Gulf Coast Family

In 1988 Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo opened its doors to the public as an independent, nonprofit organization committed to excellence in education, conservation, and research. Now twenty years later, the Lowry Park Zoo is recognized as the number one zoo in the United States and it is touted as being the most family friendly zoo in the country. The Zoo features over 2,200 animals on 56 acres, and in the last year alone, there were more than 1.1 million visitors to the zoo making it the top attended zoo in the southeastern United States..

Recently, and for the first time in a few years, we took our entire family to the zoo and boy did we have a blast. The zoo has changed so much just in the past few years and all the new exhibits are very well designed and spacious. It is amazing how natural the settings are and how close you can actually get to the animals. While it was quite hot the day we visited, the shady boardwalks around the enclosures, the attractive exhibits and the many water fountains made the day very enjoyable.

The following are a few Zoo highlights from our visit:

• Wallaroo Station is the children’s section of the zoo and is designed especially for families with young children. Kids can feed and pet goats, cool off in the “Billabong” water play area, ride a pony, or take a spin on the “Flyin’ Bananas.”

• Safari Africa features a herd of African elephants including a young African elephant born at the zoo in October 2005. Guests can also feed a giraffe and ride a dromedary camel in Safari Africa. The zoo also offers two family rides in this area – the Treetop Skyfari Sky Ride which soars high above the zoo and the new narrated “Safari Ride which offers great views of African animals by open-air tram.

• Guests can now enhance their zoo adventure by hopping on “Gator Falls”, a water flume ride over a section of the Florida Wildlife Center. This ride offers a great chance to get wet and cool off on a hot day.

• The Florida Manatee and Aquatic Center offers some amazing up close views of the manatees both from above and below the water. You also have the ability to see into the Manatee hospital area where keepers provide critical care for injured, sick and orphaned manatees.

• For those who enjoy opportunities to feed the animals, Lorikeet Landing, Bushland Budgies and Stingray Bay offer up-close encounters with these animals.

• The African Penguins exhibit in the new year-round outdoor habitat called Penguin Beach is a real splash!

• The new Ituri Forest has a collection of five new exhibits, including the new born Pigmy Hippo. Also included are the Cheetah, Striped Hyena, Okapi and Marabou stork exhibits.

• Two new rare white “albino” alligators can now be found in Florida Wildlife section of the zoo.

• In Wallaroo Station there is a pair of endangered Fiji-banded iquanas in an effort to support the U.S. Conservation objectives for this species.

• New animals in Safari Africa including Thomson’s gazelle, bontebok, sable, impala and springbok.

• A dramatic walk-thru aviary, in Safari Africa, with greater flamingos, lesser flamingos, great white pelicans, shoebill storks and ring-tailed lemurs.

• More than 33 mammals and birds at the Lowry Park Zoo are part of the Species Survival Plan— a cooperative breeding and conservation program for zoos worldwide.

• The “Zoo School” programs at the zoo are designed to be interactive and fun, highlighting the Zoo’s commitment to the conservation of animals.

• Parking is free!!!

• Volunteers are essential to the operation of Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, contributing tens of thousands of hours each year. They come to support special events, animal care, public education and service projects. There are a number of volunteer opportunities across a range of zoo departments available. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer at the Zoo, you can reach the Zoo’s volunteer coordinator at volunteer.coordinator@lowryparkzoo.com or 813-935-8552 ext. 296.

All in all, our trip to the zoo was a very welcome break from the hustle and bustle of daily life and a great opportunity for our family to spend some time together and to see some amazing animals.

October is a beautiful time to go outdoors here in Central Florida, and it is also a great time for families in Pinellas to visit Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo. On October 4th, the Lowry Park Zoo will be celebrating Tamani’s (the young African elephant) 3rd birthday during World Animal Day! National Geographic Kids and Fisher Price are also joining in on the celebration for a fun-filled day of activities for the whole family including music and games, arts and crafts, animal enrichments, birthday cake, prizes and more! To find out more concerning this event, visit www.lowryparkzoo.com.

Tips for an Enjoyable Visit

• Arrive early! The Zoo typically opens around 9:30 in the morning and this is an ideal time to interact with the animals. In the mornings the animals that you can feed personally like the giraffes, birds, and stingrays are hungry and as a result, they are a lot more responsive and playful.
• The weekdays are great – the weekdays are a lot less crowded then Saturday or Sunday and a very enjoyable time to see the zoo.
• Get the ride pass – it is well worth the money. Not only are the all day ride passes a great value, but they also make the entire zoo experience more memorable.
• Bring a spare set of clothes – while the new Gator Falls ride is fun, exciting and a blast to go on with the kids, please note that as advertised, you will get drenched on this ride.
• Bring water shoes for the kids – the zoo stipulates that children must have shoes on in order to play in the different fountains throughout the zoo.
• Visit the “Bushland Budgies” – in this new free-flight aviary the birds will totally surround you and children absolutely love it!