Naples Zoo Blog

By Kelsey Burr, Naples Zoo Marketing Associate   There are eight adorable reasons to become a Naples Zoo Member this year! We’ve had quite the baby boom: two clouded leopard girls born in February, three red-ruffed lemur brothers born in early May, and three lion brothers born May 14. After a community-wide naming contest, the lion cubs were named Karoo, Ruaha, and Chobe, after three national parks in Africa. While all of our zoo babies this year were exciting, these lion... Read More

Earlier in July, a newborn giant anteater was found abandoned in a pasture in Brazil. He was unresponsive and severely dehydrated, likely just hours from passing away. With no mother to be found, he was taken to Instituto Estadual Florestal (IEF) where caregivers found he weighed just 2.5 pounds. Luckily, he was still able to suckle fluids and showed signs he might recover. Over the last few days, his condition has improved and he now has a voracious appetite and demands to be fed every two... Read More

By Kelsey Burr, naples zoo marketing associate, with input from Nicole Thomas and Rachael Cairo Naples Zoo is proud to be a VIP partner of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF), the only non-governmental organization in the world that concentrates solely on the conservation and management of giraffe in the wild throughout Africa. Naples Zoo also funds the salary of Dr. Sara Ferguson, GCF’s wildlife veterinarian in Uganda. Two of our Hoofstock Keepers, Nicole and Rachael,... Read More

By Kelsey Burr, Marketing Associate 2019 is a big year for Naples Zoo. We are celebrating 100 years as a botanical garden and 50 years as a zoo. Our story began back in 1919 with the work of Dr. Henry Nehrling, an accomplished and greatly respected botanist and ornithologist. Following a debilitating frost that compromised his research and plant collection in central Florida, Nehrling re-established his nurseries in Naples in 1919, in what he referred to as his “Garden of... Read More

By Danielle Green, Director of Gardens and Grounds   Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens has been involved in plant conservation for many years, but began to focus on species in South Florida a few years ago.  Partnering with Atlanta Botanical Garden, the horticulture department has assisted with monitoring populations of Cigar Orchid ( Cyrtopodium punctatum ) in Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve annually since 2013.  In 2016, Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens joined... Read More

By Kelsey Burr, Naples Zoo Marketing Associate and Stacy Graison, Director of Education Education is at the heart of Naples Zoo’s mission. We want to inspire visitors to respect, value, and help conserve wildlife and our natural world. The best way to fulfill that mission is to connect children to nature at a young age, and foster that connection throughout their lifetime. One way we do that is through a unique partnership with Collier County Public Schools (CCPS). There is... Read More

By Tim L. Tetzlaff, Naples Zoo Director of Conservation   During the winter months, Naples Zoo hosts an evening Conservation Lecture Series where you can meet some of the most extraordinary people dedicating their lives to saving nature. Of course, we do this to inform on current challenges, but more importantly, we need to share the hope that things really do change when people stand together. It’s both inspiring and also gives guests a personal chance to get behind a person... Read More