Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens is located near the city of Sanford, just north of Orlando.
The zoo began life back in 1923 as ‘Sanford Zoo’ featuring a small collection of animals which had been donated by the Sanford Fire Department. A move to a new location where City Hall now stands took place in 1941 and the final move to its present location happened in 1975.
The zoo is dedicated to the celebration of the natural world and to preserving the beauty of being able to marvel at animals within a magnificent habitat. Conservation at the zoo is one of its primary objectives and there are many endangered species residing at the zoo which may soon be extinct in the wild. Captive breeding at the zoo plays a major part in ensuring that these species survive.
The botanical gardens and the splendid shaded winding paths and boardwalks give the zoo a wonderful setting from which to explore wildlife. You’ll see majestic elephants, experience the visual beauty of the hyacinth macaw and get to hear the birdsong of the kookaburra. From the tranquil to the powerful, you will see Amur leopards, highly venomous reptiles such as the king cobra along with the amusing spider monkeys at play. There are also other reptiles, lizards and frogs which live in the Herpetarium at the zoo.
The zoo also houses a butterfly sensory garden where you can contrast human and insect senses through listen, look, touch and smell stations.
The zoo and botanical gardens are not simply just about a wonderful day out, however. Education is at the very heart of its mission with over 75,000 school children visiting the zoo each year as part of a formal educational programme with many of these programmes at the zoo being customised to meet specific educational needs.
See also:
Zoos: Brevard Zoo - a Potted History
Amusement Parks: Gatorama - a Potted History
Zoos: The Sequoia Park Zoo - a Potted History
Amusement Parks: Rotary Storyland and Playland - a Potted History