Lowry Park Zoo Full Tour - Tampa Bay, Florida

Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo is a 63-acre (25 ha) nonprofit zoo located in Tampa, Florida. In 2009, Lowry Park Zoo was voted the #1 Family Friendly Zoo in the US by Parents Magazine, and is recognized by the State of Florida as the center for Florida wildlife conservation and biodiversity (HB 457).

The zoo is operated by the Lowry Park Zoological Society, an independent 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The zoo also exists as a center for conservation of endangered wildlife both locally and around the globe.

Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) as well as a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG), the Florida Association of Zoos and Aquariums (FAZA) and the Florida Attractions Association (FAA).

**Exhibits**

Asian Gardens:

One of the zoos oldest sections, the Asian Domain, was renovated and renamed the Asian Gardens in 2007. Exhibits there include Indian rhinoceros, Malayan tigers, babirusa, Komodo dragon, clouded leopards, sloth bears, and an Indonesian-themed aviary. The pagoda-like design is subtle but noticeable, giving an authentic Asian feel.

The area also has a Sulawesi aviary, which includes bleeding-heart doves, mandarin ducks, giant Asian pond turtles and Reeve's muntjac deer.

Florida Wildlife Center:

The Florida Wildlife Center is an American-based exhibit that stretches across nearly a half-mile, accessible through Asian Gardens. The exhibit includes many North American species and a few Central American species, including striped skunks, Orinoco crocodiles, North American black bears, a small pack of red wolves, West Indian manatees, and alligator snapping turtles.

It also includes a manatee education show, an aquatic center with sharks, eels, seahorses, and a wide collection of snakes, including eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, copperheads, and eastern coral snakes. A Discovery Center highlights the amphibian residents of the zoo, showcasing various species of frogs, toads and other creatures.

Primate World:

The primate section of the zoo is possibly the best designed portion of the zoo[citation needed], with every exhibit seemingly being connected by a running system of rocky waterfalls and waterways that stretch across the entire section. There is an array of great apes in the siamang gibbons, chimpanzees and Bornean orangutans that swing and hoot around their exhibits. There is also a wide array of other primates, including Angolan black-and-white colobus monkeys, golden lion tamarins, ring-tailed lemurs and mandrills.

Wallaroo Station:

The Wallaroo Station Children's Zoo re-opened on February 27, 2015 after its first renovation since opening in 2002. It is home to an array of Australian-native species including koalas, yellow-footed rock wallabies, Australian singing dogs and emus, along with a varying collection of cockatoo parrots, and flying fox bats.

This section of the zoo is home to an interactive bat habitat, a "Flying Bananas" ride, a budgie encounter and a family rollercoaster. It also has splash play area for younger kids titled "The Billabong".

Safari Africa:

The latest addition to Lowry, providing a completely authentic African experience.[dubious – discuss] Shaded by acacia trees, the area is home to a safari tram ride that provides an in-depth look behind the scenes of the zoo. Martial eagles and Patas monkeys are visible only by this ride. This exhibit is home to many landmark African species, including meerkats, duikers, Reticulated giraffes, zebras, African elephants, East African crowned cranes, African penguins and southern white rhinoceroses.

The Ituri Forest, a later addition to the Safari Africa section, brought in the concept of a washed-out African river bank. The area includes a wide array of species, including greater flamingos, pygmy hippopotamuses, saddle-billed storks and shoebill storks.

In mid-to late 2014, the warthog exhibit was closed down and renovated to house Aldabra tortoises and juvenile Galapagos giant tortoises, who were previously behind-the-scenes exclusive animals.

Main Aviary:

The main free-flight aviary, accessible nearly at the entrance, is almost hidden in overgrown brush and plants, giving the feel of a wild experience.[citation needed] Inside, the whole area is covered head-to-toe in free-flight birds and waterfowl, including great hornbills, red-legged seriemas, toco toucans, scarlet ibises, white-faced whistling ducks, guineafowl, Raggiana Birds-of-paradise and an array of ducks and tanagers.[citation needed] Every so often, if you hang around, you can observe two-toed sloths lazily hanging in the trees.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowry_P...