The Zoo Northwest Florida

The ZOO Northwest Florida
The Zoo's entrance
Type	zoo
Size	30+ acres
Operated by	Gulf Coast Zoological Society
Location	5701 Gulf Breeze Parkway Gulf Breeze, FL 32563
<googlemap lat="30.400714" lon="-86.983223" zoom="16" width="288" height="288"> 30.40114, -86.984425, The ZOO Northwest Florida </googlemap>

The ZOO Northwest Florida (also called The Gulf Breeze Zoo or simply The Zoo) hosts over 900 animals on more than 30 acres of preservation land. The Zoo is located at 5701 Gulf Breeze Parkway, 10 miles east of Gulf Breeze and 19 miles west of Fort Walton. In addition to the animals themselves, the Zoo features amenities such as the Safari Line Train, Jungle Café, Whistlestop Snack Bar, and a gift shop in the main building.

Formerly owned and operated by Pat Quinn, control was transferred to the non-profit Gulf Coast Zoological Society on September 1, 2004 — weeks after Hurricane Ivan destroyed a number of exhibits. Under executive director Doug Kemper, the Zoo has faced more problems than just the Ivan-related damage and dwindling attendance. Though it remains a licensed zoo, its American Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accreditation, granted in 1988, was revoked on March 29, 2006 after AZA inspectors deemed 38 Zoo practices "questionable" and 24 more "unacceptable." Other recent incidents to plague the Zoo include:

• a November 13, 2006 injury when a caged leopard bit a 19-year-old zookeeper (whose last name, coincidentally, was Leopard) who was "too close" to the cat, according to Kemper;
• the temporary escape of two cougars from their pens on November 14, 2006 (one day after the leopard bite), requiring all 30 visitors to be moved to secure areas; and
• the bateria-related deaths of four kangroos in a three-day period