Sarasota Jungle Gardens is home to more than 200 native and exotic animals including birds of prey, many different species of parrots and macaws, primates, small mammals, dozens of snakes, lizards, iguanas, alligators, crocodiles and other reptiles – many of them rescued or donated – including Florida’s noted pink flamingos. All nestled within 10 acres of lush tropical landscaping connected by winding jungle trails.
The fascinating flamingos are a favorite among visitors who travel from all over the world to see the long-legged, pink-hued wading birds. The flamingos are not shy and often greet guests personally, sometimes face to face. You might catch them splashing, flapping and strutting around. One may hand-feed them or just view them strolling by. Other times one might see the joy and thrill in a child’s first wide-eyed encounter as they interact with the flamingos, egrets, ducks, swans, pelicans and other wildlife just passing through.
Some other noteworthy features of the Gardens include daily bird and reptile shows that are as educational as they are entertaining. The after show question and answer time and a wide variety of one on one animal interactions, including holding and posing for pictures, provide the reason many folks come back year after year. For the youngest visitors, our playground, feeding our Koi fish, sounding the ‘all aboard’ signal on our beloved wooden choo choo all provide countless hours of fun.