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3755 NW Hwy 17-92 | Sanford, Florida 32771 | P: 407.323.4450 | F: 407.321.0900 | www.CentralFloridaZoo.org

Central Florida Zoo History

The Central Florida Zoo was first established as the Sanford Zoo in the 1920s with a small collection of animals left by a circus and held by the Sanford Fire Department. These animals attracted a lot of attention. In the earliest of shows the circus monkey rode on the back of a goat. The Fire Department became a gathering place on weekends for residents.

In 1941, the Sanford Zoo relocated to new facilities on the shores of Lake Monroe in downtown Sanford. Visitors enjoyed watching playful spider monkeys on ‘Monkey Island’ and lion vocalizations could be heard throughout downtown Sanford. Sanford City Hall presently occupies this corner site.

In 1971, a group of dedicated citizens raised funds to move the Zoo to more spacious quarters. On July 4, 1975, the Central Florida Zoological Park, with Jack Hanna as Director, opened at its current location to a crowd of thousands. Greeted by the shrieks, squeaks and roars of animals, visitors hurried along mulch pathways to see American Freedom, the bald eagle, on Independence Day.

In 1986, the Zoo reached a milestone, becoming an accredited institutional member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

During the 1990s, the Zoo experienced unprecedented growth. A network of elevated boardwalks was constructed providing visitors enhanced viewing of animals and better access for those in strollers and wheelchairs.

More than 581 animals representing 205 species make up the Zoo’s diverse collection. A multitude of species have been added to the collection including giraffe, Indian rhinoceros, Chacoan Peccaries, North American river otter, African warthog, clouded leopard, wreathed hornbill, cotton-top tamarin, cheetah, Grand Cayman Island rock iguana, spotted leopard, and fossa. New exhibits include the giraffe exhibit, currently holding three giraffe subspecies, and a North American River Otter exhibit. The Zoo also opened ZOOm Air Adventures, an aerial adventure course, the Wharton-Smith Tropical Splash Ground and a KaBOOM! playground. Visit the Zoo often to see all of our new and exciting changes.

The Zoo’s board and staff will continue to provide the framework for bringing new animals, naturalistic habitats, new educational facilities and improved visitor amenities to the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens.

Your Connection to the Natural World!


Enter the enchanted, tropical world of the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, a relaxing, entertaining, and educational experience for the entire family. You’ll discover a world of animals from around the globe within this tropical park nestled in the heart of Florida. Stroll along shaded, winding boardwalks and paths as you meet the newest members of our animal family; giraffes, Spotted leopards, Indian rhinoceros, and African warthogs. Enjoy the playful behavior of our North American river otters, search for the elusive cheetah, appreciate the beauty of the macaws, and listen to the song of the kookaburra. Dare to meet some of the world’s most venomous reptiles and non-venomous snakes, lizards and frogs in the Herpetarium. Feed goats, llamas, alpacas, and other domestic animals in the Barnyard Buddies area. And don’t overlook the native wildlife that resides in the lush, tropical setting of the Zoo.

There’s always something new to see at the Zoo,

including ZOOm Air Adventures, an aerial adventure course and the first of its kind in the U.S. Bring your swimsuit and flip-flops and jump into the cool water at the Wharton-Smith Tropical Splash Ground or spend time at our KaBOOM! playground. As always, you can take a peek at our endangered giraffes, rhinoceros, and red spitting cobras; or watch the king vultures, cougar, spotted leopard, and otters enjoy their habitats to swing, swim, fly and relax. Or take a ride on the historical Champ the Train or the Animal Carousel.

One of the most popular programs is the up-close and personal animal encounters on weekends and holidays, in which docents educate visitors about the characteristics of animals from alligators to hedgehogs to snakes. Other popular programs include daily animal shows and keeper chats for giraffes, reptiles, felines, primates, rhinoceros, and birds of prey. You’ll certainly want to check these out! The adventures are endless!


(continued)Discovering animals is just the beginning. More than 180,000 school children participate in formal education programs every year, fostering an appreciation for animals and the importance of biodiversity. Two To The Zoo offers 2nd graders an opportunity to discover all it takes to be a zookeeper. Our ZOOLab facility offers 4th and 5th graders a place to learn in a living classroom. Programs offer hands-on discovery and challenging tasks that target benchmarks in both science and math. Another dimension in education is Curric-ZOO-lum, which offers third-grade students the opportunity to experience a fun day of learning at the Zoo studying mathematics, language arts, geography, and social science. These and other programs are designed to meet Next Generation Sunshine State Standards requirements. Of course, the Zoo will work with teachers to tailor a program through the Create Your Own ZOOventure program.

Summer camp is cool at the Zoo. During the summer, kids can play and learn about wildlife during the ZOOper Heroes, Z.S.I. – Zoo Sleuth Investigators, Ickyology, Build A Zoo Workshop and many more half-and-full day summer camp programs. Call or go online for a full listing of programs. And, organized groups can see the Zoo in a different light during Wild Nights, complete with camping and evening tours. These programs change yearly so be sure to stop by to see what’s on the schedule this year!

Conservation of animals is paramount; many endangered species entrusted to our care may soon be extinct in the wild. Captive breeding programs may be their only hope for survival. Species Survival Plans (SSP) coordinated through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), are attempting to maintain genetic diversity to ensure healthy, vigorous animals to reproduce now and in the future. The Central Florida Zoo participates in 30 SSP programs, which include the black-breasted leaf turtle, radiated tortoise, prehensile-tailed skink, eastern indigo snake, Mexican lance-headed rattlesnake, Aruba Island rattlesnake, Palawan peacock pheasant, king vulture, hyacinth macaw, violet turaco, tawny fogmouth, blue-bellied roller, laughing kookaburra, lesser Madagascar hedgehog tenrec, Linne’s two-toed sloth, red ruffed lemur, cotton-top tamarin, black-handed spider monkey, lesser spot-nosed monkey, African crested porcupine, cheetah, serval, cougar, clouded leopard, fossa, North American river otter, kinkajou, one-horned rhinocerous, Chacoan peccary, and giraffe. If and when the world’s habitats can be secured or restored, descendents of these animals may repopulate in their natural home ranges.

Always growing, the Zoo continues to provide recreational and educational opportunities for our growing population.


Central Florida Zoo Fact SheetThe Central Florida Zoo began operations in 1923 with a small collection of animals held by the Sanford Fire Department and was initially known as the Sanford Municipal Zoo.

In 1941, the Zoo was relocated to new facilities in downtown Sanford, on the site of the present city hall. The Central Florida Zoo opened its doors to the public at its present site on July 4, 1975 with Jack Hanna as our director. This site consists of 132 acres, 25 acres are dedicated to the Zoo and our exhibits and the remainder are endangered wetlands.

Currently, more than 500 animals and bugs, representing 193 species make up the Zoo’s diverse animal collection. The Zoo continues to grow as Seminole County’s premier recreational and educational attraction and third largest meeting facility.

General InformationLOCATION3755 NW Highway 17-92 (I-4 Exit 104)Sanford, Florida 32771

MAILING ADDRESSP. O. Box 470309Lake Monroe, Florida 32747-0309

OWNERSHIPPrivate, not-for-profit 501(c)3 corporation

ADMISSION FEESAdults $19.50Children (3-12) $13.75Seniors (60+) $15.95Children 2 and under Free

EDUCATION PROGRAMSOver 25 different programs serving all age groups

VOLUNTEERS100 individuals volunteering over 26,000 hours each year.

You can visit the Zoo online at centralfloridazoo.org or call 407-323-4450 for more information. The Zoo is open daily (except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day) from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and is located at 3755 NW Highway 17-92 at I-4, exit 104, in Sanford, Florida.

A Vision with a Mission

A conservation resource providing experiences that excite and

inspire children and adults to learn and act on behalf of wildlife.

The Zoo will empower our guests to respect, value and care for our natural resources, as we commit to contributing globally to the conservation and preservation of wildlife. As a regional resource in the Central Florida area and beyond, we will provide innovative and creative solutions through collaboration, practices and partnerships. The continued growth and development of the Zoo will further enhance its attraction to visitors outside the local community enabling us to bring national and international attention to the importance and ongoing efforts of wildlife sustainability.

MISSION

V ISION


t i kiaed m - central florida zoo and botanical · pdf filecheetah, appreciate the beauty of...

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