WILDLIFE & CONSERVATION
ZooWorld Zoological Park
Bay County · Panhandle & Emerald Coast
More than 200 animals plus 85 alligators, with encounters that put you close to sloths, kangaroos and lions.
ABOUT THIS PLACE
ZooWorld holds more than 200 animals, and that count does not include its 85 alligators. Among them are sloths, kangaroos, hyenas, lions, parakeets and giraffes. Two areas are named on its listing: the Allapattah Swamp Experience, recently rebuilt, and the Wanyama Pori Africa exhibit. What separates it from a walk-past zoo is how much of it is hands-on. Visitors can pet a sloth, hold a baby kangaroo, handle an alligator and come face to face with hyenas and lions, and feeding sessions can be added for the alligators, the parakeets and the giraffes. The address is 9008 Front Beach Road, with extra parking at 8914 and 9216. It has been under private ownership since 2015, run as a small business owned by a woman and a military family, and it holds accreditation from the Zoological Association of America, which is re-examined every five years. The animals are kept on what the zoo calls an at-will basis: they choose whether to come and meet people, and there are no scheduled performances. The petting zoo has goats, ponies, sheep, a llama, cows and exotic deer, and capybaras and lemurs can be met as well. It is open year round
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