Brevard Zoo
| Brevard Zoo | |
|---|---|
 Brevard Zoo Monument sign at entrance | |
 | |
| 28°13′30″N 80°42′50″W / 28.225089°N 80.713978°W | |
| Date opened | March 26, 1994[1] |
| Location | 8225 North Wickham Road Melbourne, Florida, U.S. |
| Land area | 75 acres (30.4 ha) |
| No. of animals | 800 |
| No. of species | 170 |
| Annual visitors | 526,000 (2022) |
| Memberships | AZA[2] |
| Website | brevardzoo |
Brevard Zoo is a 75-acre nonprofit organization located in Melbourne, Florida, United States, that is home to more than 800 animals representing more than 170 species from Florida, South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The zoo features animal feedings, kayak tours, behind-the-scenes tours, and a train ride, along with the attraction Treetop Trek. Brevard Zoo is a nonprofit organization accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The zoo is the first campus of East Coast Zoological Foundation, which oversees the zoo and its sister campus, the future Bowen Aquarium.
The zoo is divided into six loops: Expedition Africa, Lands of Change: Australia and Beyond, Wild Florida, Rainforest Revealed, Paws On and the Caribbean Trail. These loops are accessed off of the main loop that encircles the flamingo pond.[3]
History
[edit]In 1986, the East Coast Zoological Society of Florida, Inc. (ECZS) formed. One of their goals was to build a zoo for Brevard County to "serve as a conversation hub where people could gather to learn about animals and nature. A place to escape from the manmade world and reconnect with the diversity of the life with which we share this planet."[4] In 1992, construction of the zoo began, with over 16,000 people coming together to help build the zoo. The Brevard Zoo claims to have had "The World's Largest Volunteer Community Build". Brevard Zoo celebrated its grand opening on March 26, 1994.[5]
La Selva, Wild Florida and the innovative Paws On play area were the first areas of the Zoo to be constructed. Australasia made its debut in 1996 and Expedition Africa opened in 2003. Treetop Trek, a parallel attraction consisting of five expansive aerial obstacle courses, welcomed its first guests in 2011.
In 2007, the zoo started renovations on its Paws On exhibit, with it reopening in April 2009. Renovations included a wading pool and an aquarium. The Contact Yard (petting zoo) was updated and reopened as “The Barnyard”.
In 2017, the zoo renovated its Australia and Asia exhibits and reopened them as "Lands of Change: Australia and Beyond".[3]
In 2019, the zoo renovated their La Selva exhibits and reopened them as "Rainforest Revealed".
Starting in 2023, the Zoo renovated and expanded its Expedition Africa loop, opening in November 2024 with an open-air 15,150-square-foot habitat for its male lions.
Park areas
[edit]Expedition Africa
[edit]Expedition Africa offers kayaking on the grounds of the zoo around its Africa habitats. Trained staff lead the kayak trips and provide informative dialogue during a slow glide past African-themed exhibits. These exhibits include lions, Masai giraffes, impalas, Grévy's zebras, white rhinos, scimitar oryxes, dromedary camels, klipspringers, meerkats, a common ostrich, crested guineafowl, West African crowned cranes, and southern ground hornbills. The area also includes red ruffed and ring-tailed lemurs and radiated tortoises from Madagascar. Visitors can climb up to an observation platform where they can feed the giraffes at eye-level. Siamangs are located in-between the entrances to the Expedition Africa and Lands of Change loops. Meerkats were added in 2014. Two zebra mares were added to the white rhino exhibit on President's Day 2015.[citation needed] The zoo also has a population of scimitar oryx, a species that has been extinct in the wild since 2000, On February 3, 2017, a new oryx calf was born at the zoo.
On December 8, 2020, three two-year-old male Watusi cattle (Maximus, Boss Hogg and Galloping Ghost) arrived at the zoo from a ranch in Oklahoma. The zoo's first eastern bongo (a five-year-old male named Sebastian from the Naples Zoo), who only has one horn—the other was surgically removed following an injury at a previous facility, came the next day. Sebastian has since been paired with several females, and more than five calves have been born over the past 3 years. This species is critically endangered.
In early 2024, the zoo welcomed an Okapi named George. Two encounters are available for an extra cost in Expedition Africa: an Okapi Encounter and Rhino Encounter. Guests can book these experiences and enjoy up-close interactions with these species.
Lands of Change: Australia and Beyond
[edit]As its name implies, this loop features animals from Australia, Oceania, Southeast Asia and South America. Visitors can find animals such as the red kangaroos, Galapagos tortoises, emus, dingos, North Sulawesi babirusas, wrinkled hornbills and black swans.[6] Lands of Change: Australia and Beyond also hosts two free-flight aviaries where visitors have the option of feeding rainbow lorikeets and cockatiels. The aviary is home to: galahs, laughing kookaburras, Victoria crowned pigeons and Nicobar pigeons, among others. It is divided into two sections - the "lorikeet side" and the "cockatiel side". Right across from the aviary is a kangaroo walkabout where guests can get up close and personal with the zoo's kangaroos and emus. Inside the kangaroo walkabout, there are several solar panel "trees" that were donated to the zoo by Florida Power & Light. The solar panels provide shade for the kangaroos, but their most important function is that they provide all the energy for the Komodo dragon house, where the Komodo dragon is located. Siamangs, a type of gibbon, are located in between the entrances to Africa and Lands of Change: Australia and Beyond.
Guests can feed the kangaroos for an extra cost from 10-11 a.m. daily.
Wild Florida
[edit]The loop includes American alligators, American crocodiles, bald eagles, crested caracaras, turtles, Florida black bears, white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, and bobcats. There are opportunities to feed the deer and turkeys. There is an area to kayak into the wetlands as well as zipline.
In 2021 the two North American river otters fell ill and died unexpectedly, the exhibit that once held the otters is now the home of the alligator snapping turtle.
Rainforest Revealed (La Selva)
[edit]Formerly known as La Selva, Rainforest Revealed houses the zoo's black howler monkeys, jaguars, cotton-top tamarins, golden-headed lion tamarins, black-handed spider monkeys, macaws, tortoises, reptiles and fishes. This loop also features a Baird's tapir, capybara, and Linnaeus's two-toed sloths. In March 2007, a newly constructed vulture habitat opened for king vultures. The habitat is now split between the vultures and a mixed-species space that's home to several Animal Ambassadors such as striped skunks, a Brazilian porcupine and a two-toed sloth.
The area reopened following a renovation under the new name, Rainforest Revealed, in 2019.
The Venom House, a building within this loop, is home to eyelash vipers, emerald tree boas, poison dart frogs, and other species.
Paws On
[edit]Paws On provides a place for children to play in a playground, a splash pad, and a petting zoo for children to explore. The area includes a shallow swimming area (splash pad); an aquarium mimicking the underwater environment of the nearby Indian River Lagoon with animals such as tarpons, stingrays, and black drums; a pizzeria, and various other attractions aimed toward children of all ages. Exhibits from the old Paws On that were kept include the Soil Cube and the Whale Slide. The Barnyard (petting zoo) is home to Nigerian dwarf goats, an African spurred tortoise, and chickens. Other animals include eastern box turtles and two female bloodhounds named Cindy Pawford and Sarah Jessica Barker.
A two-toed sloth encounter allows guests to meet and feed one of the Zoo's resident sloths. This special experience can be booked online.
Caribbean Trail
[edit]Opened in November of 2013, the “Treasures of the Caribbean” trail is home to animals such as the Grand Cayman Blue Iguana and the Yellow-Naped Amazon. This exhibit also features a pirate-themed scavenger hunt.
Operations
[edit]The zoo welcomed 526,000 guests in 2022.
Gallery
[edit]-
American alligators -
White rhinos in Expedition Africa -
Giraffes in Expedition Africa -
African spurred tortoise -
American crocodile -
Bald eagle -
Blue and yellow macaw -
Jaguar -
Meerkat -
Radiated tortoise -
Scarlet macaw -
Zebras -
Flamingos -
Rhinoceros drinking -
Crocodillian eye -
Klipspringer
References
[edit]- ^ "BREVARD ZOO - About the Zoo". www.brevardzoo.org. Archived from the original on 6 October 2006. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ "Currently Accredited Zoos and Aquariums". aza.org. AZA. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
- ^ a b "Brevard Zoos Newest Exhibit Lands of Change Australia and Beyond Set to Open May 27/". www.SpaceCoastDaily.com. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
- ^ https://brevardzoo.org/about-us/ Brevard Zoo. Our History. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
- ^ "About The Zoo". www.Brevardzoo.org. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
- ^ Brevard Zoo Archived June 26, 2008, at the Wayback Machine retrieved July 1, 2008
External links
[edit]