close

Living Sanibel: The Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens

4 min read
1 / 3
The agile fosa from Madagascar. PHOTO BY THE NAPLES ZOO
2 / 3
Face to face with a Florida black bear. PHOTO BY THE NAPLES ZOO
3 / 3
The giraffes recently arrived. PHOTO BY THE NAPLES ZOO

The long history of the Naples Zoo begins with a deep freeze. In the winter of 1917, Dr. Henry Nehrling, a botanist from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, suffered a devastating loss at his Palm Cottage Gardens located in Gotha, Florida (20 miles west of Orlando) because of an exceptionally cold winter. Looking to find a frost-free climate, he purchased some agricultural acreage in Southwest Florida and began planting thousands of tropical plants. Many of his original plants can still be found on the grounds of Caribbean Gardens today.

Sadly, after Dr. Nehrling’s death in 1929, his gardens went unattended for years, and many of his prime specimens were lost. Julius Fleischmann, heir to the Fleischmann’s Yeast and Standard Brands fortune, discovered what was left of the gardens on his first visit to Naples in 1946. After purchasing the land, he began restoring the gardens in 1952. Two years later Caribbean Gardens, complete with parrot shows, was opened to the public.

In 1967 Col. Lawrence and Nancy Jane Tetzlaff, a colorful couple known in Cedar Point, Ohio, as Jungle Larry and Safari Jane, came to Naples in search of a warmer climate for their private collection of exotic animals. After Julius Fleischmann’s death in a year later, his heirs contacted the Tetzlaffs to see if they would lease Caribbean Gardens for their animals. The creative merger was renamed Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, and on Sept. 1, 1969, once again was opened to the public. For the next 33 years the zoo continued its mission, which is still exemplified by a 1970 quote by Jungle Larry, “Conservation is the name of the game.”

In 2002, the Fleischmann estate decided to put the 43-acre park and 120 surrounding acres on the market. With Naples real estate hitting record highs, the asking price for the property was, at least for the Tetzlaffs, a prohibitive $67.5 million. The Tetzlaff family turned to the city of Naples and Collier County for help. After a public referendum on the purchase passed with a record 73 percent voter approval, the county purchased all of the land. The Tetzlaffs remained in charge of the operation, and with Jungle Larry’s passing in 1984, his two sons, David and Tim, along with a host of zookeepers and staff, keep the vision of the zoo alive and flourishing.

Today, the Naples Zoo is in the top 10 percent of the nation’s zoos accredited by the prestigious Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Its grounds are home to many rare and fascinating animals. While the Naples Zoo has long been renowned for its extensive lemur collection (including brown, red-fronted, white-fronted, and ring-tailed), it also hosts the lemur’s top predator, the fosa (Cryptoprocta ferox; aka fossa) of Madagascar. This cat-like animal looks like a strange cross between a miniature panther and a jaguarundi.

The zoo has an extensive snake and reptile exhibit, including many venomous snakes such as copperheads, cottonmouths, and canebrake, diamondback and Massasauga rattlesnakes. The big cats are represented by the endangered Malayan tigers, African leopards, lions, and ocelots. The recently installed glass observation areas allow you to stand toe to toe with many of these animals, including Florida black bears and pumas, and the experience of being a foot away from these impressive predators is unforgettable. Other exhibits include giraffes, several zebra species, Australian dingoes, hyenas, impalas, and the homely but intriguing red river hogs.

Admission to the Naples Zoo includes any number of daily shows and educational programs. These are aptly named “Planet Predator” (a show on the big cats), “Fangs & Fiction” (pythons and venomous snakes), “Meet the Keeper,” and “Alligator Bay,” among others. A free primate expedition cruise aboard a pontoon boat runs throughout the day, ferrying visitors to a number of islands where they can observe the lemurs, monkeys, and apes living on them.

The zoo has great outreach programs that extend all the way to Madagascar, where efforts are under way to protect the last remaining wild habitats of endangered lemurs and fosas. The daily event and primate cruise schedules are subject to change, check the website (caribbeangardens.com) or call the zoo before visiting. There is a well-stocked and intriguing gift shop, an onsite restaurant, and a shaded dining and picnic area to enjoy. What began as a result of an unusual deep freeze near Orlando nearly 100 years ago is now a world-class zoological gardens where Dr. Nehrling’s botanical specimens are today enjoyed by lemurs and, gibbons, as well as thousands of hominoid families every year.

This is an excerpt from The Living Gulf Coast – A Nature Guide to Southwest Florida by Charles Sobczak. The book is available at all the Island bookstores, Baileys, Jerry’s and your favorite online sites.