Christmas In The Wild Returns To Zoo Tampa

One of the Christmas-themed events that my family and I look forward to most is Zoo Tampa's Christmas in the Wild.

It's returning at the end of the month, November 24th. You can enjoy the nights at Zoo Tampa under glowing holiday lights. It takes place for a total of 20 amazing nights leading up to the New Year. If you're a member at Zoo Tampa, guess what. You get in for FREE. Also, if you are a pay-for-a-day ticket holder, no cost to you, as well. If you'd like to buy tickets for the event straight up, it costs $29.95. Right up until Christmas Eve, the event takes place from 4 P.M. to 10 P.M. Then from December 26 through December 30, it runs from 4 P.M. to 9 P.M.

This year's Christmas in the Wild is going to be the biggest and best yet. Enjoy the park decorated underneath thousands of lights. Marvel at the illuminated animal sculptures. Visit with Santa Claus. Have you been naughty or nice? Relax and watch performers sing and dance to holiday music. Stroll through the Forest of Fantasy Christmas and take in the light shows. As always, enjoy close encounters with the Zoo Tampa animals. And taste festive food and beverages.

Let's take a little preview. You'll find enormous animal sculptures. Pose with the creatures and share to your social media. Chek out the Rockin’ Wreath. You'll find the Ituri Pass walk-through lined with gorgeous Christmas wreaths. Enjoy Christmas carols with a twist. It's all your favorites but as Rock n' roll hits. Want to really juice up your night? Take part in a Holiday African Penguin Encounter or check out a Holiday Indian Rhino Encounter. The Holiday House Light Show is dazzling! It's right in front of the Zoo Tampa holiday house.

For more on this story, click here.

There are some BIG changes coming to ZooTampa in Lowry Park. This morning, ZooTampa announced its expansion plan to add more attractions and expand the park all the way to the Hillsborough River. This multi-year vision will add new immersive wildlife experiences, dining, entertainment district and more. The project is expected to cost $125 million and will take about 20 years to complete.

ZooTampa does some incredible conservation work. Mostly known for the David A. Straz, Jr. Manatee Critical Care Center, which is the first of its kind. Their team has treated over 400 manatees and has reintroduced 230 of them into Florida waters. One of the first projects to be completed in the new expansion is an expanded manatee rehab facility, which is expected to debut in 2026.

In a press release from ZooTampa, President and CEO Joe Couceiro said: "As ZooTampa embarks on an even more extraordinary future, we remain committed to transforming with the resilient Tampa Bay community."

Some changes have already unveiled. The new immersive Florida Wilds area features expanded habitats for endangered and threatened native species

As we mentioned earlier, one of the first projects to be completed in this transformation is the David A. Straz, Jr. Manatee Critical Care Center. The new Manatee Rescue (opening January 2026) will be an innovative multi-dimensional environment that will immerse guests in the manatee’s world. With this new makeover, guests will be able to see the life-saving work taking place every day to save these gentle sea cows in real time.

Manatee Rescue will also feature a new interactive habitat, Stingray Shores (opening Fall 2023). Guests will have a chance to touch and feed stingrays while they swim carefree. More adventurous visitors can even wade into the water for a rare up-close-and-personal encounter!

This could be the most exciting news... In collaboration with the City of Tampa, the Zoo is developing plans to expand to the Hillsborough River. Guests will encounter multiple South American species including sea lions, giant river otters, jaguars, and a variety of other rarely seen wildlife. The expansion will also offer a new way of getting to the Zoo itself – via water taxis!

This riverfront expansion will also feature new retail, entertainment, dining and green spaces!

The reimaged Africa realm will take Zoo guests to all new heights. At ground level, guests will see red river hogs in their natural environment. A higher climb will bring them side-by-side with mighty gorillas. Go even higher in the tree tops to safely be face-to-face with the playful primates. The expanded habitat will also allow guests to see other species such as African elephants and Masai giraffes. And the best part of all- there will be a unique opportunity for guests to sleep within the roar of the king of the jungle. 

After its transformation, the Asia realm will immerse guests with overhead paths that provides unforgettable and safe ways to connect with wildlife such as Bornean orangutans and Malayan tigers.