History of Frank Buck Zoo
Founded in 1930 by A.Morton Smith, an avid animal collector, the zoo got its start as the Gainesville Community Circus that was located at the fairgrounds in Gainesville. In 1954 a fire destroyed most of the circus equipment – don’t worry, the animals were all fine.
After the fire, the animals were relocated to permanent enclosures and the zoo was established. The zoo was named after Frank Buck, a former ring-master at the old circus.
Navigating Frank Buck Zoo
Frank Buck Zoo is laid out as a single loop through the zoo’s exhibits that is about a mile long. The gift shop is on the right side of the entrance and has snacks and drinks for your enjoyment.
To increase accessibility at the zoo, the gift shop offers a variety of rentals to help you navigate the exhibits. Available rental equipment includes:
Strollers- Scooters – double and single
- Manual wheelchairs
Animals at Frank Buck Zoo
With more than 130 animals from five continents spread throughout the zoo, there’s plenty to see. Visitors often spend around an hour visiting the different exhibits and animals in this remarkable zoo.
We’ll take a quick tour through the animals you can come see at Frank Buck Zoo.
North America
Take a left after entering the zoo and explore the loop clockwise. You’ll find yourself surrounded by some North American animals. The animals you’ll see include:
Black bear- Red fox
- Great horned owl
- Vultures
- Coyotes
- American alligator
- Crocodile
- Small-clawed otters
Petting Zoo
Move out of the North American exhibit, you’ll find yourself in front of the Kids’ Zone where little ones will be able to get up close and personal with a variety animals, including:
Pot-bellied pig - Goats
- Leopard tortoise
- Prairie dogs
Africa
After the petting zoo, you’ll round a corner and step onto the Savanna boardwalk. This part of the zoo is home to a number of African animals. Here you’ll find:
Cheetahs - Miniature zebu
- Zebra
- Inex
- Arabian camels
- Ostrich
- Giraffe
Make sure you spend some time at the Savanna Overlook for a chance to encounter the giraffes.
Australia
At the end of the Savannah boardwalk you’ll enter the Australian exhibit, giving you the chance to visit:
Asia
Continue down the path to leave the land down under and enter the Asian exhibit. Here you you’ll see the following rare and exotic animals:
Reeve’s Muntjac - Clouded leopard
- Burmese python
Keep your eyes peeled when looking for the leopard, they spend 90% of their lives hiding in trees.
South America
As you leave Asia behind, you’ll enter the final exhibit at Frank Buck Zoo. This exhibit is home to South American animals.
Capybara - Ring tailed coati
- Patagonian cavy
- Lesser rhea
- Alpacas
- Peruvian llama
