About the Zoo & Wildlife

The Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens is located at the mouth of the Trout River, near where it flows into the St. Johns River, in Jacksonville, Florida. The zoo occupies approximately 122 acres (49 ha) and has over 2,000 animals and 1,000 plant species in its collection. The zoo has grown from a small collection in Springfield into one of the city's premier attractions, with more than one million visits annually. The Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens' marquee attractions are the Range of the Jaguar, which won the 2005 AZA Exhibit of the year award and the Land of the Tiger, which opened in 2014 and features an innovative walk-through trail system for the zoo's tigers. The zoo's other exhibits include the Plains of East Africa, highlighting African savanna animals; Lorikeet Landing; Primate Forest, featuring two of the four genera of great apes, as well as several species of lemurs; and Wild Florida, which features animals native to the state. The zoo is active in animal conservation, participating in more than 50 national and international conservation initiatives and more than 95 Species Survival Plans. In 2004, the zoo reached an agreement with the nation of Guyana to help promote conservation in that country, particularly the Iwokrama Forest. Additionally, since 1999 the zoo has been home to a large breeding colony of wild wood storks. Though not endangered, this bird is a rare find on the North American continent, and has, in this case, taken up permanent residence in a tree overlooking the Plains of Africa.