Jungle Island Launches Second Passenger Shuttle

Miami, FL – Jungle Island is proud to announce the launch of a second passenger shuttle that will offer complimentary service to and from the Port of Miami along with numerous locations in downtown Miami.The new shuttle can accommodate up to 24 people with room for luggage and will make twice daily visits to the Port of Miami as well as stops at Bayside, JW Marriott Marquis, Marriott Biscayne, Tempo, the Hilton Omni and the Doubletree Hotel among others.Following the success of the attraction’s first shuttle to some of Miami Beach’s most popular hotels including the Fountainebleau, the Loews, the Eden Roc and more, the park set its sights on providing transportation to and from the downtown area.With its planned route, the downtown shuttle will seek to draw many of the tourists who choose to stay in downtown Miami as well as those cruise passengers who are seeking an adventure before or after their cruise. Jungle Island already caters to the pre/post cruise market by offering luggage storage and shore excursions with several of the cruise lines.With its bright yellow design complete with photos of some of Jungle Island’s most famous residents, neither shuttle can be missed. So keep your eyes peeled and jump on board for a fun filled adventure into the Jungle.For additional information regarding both the Miami Beach shuttle and the downtown Miami/Port shuttle, please visit www.jungleisland.com/express or call 305.400.7000

Buy a Day, Get a FREE Year!

JUNGLE ISLAND ANNOUNCES THE RETURN OF BUY 1, GET 365 FREE!

It’s the time of year South Floridians wait for… Jungle Island's Buy 1 Day, Get 365 Free offer! For locals only, this limited time only deal is one that shouldn’t be missed.

Starting February 1st, when you buy a 1-day park admission to Jungle Island, we'll throw in an Annual Passport for free. The Annual Passport gives you unlimited access to the Jungle for 365 days including annual events such as our Easter Eggstravaganza, Halloween Spooktacular and more! Not to mention pass holders also receive discounts throughout the park including in our gift shop and Lakeside Café. The Passport also gets you discounts at other area attractions.

Offer valid: February 1st through March 31st. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Proof of South Florida residency is required.

Liger/Tiger Exhibit NOW OPEN!

Jungle Island is home to two of the rarest cats in the World, the Liger and the Tabby Tiger. With a brand new enclosure inaugurated on December 22, 2010, Jungle Island seeks to set new standards for tiger enclosures. The exhibit features a 20 foot fence, 10 feet higher than state requirements, using 5 gauge wire fencing, again almost double the requirement. One of the unique features of the enclosure is the hurricane proof glass in the front of the exhibit. Guests can walk right up to the glass and have a clear view of the cats. The glass consists of three layers of hurricane proof glass and is 10 feet high.

Ligers

Ligers are the offspring of a male lion and a female tiger, and share qualities of each species. Ligers usually have a tiger-like striping pattern on a lion-like tawny background. Since lions and tigers naturally do not share the same ranges, ligers are not known to exist in the wild. The liger is the largest cat in the world, possibly resulting from imprinted genes or growth dysphasia. Vulcan, Jungle Island's resident liger, is approx 8 yr old male years old and weighs over 900 lbs. Vulcan has been featured in various media world-wide, including the Today Show and CNN's 360 with Anderson Cooper.

Tabby Tiger

The Tabby tiger is one of the world's rarest big cats. A golden tabby tiger is one with an extremely rare color variation caused by a recessive gene. It has none of the black coloration of a standard Bengal tiger or of a Royal White Bengal tiger. Like the white tiger, it is a color form and not a separate species. In the case of the tabby tiger, this is the wide band gene; while the white tiger is due to the color inhibitor (chinchilla) gene. There are currently believed to be fewer than 30 of these rare tigers in the world, but many more carriers of the gene. Here at Jungle Island you'll find 3-year old Mahesh weighing 500 lbs. He is joined by two female tabby tigers, Radha, 3 years old and 350 lbs, and Orobella, 3 years old and 350 lbs.

Animal Enrichment

Animal Enrichment is intended to encourage behaviors that are appropriate for the species, and that satisfy an animal’s physical and psychological needs.It is important in order to provide methods of stimulating natural foraging behaviors and to help meet both the physical and mental needs of the animals. At Jungle Island, our Animal care staff takes great measures towards enriching the lives of animals. We have developed a unique system of enrichment for the cats not found anywhere else in the world. This mechanism will encourage the Tigers to become active, allowing them the opportunity to use their natural instincts. When you visit Jungle Island, please feel free to ask our animal keepers about this exclusive program.

The Kinkajou

As part of National Hispanic Heritage Month, observed nationwide from September 15 to October 15, Jungle Island is celebrating by giving you an inside look into some our unique animals and exhibits that have been inspired by locations throughout Latin America. During the month, we are featuring different animals such as the Kinkajou, that are native to Central and South America and our Manú Encounter, Jungle Island’s expansive walk-through aviary and replica of the cliffs from Manú National Park in Peru. We invite you to share with us your memorable experiences within the Hispanic culture, whether it’s your travels to Latin America or your family and friends traditions.

The kinkajou otherwise known as the honey bear is native to the tropical rain forests of South America. They have thick, golden fur and long thin tongues, which they use to drink nectar from large flowers. Although the kinkajou has sharp teeth, its omnivorous diet consists mainly of fruit. Kinkajous are often mistaken for primates. They do have many traits and features similar to that of primates. However, kinkajous belong to the family Procyonidae, which includes raccoons. Kinkajous are arboreal meaning that they a majority of their lives high in the forest canopies. Also they are nocturnal, making them difficult to study. When they do choose to come down because their slightly webbed paws are very nimble and by rotating their hind ankles, kinkajous can descend from a tree headfirst. Although kinkajous are not an endangered species poachers are still hunting them for fur and meat or for the exotic pet trade. They live an average of about 20 years in captivity

White-Throat Capuchins

As part of National Hispanic Heritage Month, observed nationwide from September 15 to October 15, Jungle Island is celebrating by giving you an inside look into some our unique animals and exhibits that have been inspired by locations throughout Latin America. During the month, we are featuring different animals such as the Kinkajou, that are native to Central and South America and our Manú Encounter, Jungle Island’s expansive walk-through aviary and replica of the cliffs from Manú National Park in Peru. We invite you to share with us your memorable experiences within the Hispanic culture, whether it’s your travels to Latin America or your family and friends traditions.

White- Throat Capuchins

White-throated Capuchin originates from Central America and the extreme northwestern portion of South America. They are highly recognized because of their role in North American entertainment. They have been seen as companions to organ grinders and in popular television and movies. The reason for such popularity is because they’re a highly intelligent monkey that has a strong desire to be social. It has a distinctive prehensile tail that is often carried coiled up and is used to help support the monkey when it’s feeding beneath a branch. Most Capuchin monkeys are agile and lean. Their average weight can be around 5 - 9 pounds. A typical diet for capuchin monkeys includes fruit, insects, leaves and small birds. They are particularly good at catching frogs and cracking nuts, and it is suspected that they may also feed on small mammals. The origin of the name comes from the appearance of a black skullcap. Capuce is a French word for a skullcap. The Capuchin Monkey's hair is very similar to the cowl or capuche worn by Franciscan monks.

Our most famous Capuchin on Jungle Island is Gizmo. Named by one of our guests as part of a contest, Gizmo has received plenty of TV time! He’s made appearances on WPLG Local 10, NBC 6, PBS Nightly News and on Univision’s Despierta America. Currently, Gizmo is the jungle’s resident football expert, making NFL picks for Big 105.9 and AM 940 The Sports Animal. He’s making his picks and challenging you to beat him. The winning contestant will win a 32” Inch Flat Screen Insignia TV. As part of his NFL picks, Gizmo also has a weekly feature on NBC 6. He’s quite the little super star but don’t tell him that, we don’t the fame to go to his head.