By Quincy Kirn
On Saturday, October 11, the Gulf Breeze Zoo kicked off its fifteenth annual “Boo at the Zoo” event. From 10 AM to 5 PM, the zoo trails were bustling with over 1,000 people excited to trick-or-treat, learn about the animals, and explore vendor booths. With over 75 vendors, there was plenty to discover; many different food trucks, stands with homemade treats, tables with educational information, small businesses with handmade goods, and even a booth with paintings made by the zoo animals, all within the 50- acre facility. On top of candy, treats, and toys, multiple bounce houses were included, and face painting was available. Of course, the animals were all present too, and a lot of the exhibits featured babies born within the last year. The most lively of which were the young from primate habitats.
One Pensacola State College student, Jerika Best, found herself enjoying the afternoon in a less crowded corner of the zoo that contained a family of three Siamang monkeys. When questioned about why she felt drawn to this section, she stated, “The monkeys were playing, and it was awesome to see them interact with each other. It’s especially interesting to see how the mom swings around the enclosure to knock the baby off the rope.” These primates are considered endangered, but with the conservation efforts of the Gulf Breeze Zoo, a baby named Tatum was born in October 2024.
As Jerika investigated the monkeys, her younger sister, Jami Chatterton, was inspecting an interactive aviary hut. Budgies flew from branches to perch on the feed stick as her laughter filled the air. While the birds filled her wingspan, she noted that the opportunity to feed and hold them was really fun and engaging. Once we had exited the zoo with bags full of treats and trinkets, Jami proclaimed that the event was worthwhile, “it gives you the chance to meet other people with similar interests, browse peoples’ hobbies in the booths, and get up close to the animals to see how they live.”
From one-ounce parakeets to 6,000- pound Indian rhinos, the Gulf Breeze Zoo is home to more than 1,000 animals and their amping up this October with more to examine than ever