Palm Beach Zoo facts for kids

The Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society is a non-profit zoological organization located at Dreher Park in West Palm Beach. The zoo houses hundreds of animals, many of them endangered, within 23-acres of lush tropical habitat. The Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society is a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Exhibits and Animals

Florida Wetlands

The Florida Wetlands showcases a recreation of a cypress swamp and showcases the following:

• American alligator
• American black bear
• American flamingo
• Bald eagle
• Barn owl
• Barred owl
• Black swan
• Florida panther
• Gopher tortoise
• Nene
• North American river otter
• Redhead
• Ruddy duck
• Turkey vulture
• Wood duck

Asia

The Henry and Charlotte Kimelman Tiger Falls opened in 2000.

On November 8, 2006, Malayan tigers "Mata" and "Rimba" arrived at the zoo from the San Diego Zoo. Malayan tiger "Berapi" came to the zoo in November 2010. Three cubs sired by Rimba were born to Berapi on May 12, 2011. The three tigers "Jaya", "Bunga" and "Penari" were moved to the Jacksonville Zoo on October 28, 2013.

In March 2015, the zoo opened its "Tiger River" habitat, adding an extra exhibit yard to the Henry and Charlotte Kimelman Tiger Habitat. Here, visitors will find:

• Aldabra giant tortoise
• Black howler monkey
• Llama
• Malayan tiger
• Red-crowned crane
• Rhinoceros hornbill
• Southern ground hornbill
• White-tailed deer

Harriet W. and George D. Cornell Tropics of the Americas

This 18 million-dollar exhibit complex opened in 2004 and features animals and the Mayan culture found in Central and South America. The exhibit is located on a three-acre peninsula in the zoo. Animal Planet featured Tropics of the Americas on the television show "Ultimate Zoo" in 2006. On January 15, 2018, the zoo opened their new ocelot habitat, which was sponsored by a local Palm Beach couple, Carole and John Moran. The new habitat allows for three ocelots to live and roam around. This couple also sponsored the Panther Prowl habitat. The exhibit features two Mayan pyramids that are over 40 feet tall, and a walk-through cave, among other displays and houses animals found in Central and South America such as:

• Axolotl
• Baird's tapir
• Blue-and-yellow macaw
• Broad-snouted caiman
• Capybara
• Chilean flamingo
• Colombian white-faced capuchin
• Common squirrel monkey
• Crested porcupine
• Jaguar
• Giant anteater
• Mexican spider monkey
• Military macaw
• Mute swan
• Ocelot
• Patagonian mara
• Spotted whistling duck
• Tufted capuchin

The Islands

This section of the zoo showcases different species of animals from islands all over the world including:

• Goeldi's monkey
• Golden lion tamarin
• Hoffmann's two-toed sloth
• Koala
• Red ruffed lemur
• Ring-tailed lemur
• Scarlet macaw
• Serval
• Rainbow lorikeet
• Siamang
• Tawny frogmouth

Other amenities

• Interactive Play Fountain
• Wildlife Carousel
• Latitude 26 cafe
• Amazon Marketplace & Jungle Traders Gift Shop
• 35+ Keeper Talks & Encounters Per Week
• Bronze Sculpture of "Water Dogs" by Artist Geoffrey C Smith Located near the River Otter Exhibit

Conservation

Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo entrance, August 2019

The Palm Beach Zoo Conservation Society takes part in various conservation programs, including studies, campaigns, projects, and awareness campaigns. The Palm Beach Zoo has partnered with institutions and organizations such as the Southeastern Disease Cooperative at the University of Georgia, the Brookfield Zoo, the Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC), the Brevard Zoo, the Santa Fe Teaching Zoo, The US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Florida State Parks Service, the Palm Beach County Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and Madidi National Park. The Palm Beach Zoo is also the first zoo to partner with the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

Melvin J. & Claire Levine Animal Care Complex

The Palm Beach Zoo is home to the Melvin J. & Claire Levine Animal Care Complex, which serves as the headquarters for the Palm Beach Zoo Conservation Society. The complex has earned Gold Certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) by the Green Building Council. The Melvin J. and Claire Levine Animal Care Complex. It also houses the Center for Conservation Medicine.

Education

The Palm Beach Zoo Education Department is an organization hosting multiple programs to children from ages 3 to 18 to educate and spread awareness to children and adolescents about conservation efforts and their significance. The department provides entertainment to members as well as hands-on experiences with the zoo's attractions as well as the opportunity to partake in active conservation projects. Programs include the Zoo Camp, Overnight Adventures, the Ed Morse ZooMobile, and other opportunities for schools, scout troops, and community groups looking for involvement in the zoo's conservation projects.

International projects

In collaboration with Madidi National Park in Bolivia and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the Palm Beach Zoo provides funding and staff for conservation activities in a protected area of approximately 18,900 kilometers squared. The area protects jaguars, black faced spider monkeys, lowland tapir, giant river otters, Andean bears, Andean condors and other wildlife abound in this remote sector of the Amazon. New Species are still being discovered to this day. The region is also home to eleven indigenous groups that are also contributing to the preservation of the area and its wildlife.

The Palm Beach Zoo also supports the Wildlife Conservation Society in its projects to strengthen anti-poaching laws in Malaysia in order to protect tigers and their habitats. These species are considered critically endangered. The Palm Beach zoo also provides education and activities about these tigers in areas local to their habitats. The Palm Beach Zoo provides information on their site on how others can contribute to tiger conservation in Malaysia.

Hours

Last Admission at 4:15 pm.

Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Days.