Central Florida Zoo Reopens Nearly a Month After Hurricane Ian

According to Click Orlando, the Central Florida Zoo has officially reopened today, October 26th, after a closure starting on September 28th for hurricane preparations.

What's Happening:

  • The Central Florida Zoo in Sanford has announced that they will reopen to guests after almost a month since Hurricane Ian made its way through Central Florida.
  • They will be resuming normal operation hours at 9 a.m.
  • The main issue that the zoo had was flooding outside the zoo, which made it nearly impossible for guests to drive safely to the entrance.
  • The zoo is at the intersection of the St. Johns River and Lake Monroe, which had a record amount of flooding through the area.
  • "A month ago, we never imagined we’d be in this situation," said zoo CEO Richard E. Glover, Jr. "I am incredibly thankful for our team and community for all they’ve done to help us get to this point, and we can’t wait to see our guests again. A special thanks goes out to Seminole County, SunRail, and Wharton-Smith, Inc. for their help during this time. Even so, there’s a long road ahead of us before we can say we’ve fully recovered from the effects of this devastating storm."
  • Glover estimated that the damage and cost to operate the zoo during the four-week closure would be over $800,000.
  • The Wayne M. Densch Discovery Center, the zoo's main meeting building, suffered flood damage and will stay closed for at least a month.
  • The bear exhibit and boardwalk will also be temporarily closed for repairs.
  • All of the zoo's animals were safe during the hurricane and its aftermath.
  • If you want to donate to help the zoo with its recovery efforts, you can do so by clicking here.