The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo is a small but well-kept zoo here in Gulf Shores several blocks from the beach. It has 600 animals, 199 species with 22 of them being endangered.
An island with a colony of lemurs is the first exhibit at the zoo. Found only in Madagascar, both red-ruffed and black-and-white lemurs can be seen here. There are 100 species of lemurs in the wild. I snapped the second photo during feeding time (fruits, leaves, flowers).
Two dromedary camels, Mack and Maggie, could be seen in the distance. Not sure which one is in this photo.
Watusi cattle, found in central Africa, can grow horns up to 5’!
There are many birds at the zoo (over 200). Below are a cockatoos, green-winged macaws, and laughing kookaburras. You cannot see it clearly in the photo, but the second kookaburra has a mouse in its mouth.
One of the zookeepers conducted an educational session on the Eurasian eagle owl, a protected species. One of the largest owls in the world with a wingspan over 6’, they manage rodent populations in their ecosystems. This handsome male, named Norman, is one of the zoo’s animal ambassadors.
African lions (including a rare white lion), Eurasian lynx, and Bengal tigers (India) can be seen here, but I was only able to get a decent photo of Rajah, the tiger. Bengals are an endangered species with only 3,500 remaining. Most were napping in the shade.
The serval is a medium-sized, wild cat native to Africa.
The capybara (southern South America) eats about 8 pounds of grass a day and can stay under water 5 minutes.
There are numerous species of the monkey family at the zoo. The white-faced capuchin is found in Central and South America. The Bolivian squirrel monkey, weighing about 2 pounds, is on average one foot tall.
The African crested porcupines are large rodents that weigh 40-60 pounds. We were amazed at their size in comparison to porcupines in our country! And those quills could do some real damage.
There are various activities (for an additional fee) at the zoo, including this fossil and gemstone panning one. Most other activities are encounters with various zoo inhabitants (reptiles, kangaroos, sloths, etc.)
Two baby kangaroos, about 7 months old, are on loan from a zoo in Tampa, FL. These two will be returned there when they are about 1.5 years old (they will grow to 6’).
The African spurred tortoise can live up to 50 years. Commonly found in captivity, they are swiftly declining in the wild.
Chuckie, a large American alligator, is the zoo's mascot.
Some local wildlife has found a home at the zoo, too (in addition to Chuckie).
A petting zoo features a donkey, domestic goats, and sheep. Food to feed them is sold at the entrance ($2). John had fun feeding Ricky, a Nubian-mix goat, and some of the other ones, too.
Several peacocks roam the grounds of the park and you can hear their loud crowing throughout the grounds.
A new, larger zoo is being built about four miles north of the current location. Larger habitats and additional animals are planned. It is scheduled to open in December, 2019.
While we always enjoy seeing and learning about animals, but it is also heart-breaking to see them in captivity. I vacillate between loving zoos, and hating them. We have been to many of them throughout the US, and I was somewhat surprised to find such a nice one along the Alabama coast.
Admission is $9/seniors, $11/adults. For additional information about the zoo, go to www.alabamagulfcoastzoo.com.
Kathy I don't know why but it takes a long time for your pictures to load. Sometimes they don't load at all. On this post I went and read two other blogs and when I came back to yours the pictures were still loading. See ya down the road.
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