Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens Sets All-Time Attendance Record
Naples, Florida (PRWEB) January 24, 2014 -- Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens celebrates the start of 2014 with the announcement that the Zoo welcomed a record 369,841 guests in 2013. This represents a doubling of attendance in just over a decade. For perspective, the number of visitors who enjoyed Naples Zoo in just February and March of 2013 matches the total 12-month attendance from 1994.
“We are so grateful for everyone who came to the Zoo in 2013,” says Jack Mulvena, President and CEO of Naples Zoo. “As a private, nonprofit organization, the more families we welcome translates into that many more people connecting to nature and supporting our conservation and education mission here and around the world."
The Zoo consistently introduces guests to fascinating new animals many have never heard of, let alone seen, like Malagasy fosas, Tonkin bug-eyed frogs, and African honey badgers. And even regular guests discover something fresh on each visit because of the Zoo’s focus on personally connecting guests with keepers and offering engaging, innovative, and unscripted presentations and cruises.
Naples Zoo’s efforts have yielded record-breaking attendance every year since 1998 – except for 2005 when Hurricane Wilma closed the Zoo for a month. This past winter was no different when seasonal residents and visitors had their first opportunity to see the new cheetahs. And 2014 promises to be another interesting year with the recent arrival of South American wonders like a Giant anteater, Patagonian cavies, Cotton-top tamarins, and more.
Just since 2001, the beloved zoo and botanical garden achieved accreditation by Association of Zoos and Aquariums, converted from a family business to a nonprofit charitable organization, earned prestigious awards, created new habitats, and expanded its worldwide conservation efforts. The historic garden is also accredited by The Morton Register of Arboreta and holds membership in the American Public Gardens Association.
Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit 44-acre historic tropical garden founded in 1919 that is home to a nationally accredited zoo cooperating in conservation programs both in and outside the wild for endangered species. Naples Zoo offers a full day of family fun and educational programs. For more, visit http://www.napleszoo.org, call (239) 262-5409, or follow them at http://www.facebook.com/napleszoo.
Tim Tetzlaff, Naples Zoo, http://www.napleszoo.org, +1 239-262-5409 Ext: 122, [email protected]
Share this article