Located less than an hour east of the land of the mouse lies the small town of Melbourne, Florida. Located only a few miles north of Patrick Air Force Base and just south of the Kennedy Space Center, it is one of the gateways to the Space Coast, but the final frontier isn’t the only attraction in this part of the state.
Since 1994, hundreds of thousands of visitors per year have gotten a glimpse of some of the animals that call our amazing planet home at the Brevard Zoo. The facility is split into six distinct sections that branch off of a central hub (I wonder where they got that idea from?) and provides tourists with a wide range of habitats to explore in a single afternoon.
As with the major theme parks, it all depends on which way you travel around the hub as to what you will see first.
Going towards the right (which most people seem to do), the first section is the Paws On section, where you can explore the petting zoo and other touchable exhibits. This is a big hit with youngsters, and those of us who are more hands-on learners.
Next, you’ll encounter the Caribbean Trail, where you are greeted by a large Captain Jack Sparrow look-a-like who guides you through some of the amazing creatures that inhabit the Caribbean basin.
The next section is the La Selva rainforest, whose primary attraction are the several species of monkeys that call this park of the park home. From squirrel monkeys to golden lion tamarinds, you can spend hours watching the goings on of our distant relatives. You can also get a peek at the American Crocodile in it’s natural habitat, as well as various feathered friends.
Continuing around the circle, your next stop is Wild Florida. This section shows off some of the amazing animals that once dominated the sunshine state, but are now relegated to small sections of undeveloped and under developed land. Here, you can encounter the red and grey fox, the red wolf, the American alligator and American crocodile, and more amazing creatures. If you close your eyes, you can almost imagine being here when these animals dominated the landscape: the price of progress indeed!
Your next stop is the Flamingo Cafe, where you can pick up a bite to eat before you continue your afternoon (or morning) safari. It is an outdoor venue, but offers a large and varied menu. The mahi tacos are above board for such a small facility, and the other food looked appetizing as well.
Located next to the Flamingo Cafe is the train station, where for $3 you can get a bit closer to some of the animals of the African savanna, as well as a behind the scenes look at some of the other exhibits and information about some of the other projects the zoo is involved in.
One of those projects is the restoration of the oyster beds in the Indian River Lagoon, for which they were recently awarded a Disney Conservation Grant. The grant will fund Brevard Zoo and UCF’s popular community-based Oyster Mats program, which has structurally repaired 68 historic oyster reef sites since 2005 through the use of 42,319 oyster mats handmade by volunteers from shell and aquaculture mesh. Just one of these mats deployed along the estuary floor will provide a home for an average of 93 new oysters, each of which can clean up to 50 gallons of lagoon water per day, to the benefit of the entire ecosystem.
“Brevard Zoo is extremely grateful to the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund for their continued support in building oyster habitat for our Indian River Lagoon,” said Jody Palmer, Brevard Zoo’s Assistant Director of Conservation Programs. “They have partnered with us since long before the health of our lagoon was a hot topic in the media, and their contributions have resulted in the building of multiple oyster reefs in the northern portion of the lagoon and now expansion into the south. The partnership between Brevard Zoo and Disney’s Conservation Fund is a magical thing.”
Across from Flamingo Cafe is a large lake, which acts as the centerpiece for the hub. In the middle of the lake is an island filled with Caribbean flamingos, scarlet ibis, and roseate spoonbill. You can’t get much more wild Florida than that, especially since all of those birds are now making a comeback in the state after nearly going extinct.
Continuing on, you arrive at the Australia/Asia exhibit. This section is home to kangaroos, emus, and a large open air aviary where for only $1 you can experience the joy of being covered in lorikeets as they slurp up the sweet nectar in your little cup. The aviary is impressive, especially for a relatively small zoo, and you could easily spend an hour or more playing with the birds. It is also well shaded, so might be a great escape from the relentless Florida sun.
Next on the circular tour is Expedition Africa. Here, you are able to see the animals that everyone associates with modern zoological parks. Cheetahs, giraffes, rhinos, and zebras are only a few of the species you will encounter. You can also spend time watching the playful band of meerkats, made famous by the show Meerkat Manor, who seem almost as interested in watching you as you are watching them. This section also offers giraffe feeding and a rhinocerous encounter, for a small fee. You can also take a guided kayak tour of Expedition Africa, also for an additional charge.
The zoo also offers a zipline tour, which ranges in cost from $15 to $65 depending on the length of the course you choose. Highlights of the tour include zooming over the alligator pond and Florida swampland, getting face to face with monkeys, and generally getting a birds eye view of the facility.
As they say, all rides must end at the gift shop, where you can pick up a memento of your experience at the zoo. The shop features everything from t-shirts and hats to stuffed animals and more, many of the items unique to the park.
With the fast paced, fantasy world of themed entertainment dominating the tourist atmosphere in Central Florida, it’s nice to take a few hours and explore some of the wonders of the natural world for a change. For more information, including directions and pricing details, visit
For information on Disney’s commitment to conserve nature and a complete list of grant recipients, visit www.disney.com/conservation.
You must be logged in to post a comment.