Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo
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Here’s some little-known trivia for you: According to the list of Education Programs for Zoo and Aquarium Careers (aza.org), there are over 60 institutions in America where one can study biology, zoology, vet tech and other such fields of study. However, finding a program that specializes in zoo animal technology narrows the list significantly. There are only a handful of colleges in America where a person can study zoo animal technology. One of those is located at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida. Locals are extremely proud of that fact.
The icing on the cake, in fact, for college students who want to go on to work at zoos and aquariums around the country, is the chance to work at a facility that is approved by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). In reality, Santa Fe College’s Teaching Zoo is the only on-campus zoo in America that is accredited by the AZA. Among the available programs nationwide, Santa Fe often ranks in the top three most popular. Check out the stats here: Zoo Keeper Education Requirements: Degrees, Majors, Colleges – Zippia
Gainesville is More Than Football
The Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo is often overlooked by tourists, which is a darn shame. This 10-acre zoo may not be the largest in Florida, but it does have the most passionate zookeepers. Why? Because the zookeepers are the students. As visitors stroll the lushly landscaped paths, they are getting information about various species, habitats, and more from the students who run the zoo. They are walking encyclopedias!
Last year, I visited the stunning Brookgreen Gardens outside of Myrtle Beach. (Read that article here). Out of all my Southern travels, this has been one of my very favorite places. One of the many things it offers is a small zoo. By coincidence, the zookeeper I met was actually a graduate of Santa Fe College!
I hadn’t been to the Santa Fe Zoo in a while, so I went with my husband and a long-lost friend recently. Even on a cold day when many of the animals were hiding indoors, we had a fascinating time.
Planning a Visit:
It’s a treat to see such a wide variety of animals, especially for such a reasonable cost. Admission is only $8.00 for adults. Children aged 4-12 are only $5.00 and there are a myriad of discounts available for seniors, military, teachers and more. Wait! It gets better! Parking is free and right outside the front gate. No need for a shuttle. Equally important, is that many pathways inside are paved and the entire zoo is stroller and wheelchair accessible. The zoo is open from 9:00am-3:00pm. We chose to walk around on our own, but docent tours can also be scheduled in advance with one of their student zookeepers (i.e. walking encyclopedias).
What’s in the Menagerie?
These lucky students care for monkeys, lemurs, ocelots, otters, tree kangaroos, dozens of bird species, amphibians and more reptiles than this timid writer can shake a stick at from 1,000 paces. During our visit we got up-close-and-personal with a gorgeous peacock and a very intimidating eagle.
A Final Note
Finally, a bonus reason to visit is that a small portion of the admission fee goes towards animal conservation efforts and each visitor gets to select which fund they would like to support. There are so many reasons to travel and so many reasons to seek out the smaller (sometimes less obvious) attractions in each destination.
The residents of Gainesville have much to be proud of and The Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo is one attraction on that list. This institution is dedicated to educating the next generation and to teaching the public about wildlife around the globe. Part of their purpose is also to give visitors an intimate wildlife encounter. The crossroads of these goals makes every visit better and has a ripple effect in our society too. Now, that’s traveling with purpose!
March 20, 2022 at 9:26 am
Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo is definitely underrated. There are more animals available than you would imagine. On my last visit, I really enjoyed the monkeys. They were very active and playful that day. In addition to having places to sit and rest or just watch the animals, one of the other benefits to the zoo is that a large portion of it is under a tree canopy, which would make it a good alternative on a hot Florida day. It’s well worth the $8 admission. Kids will love it.
March 20, 2022 at 7:35 pm
America knows Gainesville for the University of Florida sports programs, but Santa Fe is a nationally-ranked college too and their amazing zoo is just one example of their high-quality programs. Plus, who doesn’t love playful monkeys and gibbons!
March 21, 2022 at 12:01 am
Love this! Great job!
March 21, 2022 at 6:01 pm
Thanks! Glad you liked it! It’s a shame so many people miss out on experiencing Gainesville’s great zoo.