Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo facts for kids
A display near the entrance of the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo
|
|
| Date opened | June 1, 1989 |
|---|---|
| Location | Gulf Shores, Alabama, Alabama |
| Land area | 17 acres (6.9 ha) |
| Coordinates | 30°15′45″N 87°41′13″W / 30.262369°N 87.686882°W |
| No. of animals | 600 |
| Annual visitors | 100,000 |
The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo is a special place in Gulf Shores, Alabama, United States. It first opened in June 1989 as Zooland Animal Park. This zoo is run by a non-profit group called the Zoo Foundation, Inc. This means it uses money from tickets, memberships, and donations to take care of its animals. You might even know it from the Animal Planet TV show called The Little Zoo That Could.
The zoo is located a few blocks away from the beach. It's home to over 600 animals! You can see amazing creatures like Barbary lions, leopards, tigers, wolves, bears, monkeys, and colorful macaws. The zoo also has a fun petting zoo where you can meet friendly animals, a reptile house with slithery friends, and an aviary full of birds. During the summer, they even have daily animal shows!
Contents
Zoo History: How It Started
The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo began as a dream of Joey Ward from Gulf Shores. It first opened its doors in June 1989. Back then, it was known as Zooland Animal Park. In 1991, the Ward family created the Zoo Foundation Inc. This non-profit group took over running the zoo. They also gave the zoo the 17 acres of land it sits on today. A few years later, in 1994, the Ward family and the Erie Meyer Foundation donated another 13 acres. This extra land is still undeveloped.
Facing the Storms: Hurricanes and Resilience
Living near the coast means facing hurricanes. In July 1997, Hurricane Danny hit Gulf Shores. Then, in 1998, Hurricane Georges caused even more flooding. Each time, the zoo had to move all its animals to higher ground. They traveled about 15 miles inland to safety. This made them the first zoo ever to fully evacuate all its animals during a hurricane!
These evacuations and the repairs after the storms were very expensive. The zoo almost had to close in 1999. But people worked hard to raise money, and they succeeded in keeping the zoo open. In 2004, Hurricane Ivan caused $500,000 in damage. This forced another evacuation, and the zoo had to close for 14 months. Sadly, some animals were lost during this time. More evacuations happened in 2005 because of Dennis and Katrina. Luckily, the zoo was able to reopen fairly quickly in October 2005.
The Little Zoo that Could TV Show
All the hard work and challenges the zoo faced during the hurricanes caught the attention of the media. Animal Planet decided to make a TV series about them! Filming for the show began in 2005. The first episode of The Little Zoo that Could aired in February 2006. There were thirteen episodes in total.
The show focused on how the zoo worked to reopen after being hit by three big hurricanes in 2004 and 2005: Hurricane Ivan, Hurricane Dennis, and Hurricane Katrina. It showed how strong and determined the zoo staff and animals were. A special one-hour update on the series aired in February 2007. The zoo has even announced plans for a new show in the future!
The Zoo's Future: A New Home
The local community and businesses have always been very supportive. They have given money, building supplies, and help to the zoo. Before 1998, the zoo didn't have big companies sponsoring them. But now, they are working to get support from larger groups. This helps make sure the zoo can keep going for many years.
In 2009, the zoo shared an exciting plan. They wanted to move to a new location! This new spot is farther inland, which means it's safer from flooding. Clyde Weir and his daughter Andrea Weir Franklin generously donated 25 acres of land for the new zoo. The new Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo officially reopened its doors on March 11, 2020.
Images for kids
-
A display near the entrance of the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo
Geographic data related to Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo at OpenStreetMap
