Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens Jacksonville Zoo News

^^

The zoo has a track record of not announcing births until they're sure the animals are ok medically/parental situation is settled/etc.
 
The zoo is expecting quite a crowd. I got an email earlier today that you'll need to register for the members preview event. For every other new exhibit preview you could just show up with your card.
 
I was unaware of the Land of the Tiger project until I saw this just now. The construction photos look fantastic. I have long wanted to go here to see the jaguar exhibit and now I want to go even more! (Realistically I do not know if I will ever make it back to Florida, but it would be fun to see.)
 
I went to the members preview today. Unfortunately, I forgot to recharge my camera batteries, which I didn't notice until I got to the exhibit. I should've taken that as a sign of things to come.

It seems like once this exhibit is completed it will easily be the best addition to the zoo since Range of the Jaguar.

However, aside from the tiger exhibit and one bird exhibit this area was clearly not ready for the member preview today. Every other exhibit had construction workers and tools scattered about. When I first entered the exhibit someone was welding a gate just a few feet from zoo guests.

Considering the weather expected this week and next, perhaps the zoo should've made an audible and posted the preview/grand opening for 2 weeks.

Regardless, the tiger exhibit itself is a thing of beauty. There are 2 roughly equally sized tiger yards that form roughly a horse shoe. As you enter you first pass under the tree top canopy that allows the tigers to cross between the yards. The yards themselves are well designed with plenty of room for the cats, privacy, and good viewing angles for vistors.
At the other end is a large indoor area that provides underwater viewing for either exhibit.

Here is a pretty good photo gallery of the exhibit in its current state
http://jacksonville.com/slideshow/2014-03-04/land-tiger-exhibit#slide-1
 
I went to the Member Preview as well

Sadly my camera was having issues the whole day with the brightness and the fact that the lenses were too long for me to take any photos of the exhibits. Plus as what FSBlue said, only one Tiger exhibit and the Wreathed Hornbill exhibit was ready for display today.

Despite that I was very impress with the area as a whole. I will go to the zoo again Sunday and try my best to take pictures of the area past the hordes of people that will be there.

One thing to note is that the trail system goes in a full loop around the whole complex. A keeper informed me that while the two exhibits are occupied, another tiger will have access to the entire trail system once the tigers are fully acclimated with their new homes. So if the tiger wants to relax in the "fig tree", then it can; or if they want to go to stay behind one of the exhibits then it can.

For future notice, both hornbills have shift doors near the ground as the zoo might add a small mammal (maybe a Mouse deer since it was included in the master plan in 2008). Also the Asian complex is not done as the Zoo's Centennial Book, that was on display during the preview (probably won't be on sale until May), did mention Phase II and III briefly about a future Gibbon Island, "additional Asian animals", and a plaza. Hopefully that means Sun Bears, Orangutans, and the Indian Rhinoceros.
 
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