Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens

Much more than a walk-thru zoo, this historic tropical garden with mature botanicals and nationally accredited zoo features a full day of wildlife experiences to delight guests with the natural world to inspire the conservation of our planet's remaining wild areas and their wondrous inhabitants. All new is the Giraffe Feeding Experience where you can hand-feed the world's tallest animal!
Daily presentations include the Meet the Keeper Series, Jungle Larry & Safari Jane's Snakes Alive, hand-feeding of giant reptiles at Alligator Bay, along with two premiere presentations in the Safari Canyon theater where guests see live animals from feline predators to venomous snakes along with exciting video footage. One of the zoo’s most popular activities is the Primate Expedition Cruise where guests embark on a guided cruise past islands inhabited by monkeys, lemurs, and apes. Guests enjoy seeing favorites like lions, monkeys, zebras, and the new Giraffe Preview Exhibit. They also discover rarely seen species like Malagasy fosas and Parma wallabies. At large glass walls, they get wildly close to carnivores at exhibits like Leopard Rock, Tiger Forest, Black Bear Hammock, and Panther Glade.
Along with all that’s new, Naples Zoo has a wonderful history beginning in 1919 when botanist Dr. Henry Nehrling founded the garden. After his death, the trees grew wild until a Fleischmann Yeast heir expanded the forgotten garden in 1954. In 1969, Lawrence and Nancy Jane Tetzlaff, a.k.a. Jungle Larry and Safari Jane, introduced the wild animals. Larry did stunt work for Johnny Weissmuller in the famous Tarzan films, milked thousands of venomous snakes during WWII, and educated millions of adults and children throughout the Midwest and Florida with his wife Nancy. Since that time, the Zoo earned national accreditation and won both regional and national awards. 
Today, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization cooperates in conservation programs both in and outside the wild for endangered species. Naples Zoo was one of the first in the nation to include a 25 cent fee with each admission to fund conservation programs in the wild. Naples Zoo also plants a tree in Africa, Asia, or the Americas for each child visiting on a school field trip or guest attending a corporate event -- and even more trees for guests who become Zoo Members. 10% of the price of each stuffed plush predator or primate also funds conservation programs. Your visit makes a better world.  Read Less