Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

December 20, 2012 - Jacksonville, Fl -

Santa left the reindeer at the North Pole last weekend, opting instead for an airboat ride to Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens for the opening of ZOOLights! Crazy Fish Airboat Captain, Dave Lewis, had Santa arrive in style to the Jacksonville Zoo on board a foot state of the art, 500 horse power airboat Captain Dave and Crazy Fish owner, Josh Schrutt enjoy giving Jacksonville residents a unique view of the river city and were happy to offer Santa this experience. Mr. Claus had to hold on to his cap as Captain Dave took him on a thrilling ride to the Zoo’s trout river dock entrance. Santa made this special trip down to Jacksonville for the Grand Opening of Holiday light spectacular, ZOOLights.

“Only in Florida would Santa arrive to our on an airboat,” said Zoo Director Tony Vecchio.  “What a great way to kick off the event!” ZOOLights opened December 14th and will run until December 31st. For more information about ZOOLights visit Jacksonvillezoo.org. Check out the video of Santa arriving here.

For nearly a century, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has been dedicated to inspiring the discovery and appreciation of wildlife through innovative experiences in a caring environment. Starting in 1914 with an animal collection that consisted of one red deer fawn, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens now has more than 1,800 rare and exotic animals and 1,000 plants. It has won national acclaim for its South American Range of the Jaguar exhibit and has the largest botanical garden in Northeast Florida. The Jacksonville Zoo is a non-profit organization and is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).  It is open year-round, seven days a week, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. except Christmas day, and is located on Jacksonville’s north side at 370 Zoo Parkway, one-half mile east from I-95.  For more information on the Zoo, log on to http://www.jacksonvillezoo.org.