Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo
| Location | Gainesville, Florida |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 29°40′55″N 82°26′18″W / 29.6819°N 82.4382°WCoordinates: 29°40′55″N 82°26′18″W / 29.6819°N 82.4382°W |
| Land area | 10 acres (4.0 ha)[1] |
| Number of animals | 200+[2] |
| Number of species | 75[2] |
| Memberships | AZA[3] |
| Website |
www |
The Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo is a 10-acre (4.0 ha) zoo in Gainesville, Florida. As part of Santa Fe College, It is the only zookeeper training facility in the United States with its own AZA-accredited zoo on grounds, and has been accredited since 2000.[2]
Guided tours led by zookeepers and students are available at the teaching zoo for a fee.[1]
History
The Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo was established in 1970. It comprises 10 acres (4.0 ha) of forested land on the west side of the Santa Fe College main campus.
Animals
The zoo is home to over 200 individual animals representing more than 75 species, including mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and birds. The collection includes lar gibbons (Hylobates lar), Matschie's tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei), and bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). The zoo also participates in several AZA Species Survival Plan (SSP) programs, for lar gibbons and Matschie's tree-kangaroo as well as for Oriental small-clawed otter (Amblonyx cinereus), red ruffed lemurs (Varecia rubra), and ocelots (Leopardus pardalis).
The Zoo Animal Technology Program
Students spend 18 months learning about animal husbandry, breeding, nutrition, medical care, physiology, taxonomic relationships, conservation, enclosure construction, proper zoo sanitation, and other topics through classwork and actual work as keepers in the zoo.
Students of the Zoo Animal Technology Program are known as Zooies.
Events
The zoo is a popular destination for both local residents and tourists. The zoo hosts several events open to the public throughout the year, including S.T.A.R.S (Sea Turtles At Risk) and the "Boo at the Zoo" (BATZ) Halloween festival.
Notes
- 1 2 "Visit Us". sfcollege.edu. Sante Fe COllege. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
- 1 2 3 "Zoo Fact Sheet". sfcollege.edu. Sante Fe COllege. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
- ↑ "List of Accredited Zoos and Aquariums". aza.org. AZA. Retrieved 20 March 2011.