Sarasota Jungle Gardens

3701 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL 34234, USA

Address:	3701 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL 34234, USA
Phone:	+1 941-355-5305
Site:	sarasotajunglegardens.com
Rating:	4
Working:	10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 5

Didi Paul

A friend of mine from Wisconsin was visiting, and we decided to take our toddlers here the other day. There are some slow changes being made, but still many problems that a conscious human is going to notice. Ive been to sixteen zoos around the country, so I know what dated enclosures look like, and the difference it makes for the animals to keep things updated. Parts of Jungle Gardens are beautiful, and other parts are run down and awful. Its a mixed bag. The price tag is a tad high for what you get, so be aware that you can get through the whole place in an hour and a half even with children. I feel Jungle Gardens is better for locals with children that can purchase memberships, or tourists that want to feed flamingos, and can put blinders on to ignore neglected areas of the gardens. The reptile house in the front flat out needs to be demolished. Its old, smells pretty awful and musty, and the mildew gave my friend a mild allergy attack. There are dingy, forgotten, cracked aquariums inside. Tear it down. Put in a parakeet landing, so that kids can feed lorikeets and budgies. Thank me later, because my middle name is Innovative. If you go to Mote Aquarium you can see a beautiful new exhibit filled with native plants, clean sand, and two pristine ponds that house two young alligators and three caymans. Its lovely. If you go to Jungle Gardens you can see an old and dirty cement pool in a barren fenced in enclosure with a bunch of young gators floating around in it. Presentation is important. Quality over quantity, gang. We still have trouble with the super old barred cages. I know many others that do as well. Its costly to update, but I strongly feel updates will bring in more revenue from increased ticket sales and donations. Open air style exhibits are the way to go to modernize. Meerkats are a great choice. Ditch the big cage next to the café, and invest in a meerkat exhibit. No bars required. Find a high roller to fund it (Sarasota has plenty), and then put their name on it. Another smaller animal that does well in open air exhibits are Patagonian Cavy. The Potter Park Zoo in Michigan has a splendid open cavy exhibit. Google some pics. Go there. Do fundraisers and charity dinners. Update. (Or what about a butterfly house? Look at the one in Gainesville) The paths are quite pretty with many lovely old trees giving it an old Florida feel. What we like the best about Jungle Gardens is the large pond, and flamingo area. Its a pleasant experience feeding the flamingos and ducks, and a lot of other native birds (white ibis, laughing gulls, little blue heron, green heron, common gallinule, great blue heron, snowy egrets, etc.) hang out around the pond along with several species of turtles. This is truly the best part of this attraction. Id love to see more updates! This place has history and wonderful bones, but needs reviving and vision to bring it up to date. Keep that in mind before you spend your money.

A Private User

I went a few weeks ago and this is the 4th time I have went. I give it 4 out of 5 stars the worst thing about it is some of the employees like the ones in the gift shop and in the cafe are a little to pompous or even pretentious. The food in the cafe was better the last time I went a few years ago back in early 07 and the people in the cafe were a lot more pleasant and did not seem so pretentious then. I am not sure what happened in the last two years, but it seems they lost that spark they had before. Although there are two congenial and very enlightening employees that still keep my kids interested every time we go and that is the Young Lady who does the reptile demonstrations and the Young Lady who does the Bird of Prey demonstrations, I am pretty sure they are the same two that have been working here since I started coming here. My children love the flamingos these magnificent birds eat right out of your hand its amazing. They also love the koi pond as well as the fact that they can get up close and personal with some gators and all kinds of beautiful parrots. Good place all in all if you can get over the pretentious atmosphere. It is worth the entrance fee for a few hours of hearty interaction with some of the most amazing creatures in the world!

Renae Brosam

I made a point to visit Sarasota just to feed the Flamingos. Although this place is a bit off the beaten path, i would not miss evey opportunity to stop in to feed the flamingoes. (Buy a large bag of flamingo food when you purchase your admission ticket). My first time was over Christmas break. Temps were cool but not uncomfortable, and all of the Flamingoes were happy to greet my daughter and I. This vist was over labor day weekend, temps were high, but again not uncomfortable. There were more guests in the park, so most of the flamingoes remained in the pond sleeping with their heads hidden under their wings. However, four or five flamingoes did venture over to eat food straight from our hands. If youve never fed a flamingoe, you should come to Sarasota Jungle Gardens at least once in your lifetime to do so. SJG offers this rare and completely safe opportunity amidst their beautiful gardens. My friend and i also enjoyed feeding the baby aligators (bring lots of quarters for alligator food). Next to the baby alligators, there is a photo booth where a handler will help you or your children safely hold a baby alligator or exotic bird for a photo.

Michael Price

Bravo. By far the best "animal encounters" attraction I have ever been to. Everyone was happy; Kids and adults alike. The ONLY place Ive ever considered donating too. Pro: Staff is considerably knowledgeable about the animals. They are also friendly, courteous, and are pretty funny. The shows are genuine in tone and information. They also include just the right amount of humor. They have a pretty wide variety of animals all in one place. Watch out for low flying butterflies too. The price for tickets, food, AND souvenirs are lower than anywhere else. You can and should spend your money here liberally, as it goes a long way and it goes to a good cause. Scenery is beautiful and maintained well. Some plants are also fruit bearing or uncommon varieties. Also, they offer plenty of shade and spots to take a break at. Con: When its hot and humid, your going to know it very well. The tree cover provides shade but blocks any breeze. Feeding the flamingos can be a challenge. We had a lot of people trying to feed too few flamingos. In no way a deal breaker but just fyi.

Maliah Lynn

Went in with an open mind but was sorely disappointed & heartbroken. Animals were kept in very filthy & SMALL areas. These animals deserve to be released to better facilities that have more funding / room to rehabilitate these animals. This place exploits their creatures for pictures & shows. The staff doesnt seem cruel or evil, and probably just really love being around lemurs & baby alligators, but they are ill informed if they think crocodiles belong in tiny fenced in pools.... The reptile area was HORRIBLE. Again; very dirty & way too minuscule for many of the larger snake breeds. No employees were in sight, leading me to believe that they are easily forgotten / neglected. Saw birds & baby alligators kept inside cages with no wiggle room and kept off to the side for $10 pictures.... Overall, just a mess & very sad to witness. These animals belong somewhere where they will be handled properly & *ideally* released back to their natural habitats. Please do not visit here.