Monkey Jungle and other non-zoo Florida animal attractions to explore
We all know it isn’t hard to spot a gator, deer or iguana in Florida. But what about zebras, giraffes and monkeys?
If the zoo just doesn’t cut it for you, here’s a roundup of five non-zoo wildlife attractions you can visit throughout the state.
How much is a monkey jungle ticket?
Just a 15-minute car ride south from Miami’s Zoo is a different kind of animal attraction.
At Monkey Jungle, over 300 monkeys, including some great apes, run free on 30 acres of subtropical forest in southern Miami-Dade county.
Monkey Jungle was established almost 80 years ago, in 1935 and is an affiliate of not-for-profit conservation effort DuMond Conservancy for Primates & Tropical Forests.
Monkey Jungle is open every day from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the ticketing office closes at 4 p.m.
Tickets are free for children 2 years old and younger, $29.95 for adults and kids ages 10 or older, $27.95 for adults 65 and older and $23.95 for kids ages 3 through 9.
How much does it cost to drive through Lion Country Safari?
Lion Country Safari is a four-mile drive-through wildlife park with herds of zebra, rhino, giraffe and more. There are more than 900 animals roaming Lion Country Safari’s 600 acres of land in Palm Beach County and claims to be the first cageless zoo in the country.
The wildlife park, which opened in 1967, is located in Loxahatchee. Lion Country Safari is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Tickets are by person, not by vehicle. Soft top and convertible vehicles aren’t allowed, but Lion Country has some vehicles available for rent, which cost $35 every 1.5 hours. Tickets are free for children 2 years old and younger, $49 for adults and kids 10 and older and $37 for kids ages 3 through 9.
How much does it cost to go to Busch Wildlife Sanctuary?
Further north in Palm Beach County, Busch Wildlife Sanctuary is a refuge and nature center for rehabilitating and rescuing Florida wildlife.
Busch Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Jupiter Farms and has been rescuing animals since 1983. The park is more like a zoo than the other two, since the animals at Busch are in enclosures, but they have plenty of space to live comfortably on the sanctuary’s almost 20 acres. And the sanctuary’s animals are all rescues that wouldn’t survive out in the wild if they were to be released.
Busch also has a fully functioning animal hospital, where visitors can peek through windows in the lobby to see any animals being brought in for care.
Busch Wildlife is open every day from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and is free, but they accept donations.
What animals are in the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge?
St. Marks National Wildlife refuge encompasses over 40 miles of Florida’s Gulf coast, covering a whopping 86,000 acres in Wakulla, Jefferson and Taylor counties.
It was established in 1931, when it was made a winter home for migratory birds. The refuge has a seven-mile drive that ends at Florida’s second-oldest lighthouse, where you can spot black bears, turkeys, deer, bald eagles and whooping cranes along the way.
The refuge is open year-round during daylight hours and costs $1 per person if you’d like to explore on a bike or on foot and $5 for people who want to explore in their car.
Can you feed the animals at Wild Florida?
Wild Florida is a drive-through safari park on Cypress Lake south of Orlando where more than 150 native and non-native species roam 170 acres of land.
You can see zebras, eland antelope, American bison, mouflon sheep and feed giraffes only an hour away from Disney World.
Florida resident tickets are $24 each for visitors 13 and older, $19 for kids ages 3 to 12 and free for children under 2 years old. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day but Sundays, when the park is closed.
You can also book extras like airboat tours and animal encounters like holding a sloth.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: How to visit Monkey Jungle, other non-zoo Florida animal attractions
