The SFCC Teaching Zoo is the local zoo for the Gainesville area and the laboratory for the Zoo Animal Technology Program.
Wild Life
By MATTHEW GONZALEZ
Teaching at a Zoo
By LIDIA DINKOVA, Alligator Contributing Writer
Those seeking a daytime alternative to Gainesville's busy nightlife can find refuge in SFCC Teaching Zoo. The zoo has guided tours every 30 minutes, which exhibit close to 50 animals, said Akane Nimura, zookeeper and a third-semester student at SFCC's Veterinary Program.What seems to be the biggest asset of the zoo for visitors and veterinarian students is the interaction with the animals.
"I like this program because we can work with the animals and I can have a close experience with the animals," Nimura said.
The zoo includes exotic species such as the African Grey Parrot, which can mimic different sounds, including entire human conversations. Nimura's personal favorite is the Matschie's Tree Kangaroo, an endangered species.
"I've never seen them and they are really rare in captivity," she said.
What distinguishes SFCC's zoo is that its goal is to educate rather than entertain. "You actually get a tour guide and they tell you in-depth information," said SFCC student Moses Pierre-Luis.
