Our Mission
Rescue, rehabilitate and care for animals; create exceptional personalized experiences that connect people with wildlife and each other in fun, immersive ways.
Five-time winner of the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence (2010-2015), ZooTampa at Lowry Park is one of the most popular zoos in the southeastern U.S., with over 1 million visitors annually. The Zoo originated in the 1930’s as a municipal department with a small number of Florida native species. It grew gradually throughout the next four decades, but struggled to meet the developing professional standards of modern zoos. In 1982, community leaders created the Lowry Park Zoo Association to take over management of the Zoo for the City of Tampa with the goal of creating a world-class zoo through a public-private partnership. The Association then became the Lowry Park Zoological Society of Tampa, Inc., as it remains today. Working with a national zoo designer, the Society was able to create a modern, 24-acre facility that opened to the public in 1988 and shortly after earned Accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). ZooTampa has now grown to what now encompasses 56 acres of naturalistic animal exhibits in a lush, tropical garden setting. The Zoo offers popular educational programming, fun recreational amenities, up-close animal encounters and engaging seasonal events for which it has won accolades as one of the country’s most family-friendly zoos.
Our Impact
over 6 years ago — ZooTampa at Lowry Park
Did you know parrots are among some of the most threatened groups of birds worldwide? The most widespread threats to these fascinating animals are habitat destruction, fragmentation and wildlife trafficking for the pet trade. Between 1990 and 1994 alone, nearly 2 million parrots were traded on the world market. You can visit over a dozen different species of parrots here at ZooTampa. Learn more about parrots from Animal Care Professional, Tessa Giannini: ZooTampa.org/worldparrotday.
over 6 years ago — ZooTampa at Lowry Park
This past spring, ZooTampa released 5 indigo snakes to provide a much-needed boost to the wild population of Eastern indigo snakes. These snakes were part of the head start program, bred and hatched at the OCIC and then cared for at ZooTampa until they reached the appropriate size for release. The goal is to increase their numbers in the Southeastern United States. Learn more about this amazing non-venomous snake and our efforts to save them from Animal Care Professional, Spencer Schultz: ZooTampa.org/indigo-snake-release. Special thanks to our dedicated partners including Auburn University, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Orianne Center for Indigo Conservation.