About the Zoo & Wildlife

The Naples Zoo (or more formally, Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens) is a 43-acre zoo and historic botanical garden in Naples, Florida, United States. The first plantings were made by botanist and ornithologist Henry Nehrling in 1919; the gardens were neglected after his death in 1929. In the 1950s, Julius Fleischmann added new plantings, created lakes and a pathway, introduced parrots and waterfowl, and opened as Caribbean Gardens in 1954. After his death in 1968, the exotic animals were introduced in 1969 by Larry and Jane Tetzlaff, aka Jungle Larry and Safari Jane. The zoo holds about 70 species, though not all of these are on display at any given time. The main path is about a mile long, and winds past the main animal exhibits through the tropical garden first planted in 1919. Primates in the zoo are housed on islands in one of the lakes created by Fleischmann, and can be viewed from guided catamarans when visitors take the Primate Expedition Cruise. The zoo is nationally accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and is an institutional member of the American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK). The garden itself is accredited by The Moreton Register of Arboreta and is a member of the American Public Garden Association and the Association of Zoological Horticulture. It is also a designated historic site by Collier County.