ZooTampa

ZooTampa at Lowry Park features 63 acres of lush, natural habitats comprising Florida, Asia, Primates, Australia, and Africa. As a nonprofit cultural organization committed to conservation, the focus is on animals from Florida, such as manatees and Florida panthers, and animals from Florida-like climates, such as elephants and orangutans. ZooTampa houses 1,000 animals in naturalistic outdoor habitats year-round. The organization helps to ensure conservation goals and objectives as well as the sustainability of a healthy, genetically diverse, and demographically varied population of numerous species.(Continued on Schedule O)ZooTampa has contributed to the propagation of species, in conjunction with AZA species survival plans, to help save numerous species from extinction and participates in species conservation efforts locally, nationally, and internationally. ZooTampa manages a state-of-the-art veterinary hospital that is part of its larger medical campus that includes a nutrition center and animal care annex. It is the only zoological or aquarium facility in the nation that is accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). ZooTampa is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and licensed to operate by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The Zoo is dedicated to serving as an educational resource for the community, and to providing an exciting, nature-based entertainment destination for families, schools, and organizations. Up-close experiences with the living animals at the zoo teach the value of the living world firsthand.ZooTampa is proud to list the following accomplishments in fiscal year 2022:Zoological Operations-Expansion of ZooTampa's leadership efforts aimed at saving manatees:--Manatee Care and Veterinary team rehabilitated 17 manatees, cared for 4 orphaned calves, and released 11 manatees back to Florida waters, surpassing a major milestone with more than 300 manatees released back to Florida waters since the opening the David A. Straz, Jr. Manatee Critical Care Center.--Aided the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission with 16 rescues, transports, and verifications, in addition to providing transport to critical care facilities, necropsies and carcass recovery.--Helped with operations on the East coast during this winter's Unusual Mortality Event (UME) by verifying animals in the wild to determine if rescue was needed.--Participated in several outreach events throughout the Tampa Bay area, including Ecofest, Hillsborough County's Environmental Protection Commission's Clean Air Fair, BlueGreen Connections; where they educated crowds about the life-saving work at our critical care center and how to co-exist with wildlife.-Opened the new realm Florida Wilds, featuring up-close encounters and expanded habitats for many rescued animals, including three endangered panthers and three black bears who serve as conservation ambassadors for their species.-Expansion of our red wolf program with an additional habitat for a breeding pair that resulted in the birth of four pups.-Introduction of new species and habitat for Hamadryas baboons.-Release of dozens of striped newts to their native habitat.-Notable births: Bald Ibis (1), Binturong (2), Bornean Orangutan (1), Coconut Lorikeet (2), Red Wolf (4), Yellow-backed duiker (1), Marabou Stork (3), Striped Newt (25)-Notable acquisitions: Eastern Bongo (2), Hamadryas Baboon (6), Masai Giraffe (2), North Sulawesi Babirusa (1), Puerto Rican Crested Toad (11), Pygmy Hippo (1), Red Wolf (2), Southern White Rhino (1)Conservation & Education-Partnerships with external conservation projects including AZA's Wildlife Trafficking Alliance, International Rhino Foundation, Okapi Conservation Project, International Elephant Foundation, Painted Dog Research Trust, SANCCOB, Currumbin Wildlife Hospital, Bornean Orangutan Survival Foundation, Macaw Recovery Network and The Turtle Relief fund.-Educational programs with the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library, Champions for Children, Moffitt Cancer Center's Healthy Kids Program- I Heart Teachers program - reaching thousands of school-aged children.-Undertook numerous educational initiatives to communicate our mission through Zoo School, mission-related content, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access and Pathways through Nature outreach program.-Pathways through Nature outreach program focused on caregiver/child activities integrating child development strategies of the national initiative, TALK, READ, SING and the correlation to empathy towards nature.-Partnership with Champions for Children and Tampa Hillsborough County Public Library, funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.-Provided 4K community access tickets disseminated to under-resourced program partners in Tampa Bay.Additional local, national, and global involvement and achievements: -New multi-year partnership with the Tampa Bay Rays.-Filming of the fourth season of NatGeo Wild's Secrets of the Zoo: Tampa.-Recognized by Trip Advisor for 11 years in a row as a winner of the Traveler's Choice Award.-Named Tampa's 2022 Employer of the year by the Mayor's Alliance for Persons with Disabilities.