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Calendar:
See what's coming up for the year!
Plan ahead for a wild year of fun timeswith your family in the Zoo!
Travel to Kenya & Tanzania with Naples Zoo!
Visit East Africa's famed locales this September. See wild animals on game drives in the Serengeti. Relax in your hotel room overlooking the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. Experience true luxury in the finest hotels and a tent camp fit for royalty. Fly on a hot air balloon over the Masai Mara followed by a champagne breakfast in the bush! Experience thrilling game viewing in both Kenya and Tanzania and many other unforgettable adventures. See a full itinerary and pricing.
Tour will be guided by experts from Tauck Travel and escorted by Naples Zoo's Director of Conservation & Communications Tim Tetzlaff.
Camel Rides: Limited Time!
Head on down to the Zoo soon to take a trip on a camel along the botanical path between Royal Palm Walkway and Shoreline Trail. Rides are offered daily between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
TIP: There are a limited number of rides available each day so purchase your ride tickets when you arrive at the Zoo's Ticket Box.
Coupon for Kids Free
President's Day Weekend
February 12 - 15, 2010
The kids are out of school so come out to see all that's
new at the Zoo! Best of all, kids are free with a coupon and a paid adult.
Zoo Consortium Receives Conservation Award The African Association of Zoos and Aquaria (PAAZAB) formally awarded the Madagascar Fauna Group (MFG) with its 2008 Conservation Award at the closing ceremony of this year’s recent World Association of Zoos and Aquarium’s (WAZA) meeting. David Morgan, PAAZAB Executive Director, presented the award to Dr. Eric Miller, MFG Chair, saying that PAAZAB’s recognition of the MFG’s 20-year history of mentoring and supporting an African zoo was long overdue. Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens is one of the thirteen international managing members of the MFG.
In accepting the award, Dr. Miller said, “The MFG is only as good as its member institutions which is why we are exceptionally pleased to be presented the award at WAZA’s annual meeting. This honor symbolizes and acknowledges that by collaborating and coordinating their efforts, the world’s zoos can indeed marshal their visitors’ capacity and together become the world’s greatest force for conservation action”.
The MFG’s efforts were also previously recognized by the U.S. based Association of Zoos and Aquariums with an award in international conservation and has diverse supporters including the likes of actor John Cleese.
With Your Help, Giraffes are Coming to Naples!
Join us for a fun evening to be part of this once in a lifetime event to create Naples Zoo’s first ever giraffe habitat scheduled to open in early 2011. During the evening, Columbus Zoo Director Emeritus Jack Hanna will present a diverse array of exotic creatures at the Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club for all to enjoy in a wildly fun presentation.
Enjoy delicious food and festive beverages. Discover an exotic assortment of items in the silent auction and get your raffle tickets with the winners to be drawn by Jack!
When: Monday, February 8, 2010 from 6 to 10 p.m.
Where: Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club
Tickets: $150 per person
Patron Tickets: $250 per person.
Patrons enjoy a 1-hour reception with Jack Hanna prior to the event.
Night Eyes After Dark Tours Back for 8th Season
Wilder Experiences - Milder Prices
Join the Zoo's Director for an intimate tour of Naples Zoo after the light of day fades. Discover all that's new this year!
4th Annual Wild Shots
Photo Contest Winners!
Many photos were submitted and reviewed by our community judges. Winners were awarded their prizes at a special ceremony in front of a packed audience on October 3.
Prizes included the Zoo's new Conservator Membership, gift certificates to The ZOO Gift Shop and Ritz Camera, as well as Regal Cinema theater tickets, Edison-Ford Winter Estates tickets, dinner and a cruise on the Naples Princess, and a two night stay at the Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort and Spa.
See all the winning images!
South African Lion Cubs Celebrate 1st Birthday
To mark the occasion on July 19, Naples Zoo gave the cubs their own cakes. Of course, the regular flour cake with sugar frosting would not satisfy the carnivores’ cravings so Naples Zoo keepers prepared two special lion-friendly treats.
Their summer birthday was cooled down with two three-tiered cakes made of ice -- each flavored with a gallon of milk. To top it off, the single birthday candle on each was flavored with beef blood. Guests watched the lion cubs tear into their cakes during the Meet the Keeper presentation at their exhibit in Lagoon Loop.
Although born in the US, the genetics of these young cats can be directly traced to southern African populations. In order to maintain a genetically diverse population outside the wild, these lions participate in a Species Survival Plan® coordinated by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
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It’s black and white and can make you red all over with its spiky quills but it’s likely the cutest rodent you’ve ever seen. It’s a baby Cape porcupine from Sub-Saharan Africa born at Naples Zoo. These rodents grow up fast. Born at 458 grams (about a pound) on April 29, 2009 she weighed in at 3,180 grams at eight weeks- about 7 times her birth weight. She can frequently be seen in the Zoo’s Planet Predator show.
This is the first porcupine to be born at the Zoo in about thirty years. Much to the mother’s benefit, the baby porcupine’s quills are soft at birth and begin to harden almost immediately. Like most rodents, porcupines mature rapidly. As early as three days old, they can defend themselves like an adult by running their quills into a predator. Males can reach maturity as early as eight months. Cape porcupines live an average of ten years in the wild and about twenty outside the wild. According to the International Species Information System, only about 100 Cape porcupines can be seen in North American zoos.
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Now Open: Black Bear Hammock |
Why black bears? Although some American black bear populations are stable in the nation, Florida’s bears have been designated as a threatened species. As one of just over 200 zoos in the United States that has achieved the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ high accreditation standards, Naples Zoo plays a global role in visitor education and conservation. By focusing on Florida Black Bears, Naples Zoo continues its commitment to educating visitors about the world’s threatened species including those found here at home. |
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Choosing
Seafood Wisely in 2010
The new cards have arrived. Learn how to be an informed consumer of seafood with Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Program. A simple dining choice
can help preserve ocean life and your own health.
Download the card now
or
Stop by the zoo to pick up
your free card!
Go paperless! Always have the latest recommendations. If you have an internet-enabled phone, visit mobile.Seafoodwatch.org to see the latest pocket guides. And if you have an iphone, there's a specialized iphone application just for you!
Grand Champion "Entertainment"
and Winner "Nature/Education"
Naples Daily News readers voted Naples Zoo the first place "Champion" winner in the Entertainment "Nature/Education" category in the Southwest Florida Choice Awards for 2009!
In addition, the Zoo also won the Grand Champion award in the "Entertainment" category - one of only 7 grand champions.
Best Place to Take Kids
The May 2009 issue of Gulfshore Life magazine included the annual Best of the Gulfshore Awards. Naples Zoo has once again received the award for "Best Place to Take Kids" as judged by the editors and expert panelists.
Thanks to everyone who voted
and judged!
Benefits for Collier County Residents
Following the successful vote to preserve the land under and around the zoo, Naples Zoo is now offering benefits to the residents of Collier County in thanks for their overwhelming support. To learn more, click here.