Jacksonville Zoo earns national recognition for Land of the Tiger exhibit
Home to critically endangered Malayan and Sumatran tigers, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has earned national recognition for its Land of the Tiger exhibit, which attracts as well as educates thousands of zoo visitors each year.
Land of the Tiger is No. 5 on the USA TODAY Reader's Choice 10 Best Zoo Exhibits in the United States for 2023. The recognition is for "unique ways to engage with animals."
Debuting in 2014, the Land of the Tiger exhibit is home to both Malayan and Sumatran tigers. The big cats "are free to roam through the zoo's Asia Loop on a series of trails. Guests can see these animals from almost any angle while enjoying the 2.5-acre exhibit," according to the descriptions of the Jacksonville Zoo's ranking. The exhibit includes a unique walkover that allows the tigers to walk on an enclosed bridge above visitors.
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The zoos honored underwent a two-phase process. First, a panel of zoo professionals and family travel experts were asked to nominate their favorite animal exhibits in the United States. Then readers voted for the best ones across the country.
"The best zoo exhibits not only educate, but also engage visitors by transporting them to another place — whether it be the foothills of the Himalayas, a Florida swamp or the Australian Outback," according to the selection criteria.
In addition to Jacksonville, other Florida zoos in the top 10 were in Tampa and Melbourne.
The Land of the Tiger exhibit is located at the far end of the zoo campus along the Trout River. The sprawling exhibit is an expansion of the zoo's Asia exhibit, which began in 2009 with the Asian Bamboo Gardens and the Komodo Dragon.
The Malayan and Sumatran tigers living in the exhibit are part of Jacksonville Zoo's multiple species conservation efforts.
Last May, a 13-year-old, 300-pound Malayan tiger named Bashir came to zoo. Bashir joined the zoo through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan, which is designed "to maximize genetic diversity, appropriately manage the demographic distribution and long-term sustainability" of certain animals," according to the association.
The plan pairs members of the same endangered species at accredited zoos based on the genetics of captive populations.
Founded in 1914, the nonprofit Jacksonville zoo has about 2,000 rare and exotic animals including two Malayan tigers and two Sumatran tigers. The zoo also has 1,000 species of plants, Northeast Florida's largest botanical garden.
How to see Land of the Tiger exhibit
The zoo is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Advance online tickets are required. Tickets can be scanned from your phone. General admission tickets range from $29.95 to $34.95; $24.95 to $29.95 for children aged 3-12; and $27.95 to $32.95 for seniors aged 65 and older, according to the zoo's website.
USA Today Reader's Choice 10 Best Zoo Exhibits
The other nine on the Top 10 best zoo exhibit list were:
Asian Highlands at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Neb.
Rocky Mountain Wild at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Night Hunters at Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden in Cincinnati, Ohio.
David A. Straz, Jr. Manatee Critical Care Center in Tampa.
Oklahoma Trails at Oklahoma City Zoo in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Kayaking tour at Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Fla.
Boyd Family Asian Trek at Zoo Knoxville in Knoxville, Tenn.
River's Edge at Saint Louis Zoo in St. Louis, Mo.
California Trail at Oakland Zoo in Oakland, Calif.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Zoo's Land of the Tiger exhibit named among best in U.S.
