Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

September 14, 2011 - Jacksonville, Fl -

Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens announces its third annual “Elephant Appreciation Day” on Saturday, September 17, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  There will be elephant conservation information, keeper chats at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., prize drawings, giveaways while supplies last, animal encounters at 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., animal enrichment for the elephants, and face painting by representatives of the American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK) from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  There will also be a chance drawing to win one of two special works of art created by one of the Jacksonville Zoo elephants.  All proceeds from the chance drawing will go to support elephant conservation.  This event will take place in Elephant Plaza in the Plains of East Africa Loop of the Zoo.  Come by to visit and take your picture with Jazoo, the Zoo’s friendly lion mascot, and his friend the elephant mascot!

For more than 96 years, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has been dedicated to inspiring discovery and appreciation of wildlife through innovative experience in a caring environment.  Since its beginning in 1914, with an animal collection that consisted of only one red deer fawn, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has become one of the top zoos in the nation.  It now features more than 1,800 rare and exotic animals and over 1,000 unique plant species. Preservation of sustainable biodiversity is a key mission of the Zoo.  The Zoo is a non-profit organization and an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.  It is open year-round, seven-days-a-week, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and is located on Jacksonville’s north side at 370 Zoo Parkway, one-half mile east from I-95.  For more information, go to jacksonvillezoo.org.