Zoos are wonderful institutions. Though most people look at them as nothing more than another tourist attraction, or a way to kill a couple of hours of vacation time and keep the kids happy, the truth behind the concept of Zoos actually goes much deeper. If you look beyond the surface, the majority of Zoos do not simply keep animals fed for display. Many of them are constantly going through research procedures and discovering new ways to bring the almost instinct creatures back to a decent sized population. In short, many Zoos are actually saving entire species from extinction. This is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg of the research that many of the more high profile zoos are delving into.



Now, ask yourself, do I just want to spend my vacation time in a zoo where all they do is cage animals? Alternatively, do you want to go to a real zoo where they strive to save entire races and help the animals? Of course, your answer is the second, and your ideal zoo is the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.

This wonderful treasury of exotic wildlife and endangered species goes a bit further than the normal, "humans viewing animals" concept. At the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, they strive to bring a better understanding of the situations as well as the lives and aspects of the animal kingdom. It is their goal to make sure that in forty years, there are still people out there that have a passion to help the creatures of the wild and to maintain their existence, regardless of the cost.

On the vacation end of the spectrum, one could not ask for a more fun-filled attraction. This is definitely a daylong enterprise, as trying to traverse the entire zoo and gardens and see and do everything in under a day is most impossible. The activities alone would take up a minimum of four hours, if not more. There is the Giraffe Overlook, the Savanna Blooms Garden, train rides, Carousel Rides, and tons more.

On the creature aspect of this magnificent park, you will be amazed at the amount and variety of exotic wildlife that is to be found here, more than your average zoo to say the least. The ones that seem to garner the most attention from visitors are the African Lion, the Capybara, the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach, the Reticulated Giraffe, the Southern White Rhino, the African Rock Python and the Nile crocodile. As we stated, these get the most attention, but they don't even come close to completing the list of fascinating creatures to be found here. There are thousands of animals that call this habitat their home.

If you are the type of person who actually cares about the animal kingdom, who actually looks at them as living creatures instead of merely a quick form of entertainment, then there is no zoo on earth that will please you as the Jacksonville Zoo and Garden in Jacksonville Florida.