Colossal Creatures: New Jacksonville Zoo exhibit pairs giant inflatable animals with activities for kids

Any doubts about whether kids would be excited to see the new Colossal Creatures exhibit at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens were put to rest Wednesday morning when hundreds of children and parents lined up for the grand opening.

The line of strollers stretched from the zoo's Great Lawn, site of the new exhibit, past the Range of the Jaguar and nearly to the Giraffe Overlook. Parents near the front of the line said they'd been there since the zoo opened at 9 a.m. for Colossal Creatures' 11 a.m. opening.

The show, which will be at the zoo through August, features inflatable animals, some life-sized, some much larger than life. Each comes with an activity or a lesson that teaches kids about wildlife and conservation.

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Kids can use big foam blocks to build an igloo next to the enormous penguin. The sea turtle has a station where kids can learn about the dangers of plastic bags in the ocean. Skulls from real lions and real giraffes are displayed near the inflatable lion and giraffe to teach kids about animal anatomy. Near the giant nesting egret, kids use differently shaped tools to grab rubber worms from a bowl, learning which birds' beaks are best suited for different tasks.

Jeff Ettling, the zoo's new president and CEO, said the exhibit was developed in-house by the zoo's staff. They found a company in California that sold the inflatable animals, then built the educational elements themselves. He said it was a great opportunity for the zoo to connect with the community to teach kids about critically endangered species and the man-made hurdles they have to deal with to survive in the wild. "Conservation is a people problem," he said. "It's not an animal problem."

Some of the creatures in the exhibit can be found at the zoo, but not all of them. The green iguana, for instance, is an invasive species that shouldn't be in Florida but can be found in many parts of the state.

Ettling came to the Jacksonville zoo in March from the Sedgewick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas. He said the zoo appears to be recovering from the pandemic, which shut down zoos and public gathering places around the country. He said a zoo is a safe, friendly place to be outside and reconnect with nature.

Next up for the zoo is a $50 million renovation project that will see the main entrance relocated and new exhibits built for manatees and lions. It is scheduled to open in 2024.

Colossal Creatures is included in the zoo's Total Experience Package, which costs $32.95-$35.95 for adults and $25.95-$28.95 for kids. Regular zoo admission is $24.95 for adults, $19.95 for kids.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Zoo: Colossal Creatures educational exhibit opens