The often-repeated justifications for roadside zoos as places of education and conservation have never stood up under examination. Explanatory signs on animal exhibits are often filled with factual inaccuracies or are altogether absent. As a result, the public is often left completely unaided, viewing distressed animals they know little about.

Virtually every roadside zoo claims to be helping to save endangered species. However, these facilities never participate in recognized captive breeding programs. Instead, most breeding consists of unplanned births of animals already in a surplus situation in captivity. These animals may be dumped into the exotic pet trade, or may even be killed upon reaching adulthood.

The following are attractions that we think are among the worst in Florida.

Native Village (Hollywood)
The sign on the "Florida panther" cage at Native Village says that panthers can run 35mph and leap more than 20 feet. Sadly, the panther inside the concrete and chain link cage is only able to walk back and forth a few short steps.

Over the years, the number of animals at Native Village have dwindled (a tiger and a bear were transferred elsewhere), but if you enjoy seeing coatamundi, panthers, bobcat and a few other animals confined alone in barren cages, this is the place for you. Not surprisingly, for an extra charge alligator wrestling is also available.

Seminole Okalee Village (Hollywood)
Advertisements for this depressing zoo, located next to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, promise a "journey into an authentic Seminole village." You may find examples of traditional arts & crafts in the gift shop, but you'll be wishing you had stayed at the slot machines once you see this collection of raccoons, opossums, bears and a panther in small, wire cages.

The Village also features alligator wrestling during which a man roughly forces open the mouth of a small alligator, among other abusive tricks. Seminole Okalee Village used to have lions and a tiger on display. We can only imagine what happened to them.

Click here to view video of a bear and raccoon exhibiting abnormal, stereotypic behaviors at Seminole Okalee Village in May 2008.

Monkey Jungle (Miami)
"Where humans are caged and monkeys run wild." That has been Monkey Jungle's slogan since its doors first opened in the 1930s. Although it is true that a group of small monkeys are allowed to roam in an enclosed area above the walkways, the other monkeys at Monkey Jungle today are confined in small, dull cages.

But what makes Monkey Jungle stand out is King, a 38-year-old western lowland gorilla. Of the approximately 350 gorillas in zoos in the United States, King is the only one who lives alone and who has no prospect of ever having a companion. King has lived a solitary existence since a female gorilla at Monkey Jungle, Mitzie, died in 1989.

In 1997, a campaign was launched to persuade Monkey Jungle to send King to Zoo Atlanta, where he could be with other gorillas and live out the remainder of his life with companionship and dignity. But despite Zoo Atlanta's invitation and pleas from noted primatologist Jane Goodall and thousands of Florida residents, Monkey Jungle refused.
photo: TV personality Bob Barker leads a march for King's freedom

Instead, after languishing for 20 years in a concrete-and-bars cage, in 2001 Monkey Jungle built a naturalistic enclosure where King is able to feel the sun and breath fresh air. Although the larger enclosure was an improvement, Monkey Jungle continues to ignore the issue that King is alone. Gorillas and other apes are intelligent animals with complex social and emotional lives. King needs companions.

During King's daily show at Monkey Jungle, he is fed treats to perform degrading tricks such as the Hokey-Pokey for the amusement of tourists.

Tragically, King is not the only solitary ape at Monkey Jungle. Mei, a 22-year-old orangutan also lives alone in a concrete enclosure.

Jungle Island (Miami)
Jungle Island is one of Miami's oldest attractions. It opened in 1936 as Parrot Jungle and not much has changed since. It's animal shows have remained little more than circus-acts, but in a desperate attempt to turn around disappointing ticket sales, the focus has switched from parrots to more "exotic" animals like tigers and orangutans. Jungle Island teaches irresponsible and harmful lessons about conservation and how people should interact with wild animals.

For example, Jungle Island allows visitors to hold tigers, orangutans, chimpanzees and other animals for photographs. On it's website Jungle Island promises, "there is always an assortment of cuddly [tiger] cubs who are sure to bring a smile to your face. " Of course, these animals can only be used for this purpose as babies, therefore creating a never-ending cycle of breeding and disposal of adult animals.

The big cat show at Jungle Island features white tigers and ligers (offspring of a male lion and a female tiger). These sad animals are not found in the wild; they are bred merely to retain their genetic abnormalities. This unnecessary breeding has led to serious birth defects and they often suffer lifelong health problems, if they survive to adulthood. Jungle Island is also notorious for renting out its orangutans and other animals to film television shows and commercials. Click here for more information about Jungle Island.

Everglades Holiday Park (Fort Lauderdale), Everglades Alligator Farm (Florida City), Gator Park (Miami) and other venus offering alligator wrestling.
In Florida, the American alligator is classified as a Species of Special Concern (in the same category of protected animals as brown pelicans and burrowing owls). It is illegal to feed or harass alligators in Florida, but that is exactly what is happening at several roadside attractions in our state.

Alligator wrestling is an abusive spectacle in which these fascinating reptiles are tormented for entertainment. The pitiful show usually features a "wrestler" hitting the alligator on the nose until the animal opens his or her mouth (to show the alligator's teeth to the crowd). Wrestlers may also jump onto the alligator's back, force the mouth closed and attempt to flip the animal. Please click here to learn more about the threats facing alligators in Florida.

Marine parks and aquariums
Florida has more aquariums, and more marine mammals in captivity, than any other state. That's not something we're proud of! From Florida's Panhandle to the Florida Keys, you can find hundreds of dolphins, sea lions and orcas (Killer whales) in pitifully small concrete tanks or enclosures. Many of these animals were captured off the coast of Florida in the 1970s and 80s.

Low points include Fort Walton Beach's Gulfarium, where at least six dolphins and four sea lions have died in the past four years, including one dolphin who, according to the USDA, died "due to human negligence" and the death of a sea lion who drowned after getting stuck in a drain. And the run-down Miami Seaquarium, where Lolita the orca, who was captured from the waters off Washington State, suffers alone in the oldest and smallest tank for an orca in the entire country.

In the ocean, whales and dolphins live in large family groups, moving freely, and often traveling long distances. In captivity, they can only swim a few feet before a wall or a fence stops them. These intelligent animals swim endless circles, and perform tricks on command. Instead of chasing live prey, they eat dead fish dumped from a bucket.

It's simple; dolphins and whales belong in the ocean. Click here to learn more about the unnatural conditions that exist in captivity.

Pseudo-sanctuaries
There are several organizations in Florida that call themselves "sanctuaries" but irresponsibly breed animals. These organizations— for example, Vanishing Species (Palmdale) and Stearns Zoological Rescue & Rehabilitation Center (Dade City)— are open to the paying public, and also frequently bring their animals to county fairs, birthday parties and other public events.

Animals at reputable sanctuaries are not hired out for entertainment, and are not allowed to breed. Every year, genuine sanctuaries have to turn away hundreds of requests to place unwanted exotic animals. Organizations that allow their animals to breed are making a bad situation worse.

Many of these sanctuaries do good work rehabilitating sick or injured wildlife, or rescuing exotic animals from bad situations; however, it is clear that they would have more room and resources to help animals in need if they stopped breeding.

Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary (Sarasota)
Apparently, the circus doesn't pay like it used to. The Rosaire family of Sarasota has been traveling the country with various circuses for generations. Now they have declared themselves a "sanctuary" and opened up their property for paying guests.

Members of the Rosaire family produce depressing acts in which tigers jump over one another, grizzly bears ride motorcycles, and chimpanzees dressed in silly costumes do somersaults, ride ponies and are pulled around a ring by a leash around their necks.

If you wouldn't go to the circus (and we hope you wouldn't), you won't want to go to the Rosaire's "sanctuary."

Flea World (Sanford)
Flea markets, like garage sales and dollar stores, do have a certain appeal. But there are certainly better and worse flea markets in Florida. Flea World is one to avoid. On weekends throughout the year, Flea World hosts a variety of cruel animal acts featuring big cats, elephants and other animals.

Animals in traveling acts lead a dreary existence of confinement and abuse – carted from one location to another, deprived of normal social relationships and denied their natural behaviors. Traveling animal acts are notorious for their abusive training techniques.

Click here to learn more about Flea World and how you can help.

Jungle Queen (Fort Lauderdale)
"Animal-lovers beware!" That's the advice of people trapped on the Jungle Queen riverboat during its sightseeing tour of Fort Lauderdale's New River. The tour would be a nice excursion if the boat did not stop for an hour at an island "Indian Village" where alligators are wrestled and other animals pace back and forth in small cages. One monkey in particular lives alone in a cage; for their psychological health, captive monkeys require not only a spacious and stimulating enclosure, but the companionship of other monkeys.

"Myself, my husband and our 9 year old daughter have just returned from our second holiday to Florida. We came across a place called Congo River Golf [locations in Orlando, Kissimmee, Daytona, Clearwater, Altamonte Springs] which was next to [the hotel] where we were staying, they said they were putting on a really good alligator show. So we thought we would play golf and watch a nice informative show about alligators.... How wrong were we! We paid for our round of golf and bumped into a man carrying a tiny alligator with its mouth taped up, a little strange we thought but we stroked him and then went to play. About an hour later it was time for the show. We all gathered round at the back of the 'Congo,' a tiny swamp-like pool with around 10 alligators, to see one poor alligator dragged by his tail scraping his belly against the rough stone onto the 'stage' where the man sat on him, pulled at his neck, stuck his fingers in his eyes and done some other odd stuff to him whilst the poor thing was hissing. I asked whether this was hurting him and causing him distress (which it clearly was) he replied "no, not at all". The man even appeared to be annoyed at me for showing concern for the animal! My daughter was so upset as she could clearly tell that this was animal abuse, we left horrified. But as we were leaving the man walking around with the tiny alligator was still out which meant that the alligator's mouth had been taped up for over 2 hours. We walked back to our hotel disgusted at what we had just seen.... We live in England, that sort of thing would never be seen down at our local shopping centre or theme park! What I saw happening to that poor alligator and the other ones cramped together like that was as bad as seeing dancing bears in India. However I did not expect to see that sort of thing in America."
   – tourist, April 14, 2008:

"I recently visited the Gulfarium in Fort Walton Beach. Until I had actually visited this place, I did not realize how truly cruel it is to keep these animals in captivity. Something needs to be done. There were several lemon and nurse sharks along with a sea turtle in a circular enclosure swimming around and around. They were almost on top of each other. There was no other place for them to go except in circles. It was like a ring. There was no middle, except concrete. The water was not very deep. At least two of the sharks displayed visible injuries to their tails. It looks like their tails were either bitten by another shark or sharks, or they were injured maybe in transport. No animal should have to live this way. Another disturbing site was the spotted dolphin. This dolphin was kept in an indoor pool alone. This is the dolphin they use for the dolphin encounter where you pay $150 to get in the pool and pet the dolphin. The dolphin trainer said that this dolphin was alone because she had to be in tropical water. A pool is no place for this dolphin or any other sea animal. Is there something you can do? This situation needs to be investigated. It breaks my heart to think about the conditions these animals are living in. They should not be living in captivity."
   – tourist, March 11, 2008:

re: Everglades Wonder Gardens (Bonita Springs): "Small bare cages seems to be the norm. All the other animals are in very small cement blocks and cages with no room for exercise what so ever. The pools that housed the sea animals, like otters and turtles, were covered with green algae. The one Bear they have was in such a little area that there is no way this poor animal can get any exercise or play. This place seems like a max. security prison for animals; mainly cement and wires. It was depressing. Overall the place seemed old, dirty and outdated. I did not feel my family was safe with just old wired fences keeping the animals contained. Two Amazon parrots were in cages 5 times too small for them with no toys, no stimulation at all; the water in their dishes was slimy, they had only seeds in their food dishes and who knows the last time the cages were cleaned. I noticed sores on the rear area of the panther that didn't look healthy, slightly weak and slim. One couldn't help to wonder if the animals were cared for at all. The otter show was not available because the otter was sick. It's a shame to see such sad animals. I think that the Everglades Wonder Gardens should not be in business."
   – tourist, February 28, 2007