Zoo weighs new plan for cheetahs, expansion in Warren County

The Cincinnati Zoo is studying whether to add a visitor’s center or maple farm on land in Warren County where it plans to breed cheetahs.

“This is totally different site,” Stan Williams, executive director of the planning commission said after meeting with the Warren County Regional Planning commission Thursday.

The new site, in Turtlecreek Twp., is east on Hamilton Road from the previous site for the cheetah recovery center, as well as a run where visitors would be able to watch the fleet cats run.

RELATED: Fastest captive cheetah dies at Cincinnati Zoo.

On Monday, zoo officials declined to discuss the new plans or why they put plans to put the cheetah facilities near Nickel and Hamilton roads on hold.

“It’s too premature for us to talk about anything because we have no concrete plans,” Michelle Curley, communications director for the zoo, said this morning in an email.

Mike Yetter, the county’s zoning supervisor, said it was impossible to be more specific until the zoo submitted a new plan.

In addition to the cheetah facilities, the zoo is looking at adding a maple farm, trails and ponds on land off Hamilton and Montgomery roads, Williams said.

The zoo already operates an organic farm and garden, wetlands and beekeeping on some of more than 600 donated acres it owns in this area, near the Warren-Butler county line and other development around the Ohio 63 interchange at Interstate 75.

The cheetahs would be moved from Clermont County.

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