Gulf Breeze Zoo Gulf Breeze Zoo

mstickmanp

mstickmanp

Well-Known Member
After being closed for 6 months, the zoo reopened as Gulf Breeze Zoo back in 2010. I'm just wondering if anybody has been back to the zoo, specially this summer? This summer they opened two new exhibits, a Budgiery walk-through aviary and a Squirrel Monkey exhibit with 28 monkeys! Is this the largest Squirrel Monkey troop in the US? Also, according to their website they will be opening a Clouded Leopard exhibit and walk-through aviary next year. It seems this medium sized zoo has a nice future ahead of them considering they almost closed for good in 2009.

Would be nice if the Snowleopard family can visit the zoo next summer in their annual zoo trip and provide us with some pics and review...;):D
 
The Zoo changed ownership, and is now under very capable new management. I expect great things from this facility in future.
 
The Zoo is doing very well under the new ownership. The Budgie and Squirrel Monkey exhibit is a huge hit with the public. The zoo recently received two White Rhinos that are still off display adjusting to the preserve. The zoo is also planning to build a new enclosure for our Siamang troop.
 
I went during Thanksgiving week 2011. The walk through budgie aviary was very charming. There are many small 'here and there' renovations and remodeling being done. There was a large batch of very young rhea chicks when I was there, also. Although the large 'preserve' was big enough for all species housed, I was disappointed with there not being any real education value in housing such a mish-mash of species together in one large swampy area. It was overall a good zoo, with many hoofstock species.
 
I would expect them to receive a male from within the AZA breeding network.

REMINDER: Gulf Breeze Zoo is NOT a member of AZA (ZAA membership). Consequently, it is not always clear what happens with AZA approval or not.
 
Gulf Breeze has had a history of pygmy hippo maintenance and husbandry. They started with the species in 1992 and received some elderly individuals from NY Bronx, most of these did not last long though.

In 1994 they received their first female and in 1998 a male that went on to breed at Gulf Breeze with births in 2001 and 2003. They transferred both the male and female to different institutions in 2004.

Interestingly, Safari Wild (L. Salisbury) holds the breeding male now and curiously the daughter born in 2003. However all data are from 2012 and somewhat dated. Not sure what the current situation is at Safari Wild (what is sure they never bred till 2012 here).
 
i visited Gulf Breeze Zoo May 27 & May 28 0f 2021... this facility was quite impressive. beuatiful exhibits and grounds. I was able to take the giraffe encounter and go behind the scenes to peek into the barn and learn how they care for and maintain their growing Reticulated Giraffe "tower" - Jigsaw, kenya, kelly , and greta were some of their names. The primate exhibits were outstanding!!! the boardwalk overlooking the breeding preserve where Indian and white rhinos , as well as Rheas and numerous hoof-stock species including Addax and Sika deer leads to a covered area to view 3 large islands housing orangutans , ring tailed lemurs, and gorillas . definitely a great facility that i recommend to others.
 
Krexotics said:
i visited Gulf Breeze Zoo May 27 & May 28 0f 2021... this facility was quite impressive. beuatiful exhibits and grounds. I was able to take the giraffe encounter and go behind the scenes to peek into the barn and learn how they care for and maintain their growing Reticulated Giraffe "tower" - Jigsaw, kenya, kelly , and greta were some of their names. The primate exhibits were outstanding!!! the boardwalk overlooking the breeding preserve where Indian and white rhinos , as well as Rheas and numerous hoof-stock species including Addax and Sika deer leads to a covered area to view 3 large islands housing orangutans , ring tailed lemurs, and gorillas . definitely a great facility that i recommend to others.
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Thanks for the review! I've been wondering how this place looks now, I've been to their sister facility (VA Safari) a few times and it's pretty nice. Did you happen to get any photos you could post in the media gallery?
 
This zoo was shown in an old animal planet TV show Ultimate Zoo where it talked about the gorilla land island and how the sitatunga would swim to the island and share the space with the gorillas like in the wild.
(In African rainforest clearings with waterholes gorillas coming to forge and drink encounter animals like African Forest Elephants, Bongos, forest buffaloes, sitatungas, red River hogs, and Grey parrots).
 
Krexotics said:
i visited Gulf Breeze Zoo May 27 & May 28 0f 2021... this facility was quite impressive. beuatiful exhibits and grounds. I was able to take the giraffe encounter and go behind the scenes to peek into the barn and learn how they care for and maintain their growing Reticulated Giraffe "tower" - Jigsaw, kenya, kelly , and greta were some of their names. The primate exhibits were outstanding!!! the boardwalk overlooking the breeding preserve where Indian and white rhinos , as well as Rheas and numerous hoof-stock species including Addax and Sika deer leads to a covered area to view 3 large islands housing orangutans , ring tailed lemurs, and gorillas . definitely a great facility that i recommend to others.
Click to expand...
It’s funny you have the exact opposite thoughts than what I had when I visited in February lol. I did think the primate islands were good looking and really well kept, but they were very small, especially the gibbon island near the front of the zoo. While not the worst zoo I’ve visited, this place has some very ugly sides to it, the worst most likely being the clouded leopard exhibit. I will agree that the zoo’s grounds are beautiful in the more grassy area’s, but there were a lot of places in the zoo like the hoofstock enclosures in the left hand corner of the zoo were very sandy and bare. Not to mention none of the keepers were wearing masks, this was right around the time the gorillas at San Diego got COVID.
 
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