The Palm Beach Zoo, the Perfect Place to Visit this Summer!
An Interview with Gail Eaton of the Palm Beach Zoo
What’s the best thing about the Palm Beach Zoo?
PB Zoo: What we have in PB is a treasure of a zoo, particularly from the viewpoint of the parents of young children. Instead of the long lines that you might encounter at a big attraction, we have a very manageable zoo. You can go on any given day and see a lot of our zoo – not all of it, but a lot of it. You’re going to go home feeling good and feeling like you really experienced the zoo.
Photos provided by: Brett Bartek, Budge Jamison, Mike Klenetsky, LeGrand Photography, Keith Lovett, Tad Motoyama, Dave Sherman, Alan Weiner and the Palm Beach Zoo.
Another wonderful thing about the Palm Beach Zoo is that it’s a very cool zoo, literally! There is so much vegetation – 23 acres of lush foliage with shade and canopies everywhere. So, the Palm Beach Zoo is cooled by the vegetation and by our wonderful interactive fountain where children can splash and play.
You take your kids to the zoo for fun, but also to teach them about the animals. The ‘bigger ideas’ of nature, the living world, conservation, the environment, saving endangered species – these are all getting through. You will see good parents ‘talking’ their children through the zoo – make sure the child is seeing and learning. Studies show that children who visit zoos are much more successful in school – particularly in science. While your children are encountering different animals and habitats, they are learning and seeing how every living thing is connected.
On some hot days, the fountain is the best thing about the zoo. Mom can sit down and watch her child playing in the fountain, knowing there is no deep water involved… It’s a little less stressful than a pool might be. Kids love water, and playtime is important.
What special things are happening this summer at the Palm Beach Zoo?
PB Zoo: Of course, we have our wonderful Zoo Camp. The Palm Beach Zoo camp has been named the best camp in Palm Beach County! Every week has a different theme, and being engaged in outdoor activities is a very important part of their healthy lifestyle. There is a book titled “Last Child in the Woods” by Richard Louv. His premise is that children who are disengaged from nature suffer from what he calls “nature deprivation disorder”. This separation from living things may be a cause for a lot of the problems our children are experiencing today. When kids spend all their time in front of computers, televisions, and other devices, they are separated from nature. When they play outdoors, they are learning about the weather, the rhythm of the seasons, the patterns of life and connectedness. It’s so important to teach your child HOW TO learn. Once a child knows how to learn – the sky’s the limit.
Another great thing about summer at the Palm Beach Zoo is that the zoo stays open every Friday until 9pm. Your whole family can enjoy dinner at the zoo at our great café and explore the zoo in the cool of the evening. “Safari Nights” run from June 1st until Halloween weekend.
Tell us about some of the new animals at the zoo.
PB Zoo: One of the most exciting things is the opportunity to watch our Malayan tiger cubs growing up – they just turned one. It’s amazing watching the mother tiger with her triplets – she’s teaching them to hunt, how to fight. She’s disciplining them and also encouraging them – mentoring them in how to survive. It’s fascinating to watch.
Children fall in love with a different animal every time they visit the zoo – koalas, monkeys, anteaters, jaguars, alligators, bears… we have over 1,400 animals at the zoo, so there is a lot to love.
We offer wildlife shows every day, so you can go to one of the amphitheaters to learn and be entertained – and sit down! It’s a great way to take a little break during your visit.
Mama Peacock with Four Baby Peacocks
For other related Palm Beach Zoo videos, see our “Videos” page.
Please give us some details about zoo camp.
PB Zoo: For further details about zoo camp and registration forms, visit the Palm Beach Zoo’s website under “Zoo Camp” – http://www.palmbeachzoo.org/education.html#zoocamp
Here are a few of the exciting weeks!
For kids 5-10 years old
Doctor Zoolittle – teaching children how to care for sick animals
Purrfect Predators – teaching about big cats
Land Before Time – all about dinosaurs
Jeepers Creepers – what is it like to be a zoo keeper?
Animal Art & Theatre – visual and theatre art using animals as the taking-off point
Rainforest Week – sloths, monkeys, jaguars, etc.
Animal Olympics – physical prowess of animals
For the older kids, 11 to 14 years old
Zoo Veterinarian week
Animal Tricks
For the 15-17 year old students, the Palm Beach Zoo offers an in-depth conservation academy…it’s specially designed for students who are interested in zoological sciences, veterinary medicine, wildlife conservation and animal-related careers.
What are some of the best things the people have said about the Palm Beach Zoo?
PB Zoo: The Palm Beach Zoo is not just for kids. We live in a complicated world. We are all so busy, so over-committed. The zoo is an oasis for everyone. Many grownups use the zoo as a respite, a way to get away and re-connect with nature. We have an elderly couple from Palm Beach who fell in love with the zoo because it was ‘the place they were happiest.’ The go on a date once a week, hold hands and just walk around to see the animals.
By the way, the zoo is a great place for a first date. You’ll learn more about the other person than you will over fifteen candle light dinners!
How old is the Palm Beach Zoo? What have the major developments and changes been over the years?
PB Zoo: The Palm Beach Zoo began in the 1950’s, back when it was just a public park. It was managed by Paul Dreher, manager of Parks & Recreation for the City of West Palm Beach at that time. He wanted to make it into a botanical garden. That was the first step. Then he wanted to attract more children, so they added a collection of farm animals – goats, sheep, and turkeys. The idea was to have a little petting zoo within the botanical gardens. This was the beginning of the Palm Beach Zoo. Over time the petting zoo became very popular, and it continued to grow. In 1969, a group of committed citizens decided that improving the zoo would be great for the community and made it a 501c3 non-profit organization. They started raising money and attracted some major donations. The Cornell family made a very generous contribution, which resulted in the building of the Tropics of the Americas section. (See the zoo map). In 2003, the fountain was built, another wonderful addition to the zoo.
What do you think parents appreciate most about the zoo?
PB Zoo: It’s something you can do with your kids that entertains you, too. It’s just as much fun for you as it is for them…it’s definitely not something you suffer through.
How does the zoo “give back” when it comes to wildlife preservation and protecting endangered species?
PB Zoo: This is the real hidden secret about the Palm Beach Zoo. Even though the zoo at 23 acres is not huge by zoo standards, we are very involved in conservation. We have research projects going on in Argentina (where we’re studying the bush dog and helping to create wildlife corridors in the forests). Dr. Michele Miller, who is in Africa about 50% of the time, is studying TB in lions, how to safely anesthetize huge animals (like rhinos and elephants) and more. We have a researcher at the zoo who is studying how to save the Perdido Key beach mouse, a species that was almost wiped out by hurricanes and beach erosion. The animal has been re-established, in part thanks to our efforts. We are an active member of the American Association of Zoos & Aquariums. The Palm Beach Zoo is involved in managing some existing captive populations to ensure future generations. Breeding is a tricky thing in the animal world; the two parents need to be genetically separate in order to ensure healthy offspring. For example, the father for our three tigers came from California, and the mother came from New York. We take part in species survival programs for many animals including jaguars, Malayan tigers, lemurs, kangaroos, wallabies, anteaters, various primates, and many others. Breeding is a complex science, and each breeding program is managed by a national committee.
Please tell us about some of the benefits of having a zoo membership.
PB Zoo: You save so much money by getting a zoo membership. Just do the math – you may find that if you take your family to the zoo twice a year, buying a zoo membership will save you money. A Palm Beach Zoo membership provides amazing value, discounts and exclusive benefits. A family membership is just $125. The membership benefits include discounts in the gift shop, discounts in the restaurant, discounted admission to special events and programs. You also get news and information by email. There is also a nationwide program that you are connected with; at many zoos and aquariums, you get a 50% discount or free admission. See the Reciprocal Zoo information on the Palm Beach Zoo’s website …there are 140 zoos involved in this.
What’s something about the Palm Beach Zoo that our local Palm Beach County residents might not know?
PB Zoo: The research and science is the one thing they might not be aware of. The breadth of that work is extraordinary. When you donate to the zoo, you’re also giving toward conservation research.
An important question we ask ourselves at the zoo is, ‘What is the mission – is it entertainment or is it conservation?’
When we put on a show, the whole point of the show is conservation (first). The mission of the zoo (the Zoological Society of the Palm Beaches) is to protect wildlife and wildlife habitat, and to inspire others to value and conserve the natural world. See more of the mission statement under “About Us” on the zoo website.
We also offer education in so many forms – school field trips, distance learning, camps, and special programs. Education is a very big part of what we do at the zoo.
1301 Summit Blvd
West Palm Beach, FL 33405
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Open every day except Christmas and Thanksgiving Day!
Hours: 9am to 5pm (Fridays until 9 p.m. June – October)
(561) 547-9453