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Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens Jacksonville Zoo News

Discussion in 'United States' started by okapikpr, 26 Apr 2008.

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  1. okapikpr

    okapikpr Well-Known Member

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    The Jax zoo is a typical southern zoo with open paddocked/moated exhibits and lots of reptiles. The zoo has grown by leaps and bounds not only in the last 15 years, but a lot has happened in just the last 5 years. The zoo layout is based on a main circular loop (not yet completed) that circles the zoo with several loops leading off the main path into the exhibit areas. Currently the zoo has 6 major exhibit areas:

    Plains of East Africa
    Visitors walk on a rised boardwalk adjoining large paddocked pens containing white rhinoceros, greater kudu, bongo, warthog, nile crocodile, cheetah, amur leopard, colobus monkey, grevy's zebra, african buffalo, and African Elephants. Nearby the african loop path is the adjacent giraffe mixed species exhibit with a large elevated shelter for viewing and feeding the giraffes.

    Range of the Jaguar
    The local football team is the Jacksonville Jaguars and a sponsor of one of the zoo's newest exhibits. The zoo has one of the largest complexes for Jaguars in the US. The area also has the zoo's largest reptile house, giant anteaters, baird's tapir, giant otters, harpy eagle, walk-through aviary, and a large open plaza to host special events.

    Trout River Gardens
    This area is still in developement but is supposed to bring horticulture to the zoo and create a relaxing atmosphere along the trout river. This area used to have the old african themed children's zoo and an australian exhibit that has kinda fallen apart since it opened in 2002 with koalas, cassowary, walk through kangaroo exhibits and looriket aviary. The Kangaroo exhibit is closed and the koalas left in 2006. The Koala building is now an amphibian conservation center.

    Kid's Zone
    A big play area for children of all ages. Animals involved are pygmy goats, river otters (one of the best otter exhibits i've seen!), and squirrel monkeys. There is also a discovery center, classrooms, a water splash park, playground, and hedge maze. It wasnt quite what I imagined it to be -a dissapointment, but it is well used and now showing a lot of wear and tear since it opened in 2006. This area will require a lot of intensive maintenacne and renovation to keep up with the traffic.

    Great Apes of the World
    Originally built to house all 4 great ape species, but now only contains bachelor lowland gorillas and bonobos. One of the enclosures has large trees that the ape are allowed to climb and enjoy. The area also has lemurs, mandrills, and siamangs.

    Wild Florida
    Houses pretty much all species of florida wildlife (minus the manatees). A great reptile house incorporates a lot of mixed species exhibits for herps. Alligators, Red Wolves, Whooping Cranes, Bald Eagle, White tailed Deer, Florida Panther, Black Bear, Bobcat, Otters, and various raptors are housed here.

    The zoo still has a lot of development going on and I will try and post them as they happen.
     
  2. snowleopard

    snowleopard Well-Known Member 15+ year member Premium Member

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    In 2005 the "Range of the Jaguar" enclosure won an exhibit award from AZA, and I suppose that it is the crown jewel of the Jacksonville Zoo. It's interesting that the "Great Apes of the World" only has 2 out of the 4 planned ape species on exhibit, so what caused that to happen? Possibly funding?
     
  3. okapikpr

    okapikpr Well-Known Member

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    No just collection planning, there are four pens for each species. Last year the zoo shipped out the last 3 chimpanzees, they were getting old and the zoo wanted to keep them in a more social environment. Now the zoo will focus on expanding the bonobo collection, making another troop. The other two pens have a single bachelor lowland gorilla each, the zoo has tried socialization with them but resulted in the death of a third male gorilla last year.
     
  4. okapikpr

    okapikpr Well-Known Member

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    The next big development will be Monsoon Asia. It will hopefully feature tiger, sun bear, indian rhinoceros, orangutan, gibbons. The first phase will eventually open in the next year with an entry garden to complement the trout river gardens and a komodo dragon exhibit.
     
  5. okapikpr

    okapikpr Well-Known Member

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    Historical Timeline

    1914 - Grand Opening in Springfield Park
    1925 - Grand Opening (relocation to present Trout River site)
    1926 - 1st Asian Elephant arrived
    1970 - 1st Capybara arrived (September)
    1971 - Jacksonville Zoological Society formed, Zoo under Society management
    1992 - Acquired 11 acres adjoining eastern boarder of zoo (total 73 acres)
    1993 - renamed Jacksonville Zoological Gardens; Mahali Pa Simba (Lion exhibit)
    1994 - Naked Mole Rats arrived
    1995 - Siamang arrived (May)
    1996 - Birds of the Rift Valley; Warthog exhibit
    1997 - Giraffe & Zebra exhibit
    1998 - 1st Bonobo arrived (March)
    1999 - Great Apes of the World
    2000 - Meerkat exhibit; River Branch Animal Medical Center
    2001 - Wild Florida
    2002 - Australian Adventure
    2004 - Range of the Jaguar
    2005 - Giraffe Overlook; Savanna Blooms
    2006 - Kid’s Zone
    2007 - Trout River Plaza Gardens; Whopping Crane and Giant Otters arrived
    2008 - Amphibian Conservation Center
    2009 - Asian Gardens & Komodo Dragon
    Future - Monsoon Asia
     
  6. BjoernN

    BjoernN Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Hi,
    I am looking for information and data concerning the bonobo group at the Jacksonville Zoo, their enclosure (area, altitude), group structure and changes in 2007 and 2008 (births, deaths, transfers)...

    Can you help me??

    Thanks a lot
    Bjoern
     
  7. okapikpr

    okapikpr Well-Known Member

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  8. okapikpr

    okapikpr Well-Known Member

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    Went to the zoo yesterday...first time in a whole year! And to think I live only 15 minutes from the zoo.

    The Giant Otter brothers were out and are big! And the new Amphibian Conservation Center looks nice with its various breeding programs (mudpuppies, Puerto Rican Crested Toads, Panamanian Golden Frogs, etc.)

    Some other minor changes:
    -A young Green Anaconda in the Florida Reptile House
    -Refurbished aquarium for their large Greater Siren
    -an additional Caiman Lizard
    -some new neotropical reptile species
    -the wallaby enclosure removed and in some state of construction. Spray paint of the nearby trail showed a future re-alignment of the path.
    -Construction has finally started on the Asian Bamboo Gardens. I took some pictures of the plans and will post them later.
     
  9. Ituri

    Ituri Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Oooh YAY I love plans!
     
  10. ANyhuis

    ANyhuis Well-Known Member

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    Little known fact about the Jacksonville Zoo: It's the ONLY zoo in America where you can see ALL of Africa's famous "Big Five" animals (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, and rhino). They sort of cheat, though, in that their leopard is an Asian leopard, but he's displayed with the African animals.
     
  11. okapikpr

    okapikpr Well-Known Member

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  12. Zebraduiker

    Zebraduiker Well-Known Member

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    There are any african leopards in the us ?
     
  13. BlackRhino

    BlackRhino Well-Known Member

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    At the Kansas City Zoo they have African Leopards
     
  14. Buckeye092

    Buckeye092 Well-Known Member

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    If your talking about Panthera Pardus Pardus, then no only European zoos keep them, but if you talking about Panthera Pardus in general quite a few American zoos have them.
     
  15. okapikpr

    okapikpr Well-Known Member

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    Baltimore also had some wild caught African Leopards that they bred, Im not sure where they got them. I do believe that at least one of the offspring was sent to Columbus Zoo when they opened the new African Forest region. This news was from at least 5 years ago...because this (sub)species isnt part of a managed breeding program, many US zoos will not specify sub-speciation with leopards. I wouldnt doubt that there are dozens of pure African leopards in many small American zoos.
     
  16. okapikpr

    okapikpr Well-Known Member

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  17. okapikpr

    okapikpr Well-Known Member

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  18. okapikpr

    okapikpr Well-Known Member

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  19. okapikpr

    okapikpr Well-Known Member

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  20. loxodonta

    loxodonta Well-Known Member

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    Thats funny. You would think they had enough river otters as it is.