Brevard Zoo
Encyclopedia
Brevard Zoo is a 50 acres (20.2 ha) zoo located in Melbourne, Florida
, United States
.
In 2009, the zoo contained 577 animals representing 165 species from North
and South America
as well as Australia
and Africa
. The zoo is a non-profit institution. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
.
The zoo is divided into four loops. They are: Expedition Africa, Australia/Asia, Wild Florida and La Selva. These loops are accessed off of the main loop that encircles the Flamingo Pond.
of dinosaurs including: Dilophosaurus
, Omeisaurus
, Deinonychus
, Megalosaurus
, Euoplocephalus
, Spinosaurus
, Tyrannosaurus
, and Pachycephalosaurus
. It remained open from February to May.
A record 328,973 visitors attended in 2007. This included 175,046 paid daily guests. The others included reciprocal members of other zoos, and annual members. The zoo has an annual budget of $5 million most of which is earned and not raised through fundraising or grants.
. It also features interactive activities, such as a sand pit, where children can dig up bones from an animal "crime scene", and an animal hospital where children can learn about animal anatomy and veterinary science. The WDTA also features a new mystery every month in which children can investigate and find clues throughout the zoo. The building is located to the right of the main entrance in a separate building. After Paws On reopened in 2009, visitors now have to go through Paws On to enter the WDTA.
ing on the grounds of the zoo. Trained staff lead the kayak trips and provide informative dialogue during a slow glide past African-themed exhibits. These exhibits include: giraffes, white rhinos, and ostriches. After kayaking, visitors can climb up to an observation platform where the giraffes feed at eye-level. Siamang gibbon
s are located in-between the entrances to the Africa and Australia/Asia Loops. Cheetahs were added in February 2010.
, Ostrich
es and Scimitar Oryx
es. The train was relocated from the now defunct Boblo Island amusement park in Canada
.
, emu
, and wallaby
. Australia/Asia also hosts the free-flight aviary
where visitors have the option of feeding rainbow lorikeets. The aviary is home to: galah
s, lorikeet
s, cockatiels, kookaburras, shell ducks, roseate spoonbills, among others. It is divided into three sections - the "bat side" with fruit bats
, the main exhibit with the lorikeets, and the turaco side with several species of turacos. The turaco side of the aviary is also where the butterfly
exhibit is put up during its brief stay at the zoo of about six weeks each year. Siamang gibbons
are located in-between the entrances to the Africa and Australia/Asia Loops. Visayan Warty Pig
s were introduced to the zoo in June 2008, and replaced the dingo exhibit.
, crocodiles
, and bobcats are just some of the animals on exhibit. This loop also contains a pack of the nearly extinct Red Wolf
. Feeding is demonstrated in this loop. There is an area to pedal boat
into a wetland
environment.
s and Golden-Headed Lion Tamarins. This loop also feature's Green Iguana
s, a Baird's Tapir
, a capybara
, and a Patagonian Cavy. In March 2007, a newly constructed vulture
exhibit opened, which houses King Vulture
s, Turkey Vulture
s, Black Vulture
s and a Yellow Headed Vulture. Vulture feedings and demonstrations are offered to visitors much the same way they are conducted within the Wild Florida loop.
, and a miniature horse
and miniature donkey. It was closed for renovations in 2007. It reopened in April 2009 and now contains an updated Contact Yard, a shallow swimming area, an aquarium mimicking the underwater environment of the nearby Indian River Lagoon
, an ice cream shop, and various other attractions aimed towards children of all ages. Attractions from the old Paws On that were kept include the Soil Cube and the Whale Slide. The Contact Yard now houses Alpacas, Pygmy goats, two species of deer, a Black Throated Monitor, and Armadillos.
Melbourne, Florida
Melbourne is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. As of 2009, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 78,323. The municipal area is the second largest by size and by population in the county. Melbourne is a principal city of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
In 2009, the zoo contained 577 animals representing 165 species from North
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
as well as Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. The zoo is a non-profit institution. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums was founded in 1924 and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation.The AZA headquarters is located in Silver...
.
The zoo is divided into four loops. They are: Expedition Africa, Australia/Asia, Wild Florida and La Selva. These loops are accessed off of the main loop that encircles the Flamingo Pond.
History
In 2006 the zoo erected an exhibit with animatronicsAnimatronics
Animatronics is the use of mechatronics to create machines which seem animate rather than robotic. Animatronic creations include animals , plants and even mythical creatures...
of dinosaurs including: Dilophosaurus
Dilophosaurus
Dilophosaurus was a theropod dinosaur from the Sinemurian stage of the Early Jurassic Period, about 193 million years ago. The first specimens were described in 1954, but it was not until over a decade later that the genus received its current name...
, Omeisaurus
Omeisaurus
Omeisaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic Period of what is now China. Its name comes from Mount Emei, where it was discovered in the lower Shaximiao Formation of Sichuan Province.Like other sauropods, Omeisaurus was herbivorous and large...
, Deinonychus
Deinonychus
Deinonychus was a genus of carnivorous dromaeosaurid dinosaur. There is one described species, Deinonychus antirrhopus. This 3.4 meter long dinosaur lived during the early Cretaceous Period, about 115–108 million years ago . Fossils have been recovered from the U.S...
, Megalosaurus
Megalosaurus
Megalosaurus is a genus of large meat-eating theropod dinosaurs of the Middle Jurassic period of Europe...
, Euoplocephalus
Euoplocephalus
Euoplocephalus was one of the largest genera of ankylosaurian dinosaurs, at about the size of a small elephant. It is also the ankylosaurian with the best fossil record, so its extensive spiked armor, low-slung body and great club-like tail are well documented.-Description:Among the...
, Spinosaurus
Spinosaurus
Spinosaurus is a genus of theropod dinosaur which lived in what is now North Africa, from the lower Albian to lower Cenomanian stages of the Cretaceous period, about 112 to 97 million years ago. This genus was first known from Egyptian remains discovered in 1912 and described by German...
, Tyrannosaurus
Tyrannosaurus
Tyrannosaurus meaning "tyrant," and sauros meaning "lizard") is a genus of coelurosaurian theropod dinosaur. The species Tyrannosaurus rex , commonly abbreviated to T. rex, is a fixture in popular culture. It lived throughout what is now western North America, with a much wider range than other...
, and Pachycephalosaurus
Pachycephalosaurus
Pachycephalosaurus is a genus of pachycephalosaurid dinosaur. It lived during the Late Cretaceous Period of what is now North America. Remains have been excavated in Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming. It was an herbivorous or omnivorous creature which is only known from a single skull and a few...
. It remained open from February to May.
A record 328,973 visitors attended in 2007. This included 175,046 paid daily guests. The others included reciprocal members of other zoos, and annual members. The zoo has an annual budget of $5 million most of which is earned and not raised through fundraising or grants.
Wildlife Detective Training Academy
The Wildlife Detective Training Academy, or WDTA, is a building focused specifically towards younger children and features terrariums containing many of the zoo's reptiles, amphibians, arthropods, and at least one mammal, a naked mole ratNaked Mole Rat
The naked mole rat , also known as the sand puppy or desert mole rat, is a burrowing rodent native to parts of East Africa and the only species currently classified in the genus Heterocephalus...
. It also features interactive activities, such as a sand pit, where children can dig up bones from an animal "crime scene", and an animal hospital where children can learn about animal anatomy and veterinary science. The WDTA also features a new mystery every month in which children can investigate and find clues throughout the zoo. The building is located to the right of the main entrance in a separate building. After Paws On reopened in 2009, visitors now have to go through Paws On to enter the WDTA.
Expedition Africa
Expedition Africa offers kayakKayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
ing on the grounds of the zoo. Trained staff lead the kayak trips and provide informative dialogue during a slow glide past African-themed exhibits. These exhibits include: giraffes, white rhinos, and ostriches. After kayaking, visitors can climb up to an observation platform where the giraffes feed at eye-level. Siamang gibbon
Gibbon
Gibbons are apes in the family Hylobatidae . The family is divided into four genera based on their diploid chromosome number: Hylobates , Hoolock , Nomascus , and Symphalangus . The extinct Bunopithecus sericus is a gibbon or gibbon-like ape which, until recently, was thought to be closely related...
s are located in-between the entrances to the Africa and Australia/Asia Loops. Cheetahs were added in February 2010.
Cape to Cairo Express
The Cape to Cairo Express is a train ride centered around Lemur Island, an island that houses the zoo's lemurs. Along the way visitors can also see dromedariesDromedary
The dromedary or Arabian camel is a large, even-toed ungulate with one hump on its back. Its native range is unclear, but it was probably the Arabian Peninsula. The domesticated form occurs widely in North Africa and the Middle East...
, Ostrich
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
es and Scimitar Oryx
Scimitar Oryx
The Scimitar Oryx, or Scimitar-Horned Oryx, is a species of oryx which formerly inhabited the whole of North Africa. It has been classified as extinct in the wild by the IUCN.-Etymology and taxonomy:...
es. The train was relocated from the now defunct Boblo Island amusement park in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Australia/Asia
As its name implies, this loop features animal's from Australia and Oceania. Visitors can find animals such as the red kangarooRed Kangaroo
The Red Kangaroo is the largest of all kangaroos, the largest mammal native to Australia, and the largest surviving marsupial. It is found across mainland Australia, avoiding only the more fertile areas in the south, the east coast, and the northern rainforests.-Description:This species is a very...
, emu
Emu
The Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the largest bird native to Australia and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. It is the second-largest extant bird in the world by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. There are three subspecies of Emus in Australia...
, and wallaby
Wallaby
A wallaby is any of about thirty species of macropod . It is an informal designation generally used for any macropod that is smaller than a kangaroo or wallaroo that has not been given some other name.-Overview:...
. Australia/Asia also hosts the free-flight aviary
Aviary
An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. Unlike cages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flight cages...
where visitors have the option of feeding rainbow lorikeets. The aviary is home to: galah
Galah
The Galah , Eolophus roseicapilla, also known as the Rose-breasted Cockatoo, Galah Cockatoo, Roseate Cockatoo or Pink and Grey, is one of the most common and widespread cockatoos, and it can be found in open country in almost all parts of mainland Australia.It is endemic on the mainland and was...
s, lorikeet
Lorikeet
Lories and lorikeets are small to medium-sized arboreal parrots characterized by their specialized brush-tipped tongues for feeding on nectar of various blossoms and soft fruits, preferably berries. The species form a monophyletic group within the parrot family Psittacidae...
s, cockatiels, kookaburras, shell ducks, roseate spoonbills, among others. It is divided into three sections - the "bat side" with fruit bats
Fruit Bats
Fruit Bats is an American rock band formed in 1997 in Chicago. Noted as an early entrant into the folk-rock boom of the early 2000s, the group has had many personnel changes but revolves around singer/songwriter Eric D. Johnson.-History:In 2000, Eric D...
, the main exhibit with the lorikeets, and the turaco side with several species of turacos. The turaco side of the aviary is also where the butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
exhibit is put up during its brief stay at the zoo of about six weeks each year. Siamang gibbons
Gibbons
Notable people named Gibbons include:* Alan Gibbons, a British author* Beth Gibbons , a British singer* Billy Gibbons, a guitarist for ZZ Top* Carroll Gibbons , an American-born British bandleader...
are located in-between the entrances to the Africa and Australia/Asia Loops. Visayan Warty Pig
Visayan warty pig
The Visayan Warty Pig, Sus cebifrons, is a critically endangered species of pig. The Visayan warty pig is endemic to two of the Visayan Islands in the central Philippines, and is threatened by habitat loss, food shortages and hunting - these are the leading causes of the Visayan Warty Pig's status...
s were introduced to the zoo in June 2008, and replaced the dingo exhibit.
Wild Florida
River otters, alligatorsAmerican Alligator
The American alligator , sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator, is a reptile endemic only to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two living species of alligator, in the genus Alligator, within the family Alligatoridae...
, crocodiles
American Crocodile
The American crocodile is a species of crocodilian found in the Neotropics. It is the most widespread of the four extant species of crocodiles from the Americas. Populations occur from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of southern Mexico to South America as far as Peru and Venezuela. It also lives...
, and bobcats are just some of the animals on exhibit. This loop also contains a pack of the nearly extinct Red Wolf
Red Wolf
The red wolf is a North American canid which once roamed throughout the Southeastern United States and is a glacial period survivor of the Late Pleistocene epoch...
. Feeding is demonstrated in this loop. There is an area to pedal boat
Pedalo
A paddle boat or "pedalo" is a form of waterborne transport, primarily for recreational use, powered through the use of pedals....
into a wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
environment.
La Selva
La Selva houses the zoo's jaguars and the zoo's Cottontop TamarinCottontop Tamarin
The cotton-top tamarin , also known as the Pinché tamarin, is a small New World monkey weighing less than 1 lb...
s and Golden-Headed Lion Tamarins. This loop also feature's Green Iguana
Green Iguana
The Green Iguana or Common Iguana is a large, arboreal herbivorous species of lizard of the genus Iguana native to Central and South America...
s, a Baird's Tapir
Baird's Tapir
Baird’s Tapir is a species of tapir that is native to Central America and northern South America. It is one of three Latin American species of tapir.-Names:...
, a capybara
Capybara
The capybara , also known as capivara in Portuguese, and capibara, chigüire in Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador ronsoco in Peru, chigüiro, and carpincho in Spanish, is the largest living rodent in the world. Its closest relatives are agouti, chinchillas, coyphillas, and guinea pigs...
, and a Patagonian Cavy. In March 2007, a newly constructed vulture
Vulture
Vulture is the name given to two groups of convergently evolved scavenging birds, the New World Vultures including the well-known Californian and Andean Condors, and the Old World Vultures including the birds which are seen scavenging on carcasses of dead animals on African plains...
exhibit opened, which houses King Vulture
King Vulture
The King Vulture is a large bird found in Central and South America. It is a member of the New World vulture family Cathartidae. This vulture lives predominantly in tropical lowland forests stretching from southern Mexico to northern Argentina, though some believe that William Bartram's Painted...
s, Turkey Vulture
Turkey Vulture
The Turkey Vulture is a bird found throughout most of the Americas. It is also known in some North American regions as the Turkey Buzzard , and in some areas of the Caribbean as the John Crow or Carrion Crow...
s, Black Vulture
Black vulture
Black vulture may refer to:* American Black Vulture* Eurasian Black Vulture...
s and a Yellow Headed Vulture. Vulture feedings and demonstrations are offered to visitors much the same way they are conducted within the Wild Florida loop.
Paws On
Paws On once provided a place for children to play in a playground, and a petting zoo for children to explore. The Contact Yard (petting zoo) had goats, chickens, a fallow deerFallow Deer
The Fallow Deer is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. This common species is native to western Eurasia, but has been introduced widely elsewhere. It often includes the rarer Persian Fallow Deer as a subspecies , while others treat it as an entirely different species The Fallow...
, and a miniature horse
Miniature horse
Miniature horses are found in many nations, particularly in Europe and the Americas. The designation of miniature horse is determined by the height of the animal, which, depending on the particular breed registry involved, is usually less than as measured at the last hairs of the mane, which are...
and miniature donkey. It was closed for renovations in 2007. It reopened in April 2009 and now contains an updated Contact Yard, a shallow swimming area, an aquarium mimicking the underwater environment of the nearby Indian River Lagoon
Indian River Lagoon
The Indian River Lagoon is a grouping of three lagoons: Mosquito Lagoon, Banana River, and the Indian River, on the Atlantic Coast of Florida. It was originally named Rio de Ais after the Ais Indian tribe, who lived along the east coast of Florida....
, an ice cream shop, and various other attractions aimed towards children of all ages. Attractions from the old Paws On that were kept include the Soil Cube and the Whale Slide. The Contact Yard now houses Alpacas, Pygmy goats, two species of deer, a Black Throated Monitor, and Armadillos.