Some residents wary as Cincinnati Zoo plans to build cheetah enclosure in Warren County

WARREN COUNTY, Ohio (WKRC) - The Cincinnati Zoo is expanding its cheetah program. Now, they'll be running free on land in Warren County.

It's a plan that's been years in the making, but the idea is leaving some who will be living next door a bit uneasy.

The Cincinnati Zoo is approved to build a place for cheetahs to be active in a spot off Mason Montgomery Road. The neighbors say they are worried for their safety and their property values.

Dr. Daniel Tanase does not want cheetahs exercising in his backyard.

"If they get bored running 70 miles-per-hour, they can jump a fence. If they get bored and have nothing to do, they can be at my house," said Tanase.

"One of the cheetahs, one time, and, if my kids are playing, that's it," he said.

The zoo explained the facility at a public hearing of the Board of Zoning Appeals. The proposed development is on the Bowyer farmland the zoo owns. It sits close to dozens of houses.

But other neighbors are excited about the development.

"I think it's a green use of the land, and it works well with the farm that's there," said Denise Hamet.

Mark Fisher says they have been running cheetahs in Clermont County for years with no problems.

"These are also the same cheetahs we bring to elementary schools in Warren County and to churches and to fairs. These are very docile animals. We literally bring them to elementary schools on a leash. So that and this will be like any other USDA-approved zoo enclosure, we have zero concern about the safety," Fisher said.

Part of the plan approval requires a notification system for neighbors and the sheriff's department if there was an escape or safety concern.

The facility will be built with state grant money. It will be surrounded by a 10-foot tall fence and a security gate.

This is separate from the zoo's Clermont County facility where cheetahs are bred as part of a nationwide effort to maintain the population.