Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

March 10, 2011 - Jacksonville, Fl -

March 10, 2011 – A record-breaking 55,181 people visited the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens during the month of February 2011.  The new record is an eight percent increase from the previous record of 51,243 set in February 2008 when the Zoo first opened Stingray Bay.

“We are delighted that after seeing the first ray of warm sunshine after a colder-than-usual winter, families wanted to come to our Zoo,” said Tony Vecchio, executive director of Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.  “Some were seen peering into the new DinoAlive exhibit after hearing that our Zoo was corralling the dinosaurs that had been spotted all over our city.” 

The life-like animatronic prehistoric predators can now be seen in a Jurassic Park-like setting at the Zoo’s new DinoAlive exhibit.  The exhibit will be open through June 30, 2011.  For more information, visit jacksonvillezoo.org.

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.