Kodiak Ridge

More room to roam

Our three Brown bears arrived to the Zoo as rescues from Yellowstone National Park and Kodiak Island. They are representatives of the challenges wildlife face in sharing a world with humans. This new, expanded exhibit, opened March 16, 2023 and includes 14,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space and can be viewed from both Tembo Trail and Tiger Terrace.

Featuring a 5,000-gallon pool for the bears to enjoy, this exhibit includes a 130 square-foot cave for them to nap in, complete with a viewing window for the public. Also built into the exhibit is a sensory log, which allows visitors to crawl inside and see the bears like they’ve never seen them before. It’s an exciting encounter that’s so close, they’ll be breathing the same air as the bears themselves!

A dedicated dig area for the bears is mirrored with a public sand box on the opposite side of the exhibit, providing the perfect opportunity for the bears and kids to dig and play “together.”

Meet our bears

Born in January 2015 at Yellowstone National Park, Cody and Montana are Grizzly bear sisters who came to live at the Toledo Zoo at just six months old as orphaned cubs. Grizzly bears are the subspecies of Brown bear that inhabits North America.

Although they are sisters, Cody and Montana share just as many differences as they do similarities. Cody is the smaller sister with a rounder face and lighter coloring. She weighs 575 lbs. compared to Montana’s 615 lbs., and Cody sports darker nails than her sister, whose nails appear nearly white.

Rounding out our bear trio is Dodge, a Kodiak Brown bear, born on Kodiak Island in Alaska. Kodiak bears are the largest subspecies of Brown bear and can weigh upwards of 1,500 lbs. Dodge’s current weight tips the scales at 1,147 lbs.

Each bear has his or her own unique personality. While Dodge loves to play and chase the girls, they would often rather sleep or play on their own. One thing they can all agree on though, is that the pool is the place to be - it’s their favorite activity in the exhibit!