Facilities

Caring for our Animals

Jacarlene animal care campus

The state-of-the-art Jacarlene Foundation Animal Care Campus is comprised of four distinct buildings that are integral in the daily care of more than 350 species – the Catherine Lowry Straz Veterinary Hospital, the Animal Nutrition Center, Sandy & Tom Callahan Center for Wildlife Conservation, and the Tiedemann-Cotton Animal Care Annex.

Catherine Lowry Straz Veterinary Hospital

With over 1,000 animals, the Catherine Lowry Straz Veterinary Hospital acts as the hub for all things medical. With state of the art equipment and a dedicated veterinary team, our animals receive the best medical care. As the only zoo to have earned accreditation with the American Association of Animal Hospitals (AAHA), it is assured that our animals receive the best healthcare.

In addition to the manatee rehabilitation work, the veterinary team at the Zoo serves as a medical center for several of Florida’s iconic wildlife species including black bears and Florida panthers.

Facilities - ZooTampa at Lowry Park

Nutrition Center

How do we feed all the animals at ZooTampa? With a lot of organization and care. All the diets for more than 1,000 animals are made here and customized for each animal based on daily observations and checkups. With a fresh food delivered on a daily basis, our animals at ZooTampa receive nothing but the best to help their growth!

Animal Care Annex

The Tiedemann-Cotton Animal Care Annex is a state-of-the-art animal holding and quarantine facility that helps our animal care and veterinary team provide exemplary care to the most severe cases.

Sandy & Tom Callahan Center for Wildlife Conservation

The Tom and Sandy Callahan Center for Conservation educates guests on the Zoo’s leadership in Florida and worldwide wildlife conservation initiatives through an immersive film. It also houses a state-of-the-art conference room, used for internal and external educational meetings.

Catherine Lowry Straz Veterinary Hospital

State-of-the-art Animal Care

The Catherine Lowry Straz Veterinary Hospital provides medical services for the more than 300 species entrusted in our care and is the only veterinary facility inside a zoo that has been accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association. The hospital boasts state-of-the-art equipment, including a surgical room, X-ray area and a laboratory. Led by world-renowned veterinarians, the ZooTampa medical team works to ensure that all of our animals receive the best healthcare. In addition to the manatee rehabilitation work, ZooTampa’s veterinary team also partners with organizations such as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to care for and rehabilitate several of Florida’s iconic wildlife species including black bears and Florida panthers.

David a. Straz, Jr. Manatee critical care center

ZooTampa is widely known for caring for critically injured, sick, and orphaned manatees. This endangered species has been at the heart of the Zoo’s commitment to the conservation of Florida wildlife for more than 20 years. 

Facilities - ZooTampa at Lowry Park

Our Center

The David A. Straz, Jr. Manatee Critical Care Center is the first non-profit, acute care facility of its kind specifically dedicated to critical care for wild manatees, and one of just four contracted federally permitted manatee rehabilitation centers in the state of Florida. Since 1991, the manatee care and veterinary team have treated over 400 manatees with more than 230 of those reintroduced into Florida waters.

To enhance animal welfare and expand our mission to save Florida wildlife, ZooTampa recently completed an upgrade to the water filtration system at the David A. Straz, Jr. Manatee Critical Care Center. This new, upgraded life support system allows us to provide advanced, specialized care for the welfare of manatees and treat even the most severe cases.

As manatee patients recover, visitors can see this life-saving care in real time in the recovery pools of Manatee Mangrove.

Manatee News

Take
Action

Each ONE of us can make a difference in the preservation of the ONE world we share. We encourage you to be a conservation leader in your home, community, and around the world! Small actions you take can make a huge impact on protecting and preserving wildlife and wild places. Consider making a donation to ZooTampa.
Manatee photos and videos taken by ZooTampa under USFWS Permit No. MA90101C.

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