OffNaples

Did you know Naples has a zoo? While not as large as “big city” zoos Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens (formally Jungle Larry’s) still has a lot to offer. My favorite aspect is a boat tour of what I call the “Monkey Islands” (The official name for the experience is “Primate Expedition Cruise”). This is a very enjoyable narrated boat trip past islands of lemurs, apes and monkeys. I love watching the acrobatics of the spider monkeys and trying to get some "action shots". The tour lasts about 20 minutes and the price is included in your admission. If you enjoy the tour as much as I do, you may want to take it more than once.

Plan to get to the zoo early (zoo hours are 9:00am to 5:00) as you will need at least four hours to see all the shows (snakes, alligators, cats, etc) and exhibits (ranging from lions to butterflies), and maybe even squeeze in a trip to the Tropical Garden. Apart from the beautiful flowers and plants, what makes this botanical garden different is that it was founded in 1919, fifty years before the animals arrived, and so the exhibits had to be carefully arranged around the trees and plants, and are often within a few feet of each other. The Zoo’s botanist Dr. Jan Abernathie gives a free 20 minute tour of the garden on Sundays.

Naples zoo has a lot of interesting events throughout the year including a night tour (with night vision scopes), meet the keeper, guided botanical tours, etc. This year celebrates 40 years as a zoo, 55 years of being open to the public and 90 years as a botanical garden, so I imagine they will have some interesting events to celebrate all that.

Prices for Adults $19.95, Children $11.95.
Naples Zoo is a nonprofit organization is located at Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens. 1590 Goodlette Rd. Naples Florida, 34102
(239) 262-5409
www.caribbeangardens.com

Free admission to the Zoo on the first Saturday of every month to Collier County residents (all you need is proof of residency to get in free for the whole day).

Tip: Bring your old cell phone to the zoo for recycling (and find out how it helps Gorillas in Africa).