Zoo Miami

 

November 22, 2021

Zoo Miami

I had a couple of hours in the morning in Miami with no real plans and so I decided to pay a quick visit to the Miami Zoo and Botanical Gardens since Kathy and I have a membership and I could go in for free and check out a few animals before really starting my day in earnest. In spite of my mixed feelings about the very existence of zoos, I do love visiting them, mostly to see the amazing variety of animal life that I would otherwise not have much opportunity to see at all.

I was there when the gates opened and as the night before at the Miami Dade Fair, I was one of the few people there upon the opening and it was like having the entire zoo to myself. What it also dis was allow me to see many of the animals being pretty fully active before the heat of the day set in and they would find a cool place to hide and sleep the day away.

The first animal that I spent a long time just watching was the beautiful Sumatran Tiger, who was amazingly active, chasing wild birds around the enclosure, climbing trees and basically behaving like a fun-loving large housecat. It was so fun to watch and truly cool to see it so active, running, jumping and chasing birds. So very cool.

There was no way I could see all of the huge 324 acre zoo in the time I had so I selected going to visit the Australian area, the Amazon and Beyond exhibit, as well as the beautiful Asian exhibit, before cutting back across part of the African exhibit before heading to the gift shop and exit. 

The coolest was the Amazon & Beyond, which is comprised of 27-acres and features over 100 astonishing species, with a total of over 600 animals. It is an amazing walk among giant river otters, jaguars, harpy eagles, anacondas, and many other fascinating creatures of the tropics. Amazon & Beyond is divided into three areas that surround the central Village Plaza: the Cloud Forest, Amazon Forest and Atlantic Forest.

The zoo's Asian exhibit features dozens of animals such as Bornean orangutans, Asian elephants, Indian rhinoceros, Sumatran tigers, Indian gaur, Bactrian camels, dromedaries, Malayan tapirs, sloth bears, clouded leopards, and Asian small-clawed otters. The multi-leveled Asian Riverlife Experience replicates the appearance of an Asian river brook. Zoo Miami is only one of two zoos in the United States to display a pair of black-necked storks.

The zoo's Australian habitat showcases specimens from throughout the region of Australia, Oceania, and the Pacific islands, including koalas, emus, giant tortoises, and tree-kangaroos. The African lobe of the zoo offers animals from different locations on the African continent. Visitors can observe species including reticulated giraffes, pygmy hippos, African elephants, black rhinoceroses, zebras, ostriches, Western lowland gorillas and okapis.

The only tropical zoo in the continental United States, Zoo Miami houses over 3,000 animals and only half the available land has been developed. It is already the largest zoo in the state of Florida. Exhibits that I did not see on this visit include the Wings of Asia Aviary, Critter Connection and Florida: Mission Everglades. Other activities offered include animal feedings and encounters, educational presentations, children’s activities, character meet-and-greets and zookeeper talks throughout the day.

https://www.zoomiami.org/