Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo

The Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo is a 10-acre (4.0 ha) zoo in Gainesville, Florida. Located on Santa Fe College's main campus, it is the only college zookeeper training facility in the United States. Since 2000, the zoo has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo
Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo entrance, August 2019
29.6819°N 82.4382°W / 29.6819; -82.4382
LocationGainesville, Florida
Land area10 acres (4.0 ha)[1]
No. of animals200+[2]
No. of species75[2]
MembershipsAZA[3]
Websitewww.sfcollege.edu/zoo

Guided tours led by students in the program are available at the teaching zoo if scheduled ahead of time; visitors may also take a self-guided tours.[4]

History

The Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo was established in 1970. It comprises 10 acres (4.0 ha) of forested land on the west side of the Santa Fe College main campus. The zoo has been accredited by the AZA since 2000 and undergoes its accreditation process every five years.[5][6]

Animals
Bald eagle at the zoo

The zoo is home to over 200 individual animals representing more than 75 species, including mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and birds.[7]

List of animals
Mammals
Herptiles
Birds

The zoo also participates in several AZA Species Survival Plan (SSP) programs, for white-handed gibbons and Matschie's tree-kangaroo as well as for the Asian small-clawed otter, red ruffed lemur, Guam rail, Perdido Key beach mouse and ocelot.

The SF Zoo Animal Technology Program

Students spend 5 semesters learning about animal husbandry, breeding, nutrition, medical care, physiology, taxonomic relationships, conservation, enclosure construction, proper zoo sanitation, and other topics through classwork and actual work as keepers in the zoo.

Students of the SF Zoo Animal Technology Program are known as Zooies.

Events

The zoo is a popular destination for both local residents and tourists. The zoo hosts several events open to the public throughout the year, including Party for the Planet (celebrating Earth Day) and "Boo at the Zoo" (BATZ) Halloween festival.

Notes
  1. "Visit Us". sfcollege.edu. Santa Fe College. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  2. "Zoo Fact Sheet". sfcollege.edu. Santa Fe College. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  3. "Currently Accredited Zoos and Aquariums". aza.org. AZA. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
  4. "Visit Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo". Santa Fe College. Archived from the original on 2022-01-23. Retrieved 2022-01-23.
  5. Rumbaugh, Andrea (June 25, 2010). "After 36 years, Jack Brown retiring as SFC zoo's director". The Gainesville Sun. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  6. Jester, Erin (December 2, 2015). "Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo program again wins OK from accreditation agency". The Gainesville Sun. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  7. "Zoo Animals". sfcollege.libguides.com.
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