Takin at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Red panda at Asian Highlands at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

One of Asian Highlands’ residents, the Amur leopard, is the most endangered big cat species on Earth with fewer than 100 animals estimated to remain in the wild.

Amur leopard at Asian Highlands at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

See photos and videos of the new Asian Highlands exhibit 

Asian Lantern Festival Preview at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo announced Asian Lantern Festival presented by Cleveland Clinic Children's that will light up the zoo for five weeks this summer. The limited engagement will take place evenings, Thursday thru Sunday from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., from July 19 to August 19, 2018.

Guests will enjoy more than two dozen large-scale, colorful lantern installations placed throughout the zoo that will illuminate starting at dusk. Guests will be immersed in Asian culture, dining on Asian inspired cuisine, watching Asian performers on the Fifth Third Bank stage, and shopping an authentic marketplace sponsored by T-Mobile.

More about the Asian Lantern Festival at the Zoo

Traditional Hmong Dances at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo opened a new Asian Highlands exhibit and celebrated with some Asian performances.

Paj Tawg Tshiab (which directly translates to "blooming flower" in Hmong) is a traditional dance group focused on preserving the performing arts of the Hmong people. Paj Tawg Tshiab is based in Akron, Ohio.

Pictures and videos of the Hmong dances at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Bharathanatyam Classical Indian dance at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

A new state-of-the-art destination at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is called Asian Highlands and is home to Amur and snow leopards, red panda and a new species to the Zoo, takin. The new destination includes significantly larger and more complex habitats for the animals. Asian Highlands will also feature several glass viewing areas where guests can get nose to nose with some of their favorite animals. The architecture of the structure is designed with elements representative of central China, the region these species are native to.

To celebrate the grand opening of the new Asian Highlands destination there were several Asian performances including a Bharatanatyam dance from Tamil Nadu in southern India by 7th grader Deepa Raman.

Performing in front of a bear habitat, Deepa began by balancing and dancing on a mudpot and then told the story of the 10 avatars of Vishnu and three animals - deer, peacock and snake - in her dance.

See more photos and video of the Bharatanatyam dance 

Asian Highlands groundbreaking at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Dan Hanson was on site for the groundbreaking of the new Asian Highlands exhibit at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

The area will open in Summer 2018 and will be home to the Zoo’s Amur Leopard, snow leopard, red pandas and takin.

 Central Chinese influenced architecture and other elements of Asian culture will be incorporated.

 After a quick look at the future space the gold shovels were grabbed and the groundbreaking commenced.

More from the new Asian Highlands exhibit at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Where the Asian Highlands exhibit animals come from

Chris Kuhar, Executive Director of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo spoke at the groundbreaking of the new Asian Highlands exhibit at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

 The area will open in summer 2018 and will be home to the Zoo’s Amur leopard, snow leopard, red pandas and takin.

Dr. Kuhar said the animals all live in medium to high altitudes.  The Snow Leopard is from Western China, the Red Pandas from more Central China and the Amur Leopard from the Eastern coastal regions.

More from the new Asian Highlands exhibit at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

Evolution of zoos – Let the animals do what the animals do. Chris Kuhar

Cleveland Metroparks Board of Park Commissioners Chair Bruce G. Rinker spoke at the groundbreaking of the new Asian Highlands exhibit at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

 The area will open in Summer 2018 and will be home to the Zoo’s Amur leopard, snow leopard, red pandas and takin.

 He introduced Chris Kuhar, Executive Director of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.  Dr. Kuhar said the next exhibit will highlight some of the most endangered species from Asia.  It will do what’s best for the animals and provide complex environments.

 Let the animals do what the animals do.

More from the new Asian Highlands exhibit at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Zoos around the world have a responsibility – Bruce Rinker

Cleveland Metroparks CEO Brian Zimmerman told of the Zoo’s new tagline “Securing the Future of Wildlife” and then introduced Cleveland Metroparks Board of Park Commissioners Chair Bruce G. Rinker who spoke at the groundbreaking of the new Asian Highlands exhibit at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

The area will open in Summer 2018 and will be home to the Zoo’s Amur leopard, snow leopard, red pandas and takin.  Rinker spoke of the responsibility that zoos around the world have and how Cleveland is leading the way.

See more of the new Asian Highlands exhibit at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo