Welcome to Manatee-ville

Welcome to Manatee-ville

By Morgan Purvis, Corporate Giving Officer

Many residents of Florida and visitors alike agree that nothing is more iconic in Florida than the manatee. Designated as the official State Marine Mammal in 1978, manatees are found throughout our waterways in both fresh and salt waters.

As a threatened species, manatees face deaths from cold stress and boat strikes. A new threat has grown for these gentle giants recently though. Manatees feed on a variety of aquatic vegetation, especially seagrass. A high level of manatee deaths starting in 2020 was enough to be classified as an Unusual Mortality Event (UME). Researchers discovered the cause to be a depletion of seagrass in the Indian River Lagoon, a winter habitat for manatees.

Previously treating primarily boat strike and cold stress related injuries in manatees, our Manatee Critical Care Center team was posed with the new challenge of treating UME patients within the last two years. As one of only five federally-permitted acute care facilities for manatees, our Critical Care Center remained at capacity when these UME cases surfaced.

Now more than ever, more space is needed to treat rescued manatees and look after them until they can be released back into the wild.

2023, we are excited to break ground on an expansion of our Manatee Critical Care Center to treat up to 17 individuals at a time. We not only will be adding additional holding pools for both adults and calves, but we will also build Manatee River—a spectacular habitat mirroring Florida’s natural waterways. Guests will be able to view other Florida animals and plants within Manatee River and learn how to protect these species in the wild.

Manatee River will be the first impression habitat just after a brand-new arrival experience for all visitors to Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. This new entrance will be unlike any other zoo or aquarium, combining a look at our education and conservation efforts with premium hospitality inside a multifunctional space.

This dream will be made possible by REZOOVENATION: The Campaign to Inspire. Through funding from public and private sources, we plan to drastically renovate our Zoo by expanding wellness-inspired habitats for animal care, growing conservation initiatives, offering improved educational spaces and guest services and introducing new species.

This first phase including Manatee River is a bold five-year, $52 million campaign. However, we are honored to announce we are 75% toward that goal from private sources and a $5 million match per year thanks to the support of Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry and City Council. Manatee River is also being supported first by a generous gift from J. Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver, Honorary Chairs of the campaign.

Learn more about the project and how you can support it at Welcome to Manatee-ville on Saturday, October 1. This free festival for the community will include food trucks, live entertainment, games and more. Tickets are free, but an online reservation is required. Learn more at: JacksonvilleZoo.org/REZOOVENATION.

JacksonvilleZoo.org/REZOOVENATION