REZOOVENATION: The Jacksonville Zoo's Ambitious Plan to Become the Best Animal Park in the Country

Courtesy of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

While zoos have existed for eons, with records of a captive animal garden dating back to Ancient Egypt, animal welfare is a relatively recent phenomenon. Cramped, iron-barred pits were once seen as adequate accommodations, but in the modern era, many zoos have made both physical and mental wellness a priority, establishing elaborate enrichment programs and installing massive green spaces for their creatures to call home—and in the northern reaches of Florida, one prestigious institution is enacting a particularly ambitious plan to upgrade their infrastructure.

Founded in 1914, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens have been a major proponent for wildlife conservation and rehabilitation for decades, supporting vulnerable species all across the globe. Native Floridian animals like the striped newt have benefited from on-property breeding programs, while international initiatives like the Okapi Conservation Project and International Rhino Foundation work closely with the zoo to protect endangered African mammals. As the zoo operates in tandem with organizations across the globe, the REZOOVENATION campaign is targeting exhibits back home in Jacksonville, aiming to raise $50 million over the next five years for exhibit improvements.

While there’s no shortage of displays across the park that will benefit from the program, the first phase deals with one of the Sunshine State’s most iconic creatures—the manatee, to be precise. In recent years, these sirenians have struggled across the east coast of Florida due to seagrass loss, with multiple underweight individuals landing at the zoo's Manatee Critical Care Center. Through REZOOVENATION, this enclosure will take on new life as the Manatee River, a state-of-the-art exhibit located right at the park entrance. Equal parts impactful and entertaining, this dazzling underwater attraction is set to showcase the zoo's resident manatees as they embark on the road to recovery and eventual release.

Courtesy of John Reed Photography

In addition to native Floridian fauna, the Jacksonville Zoo is home to some of Sub-Saharan Africa’s most majestic mammals, with bongos, kudus, and duikers all calling the area home—and there are some incredible developments in the works for the park’s pachyderms and big cats. The New Lion Ridge exhibit is set to offer a wider scope of educational experiences for guests to enjoy, while the space itself will earn a wealth of new amenities to facilitate further comfort for the lions. Right nearby, the zoo’s resident African elephants can look forward to a large influx of enrichment activities, with an added demonstration area in place for optimal elephant watching.

As existing infrastructure is improved, the Jacksonville Zoo also has a particularly exciting new addition in the works. Following the expansion of the Manatee exhibit and the Africa Loop, the Asia-focused wing of the zoo is set to welcome its very first orangutans. Native to the lush rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra, these great apes face extinction due to rampant deforestation across their native islands, requiring urgent action to prevent them from disappearing forever. While it's unclear exactly how this new attraction will look, it's certain to contain a wealth of elevated perches for the treetop-dwelling orangutans to enjoy.

As animal welfare takes precedence at nature institutions across the globe, the Jacksonville Zoo stands as a shining example of how to properly house captive creatures with their best interests in mind. From updated enrichment programs to expanded exhibits, the improvements in store through REZOOVENATION have been carefully crafted to ensure that each individual animal's wellbeing is prioritized. Given the incredible value of animal parks in terms of public education and wildlife conservation, the Jacksonville Zoo serves as one of Florida's most valuable assets for highlighting the delicate balance of entertainment and animal welfare.

Courtesy of John Reed Photography