ZooTampa at Lowry Park facts for kids
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| Location | 1101 W. Sligh Avenue, 33604 Tampa, Florida , United States |
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| Land area | 63 acres (25 ha) |
| Coordinates | 28°00′48″N 82°28′11″W / 28.0133°N 82.4697°W |
| No. of animals | 1,300+ |
| Memberships | AZA |
| Website | http://zootampa.org |
ZooTampa at Lowry Park (also known as Lowry Park Zoo) is a fun zoo located in Tampa, Florida. It covers about 63 acres and is a special kind of organization called a nonprofit. This means it uses its money to help animals and teach people.
In 2009, a magazine called Parents Magazine said Lowry Park Zoo was the #1 Family Friendly Zoo in the US! The zoo is also known for helping protect Florida's wildlife. It works hard to save animals that are in danger, both in Florida and all over the world. Over 1,300 animals live at ZooTampa, and almost 1 million people visit every year!
Contents
History of ZooTampa
The very first zoo in Tampa was a small collection of animals. It was located in Plant Park at the University of Tampa. This was across the Hillsborough River from downtown.
In the 1950s, the mayor of Tampa, Nick Nuccio, wanted a bigger home for the animals. They chose a spot further up the river. This area was already a park named Lowry Park. It was named after Sumter de Leon Lowry Sr., a leader in Tampa. His son, Sumter de Leon Lowry Jr., later helped the park even more. He donated money for a bandstand and even bought an elephant for the zoo!
Lowry Park Zoo first opened its doors in 1957. The park also had a special area called Fairyland. Here, you could see statues of characters from fairy tales and nursery rhymes. You could walk along winding paths under big oak trees. A colorful rainbow bridge led the way to this magical place.
As the zoo grew, more fun things were added. In the early 1980s, there was a small roller coaster, a skyride, and a kid-sized train. But the zoo needed a lot of repairs. So, in 1987, the original Lowry Park Zoo closed. It was completely rebuilt with new, modern homes for the animals.
The new zoo opened in phases, starting in 1988. Many new parts have been added since then. In 2018, the zoo changed its name to ZooTampa at Lowry Park. This new name shows its strong connection to Tampa. The zoo plans to keep growing and improving in the years to come.
Amazing Animal Exhibits
ZooTampa has many different areas where animals from all over the world live. Each area is designed to look like the animals' natural homes.
Asian Gardens
This part of the zoo was updated in 2007. It feels like you are walking through a beautiful Asian garden. Here you can see amazing animals like Indian rhinoceroses, Malayan tigers, and Komodo dragons. You might also spot clouded leopards, sun bears, and Malayan tapirs. There is also a special birdhouse called an Indonesian-themed aviary. It has colorful birds like bleeding-heart doves and mandarin ducks.
Florida Wildlife Center
This exhibit is all about animals that live in North and Central America. It's a long walk, almost half a mile! You can see animals like striped skunks, Orinoco crocodiles, and North American black bears. There are also red wolves and West Indian manatees.
This area also has a special show where you can learn about manatees. There's an aquatic center with sharks, eels, and seahorses. You can also see many different kinds of snakes, including eastern diamondback rattlesnakes. A Discovery Center teaches you about amphibians like frogs and toads.
Primate World
This section of the zoo is home to many different kinds of monkeys and apes. It's designed with rocky waterfalls and waterways connecting the exhibits. You can watch big apes like siamang gibbons, chimpanzees, and Bornean orangutans swinging around. Other primates here include Angolan black-and-white colobus monkeys, golden lion tamarins, and ring-tailed lemurs.
Wallaroo Station
The Wallaroo Station is a Children's Zoo area that was updated in 2015. It's filled with animals from Australia! You can see cute koalas, yellow-footed rock wallabies, and emus. There are also Australian singing dogs and many kinds of cockatoo parrots. You might even see flying fox bats!
This area has fun activities too. There's an interactive bat habitat and a "Flying Bananas" ride. You can also feed budgies, which are small parrots. There's even a family rollercoaster and a splash play area called "The Billabong" for younger kids.
Safari Africa
Safari Africa makes you feel like you're on a real African adventure! You can take a safari tram ride to see animals up close. On the ride, you might spot Martial eagles and Patas monkeys. This area is home to many famous African animals. These include meerkats, Reticulated giraffes, zebras, and African bush elephants. You can also see African penguins and southern white rhinoceroses.
The Ituri Forest is a part of Safari Africa that looks like an African river bank. Here you can find greater flamingos, pygmy hippopotamuses, and tall saddle-billed storks. In 2014, the zoo added Aldabra tortoises and Galapagos giant tortoises to this section.
Main Aviary
Near the entrance of the zoo, there's a large free-flight aviary. It's hidden among lots of plants, making it feel like a wild jungle. Inside, many different birds fly freely around you. You can see great hornbills, toco toucans, and scarlet ibises. There are also many kinds of ducks and other waterfowl. If you look closely, you might even spot two-toed sloths hanging lazily in the trees!
Shows and Rides
ZooTampa offers exciting shows and fun rides for visitors of all ages.
Spirits of the Sky Raptor Show
This amazing show happens twice a day at the Zooventures Theater. It's a fun way to learn about birds of prey. You'll see incredible birds like the Eurasian eagle-owl, the bald eagle, and the huge Andean condor. The show teaches you cool facts and how we can help protect these birds.
Rides
ZooTampa has several fun rides for kids. There's a merry-go-round, the "Flying Bananas" ride, and a kiddie train ride. You can also ride a mini roller coaster called the Tasmanian Tiger Family Coaster.
A big water ride called Roaring Springs opened in 2018. It's a shoot the chute ride that takes you up high. Then, you drop three stories down into a big splash! Riders and people standing nearby get soaked, which is perfect on a hot Florida day.
Conservation Efforts
ZooTampa is very involved in helping animals. They have 95 projects to help save different species. These projects are called Species Survival Plans. They focus on animals that are threatened or endangered. Some of these animals include chimpanzees, Bornean orangutans, Indian rhinoceroses, and red wolves. They also help African elephants, Bali mynah birds, and Komodo dragons.
The zoo has a special hospital just for Florida manatees. When manatees are hurt or sick, they are brought here to get better. The goal is always to release them back into the wild. This is the only nonprofit hospital in the world that focuses on critical care for wild manatees. ZooTampa works with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to rescue, treat, and release these endangered animals. In 2012, ZooTampa received an award for its important work with manatees.
