St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park

08/29/2026

Next week is International Vulture Awareness Day, and Mayhem is ready to celebrate! Mayhem is a juvenile hooded vulture, and while it may look like he’s preparing a cabbage for coleslaw, this is actually a species-specific enrichment activity that encourages natural behavior. Our keepers drill holes into the cabbage and fill them with superworms for Mayhem to pull out and eat. Hooded vultures have smaller beaks than larger vultures, like Cape Griffons, so they normally wait for larger scavengers to open a carcass. Hooded vultures then come in to scavenge as well.

Be sure to join us Saturday, Sept. 5 for International Vulture Awareness Day from 10am-3pm for more vulture facts, paintings, a silent auction, sweet swag, and more!

🎥 Jessie, Senior Bird & Mammal Keeper

08/26/2026

Ever wonder who’s working with our birds and mammals? Meet Shelby, one of our Bird & Mammal Keepers, and trust us, she’s super talented and cool.

🦅 Shelby’s been with us full-time for two years but started as an intern.

📜 Shelby has a bachelor’s in Natural Resource Ecology and Wildlife Management. She’s currently working on her master’s in Biology.

🎨 Shelby has been painting wildlife-inspired art for as long as she can remember, and her latest piece is a tribute to the African vulture for International Vulture Awareness Day. In her words, “Vultures everywhere are so important! Our group of African vultures are amazing to work with and are a great way to talk about the impact they have on ecosystems.”

❤️ Unfortunately, African vulture populations have declined an average of 62% during the last 30 years, and populations have plummeted up to 97% in some areas. Seven out of eleven African vulture species are threatened, but Shelby is turning her artwork into advocacy. You can bid on her African vulture masterpiece during International Vulture Awareness Day on Sept. 5, and the funds go straight to conservation efforts in their native range.

📸 Shelby, Bird & Mammal Keeper

08/25/2026

We’ve got some big reveals for this year’s Brew-at-the-Zoo: CROCtoberfest 2026. First off, check out that new glass…and yes, we said glass! This baby has a beautiful greenish-blue hue on the heavy base and a refreshed Croctoberfest logo.

And speaking of glasses, wondering who will fill up those cups? We’ve got that too!

Beverages🍺
• Alcatraz Brewing Company
• First Magnitude Brewing Company
• Grace Note Brewing
• Veterans United Craft Brewery
• Fishweir Brewing Company
• Ruby Beach Brewing
• Southern Swells Brewing Co.
• INK Factory Brewing
• Jacksonville Ale Exchange
• St. Augustine Home Brewers Club
• Hornskis Brewing Co.
• Strings Sports Brewery
• Island Grove Wine Company

Tickets are on sale now at ➡️ https://bit.ly/SAAFBrewAtTheZoo

08/24/2026

We are really big on scent enrichment here. For example, we give our snakes fresh browse to explore! This is Cynthia, our Northern pine snake, having a grand ol’ time smelling a plant that was in the Komodo dragon yard. 🐍

📸 Lydia, Reptile Keeper II

08/22/2026

08/21/2026

Join the St. Augustine Alligator Farm as we celebrate International Vulture Awareness Day on Saturday, Sept. 5, from 10am-3pm! We’re recognizing this often-underappreciated raptor, commonly known as nature’s clean-up crew, with a day of vulture-themed activities and tons of fun. Join us for an in-person silent auction, vulture painting, feedings, educational talks, hands-on crafts, and more.

All proceeds will support The Association of Zoos and Aquariums' African Vulture Saving Animals from Extinction (SAFE) program.

Get more details on the event page ➡️ facebook.com/share/19RBWvHStW/

08/18/2026

Baby freshwater crocodiles have started hatching! 🐊

This is the third time we have hatched this smaller crocodile at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. Each baby weighs approximately 40 grams. The babies will be kept behind the scenes for now, but you can see their parents in the Land of the Crocodiles.

Freshwater crocodiles are native to Australia and are also known as the Johnstone’s crocodile or “freshies,” as opposed to their larger cousins, “salties.” They are smaller than saltwater crocodiles, with slender snouts, and are known to be shy and secretive. They live in fresh and brackish water.

Have any questions about the newest members of our Alligator Farm fam? Drop them below in the comments, and we’ll answer them in a later video.

📸 Lauren, Collections Manager

08/17/2026

Meet mama Chiquita and baby Stella, two of our resident golden conures, who also live with papa Deryn. Chiquita and Deryn have successfully raised six offspring together, including nine-month-old Stella.

Golden conures, also known as golden parakeets, are endemic to the Brazilian Amazon. They forage in the canopies and can spend all day at their feeding sites, eating, socializing, and preening. In Stella’s photo, you can see she is enjoying freshly cut oak. This is called browse, and it’s an important enrichment that keeps their beaks in tip-top shape. They have beautiful golden plumage with dark green wings. Juveniles may show variable pale green patterns on their heads and wing coverts and reach adult plumage through molt at about a year.

📸 Gen, General Curator, and Shelby, Bird & Mammal Keeper

08/15/2026

We’re catching up with Jessie, our Senior Bird & Mammal Keeper, as she talks about our cotton-top tamarin family in honor of International Day of the Cotton-Top Tamarin.

Join Jessie today, Saturday, August 15, at the Alligator Farm for our 10am show, which will be all about cotton-top tamarins!

Cotton-top 🎥 Jessie, Senior Bird & Mammal Keeper