Mayor Donna Deegan speaks Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. | City of JacksonvilleMayor Donna Deegan speaks Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. | City of Jacksonville
Mayor Donna Deegan speaks Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. | City of Jacksonville

Jax zoo begins work on new entrance and manatee habitat

Published on October 20, 2023 at 1:21 pm
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The Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens broke ground Friday on Manatee River, a gift from J. Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver, and the new VyStar SkyScape entrance.

The two transformational projects are part of “Rezoovenation,” the zoo’s capital campaign to upgrade the entrance and expand and add new animal habitats.

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The VyStar SkyScape will be the centerpiece of a new Zoo entrance as an iconic open-air roof structure covering 25,000 square feet and extending 50 feet high.

Once through the SkySkape entrance, visitors will see the new Manatee River habitat, an expansion of the current Manatee Critical Care Center that will connect to four additional treatment pools.

Read the rest of this story at News4Jax, a Jacksonville Today news partner.

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author image A Jacksonville native and University of North Florida alum, Francine has been with News4Jax since 2014 after spending nine years at The Florida Times-Union.

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