Laroc the Manatee to be Released from Zoo

She will be transported to Homosassa on Monday morning, according to zoo officials.

From Rachel Nelson, director of public relations at Lowry Park Zoo: With the arrival of four sick manatees in the first month of the New Year, Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo has reached another milestone at the David A. Straz, Jr. Manatee Hospital. The Zoo has now taken in more than 300 manatees for critical care and rehabilitation since 1991, and of those 173 have been re-introduced into Florida waters. Among the successes is an orphaned calf named "Laroc" who will be released in Homosassa on Feb. 4 after more than two years of care at the Zoo. Laroc arrived in 2010 as a 63-pound newborn from the Caloosahatchee River near Cape Coral where she was found alone and dehydrated, trying to feed on algae along a seawall. She is one of the youngest and …

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Rare Okapi Born at Lowry Park Zoo

She was born on Jan. 6.

Rare Okapi Born at Lowry Park Zoo

The okapi was born in early January.

Two weeks ago, Lowry Park Zoo welcomed a rare okapi calf to the family. The forest giraffe, found only in Central Africa, was born on Jan. 6, marking the first birth of the new year at the zoo, according to zoo officials. The okapi was also the first birth in the North American population this year, according to zoo officials. The three-week old calf was born at 64 pounds, and is now 96 pounds, according to zoo officials. He spends his days following his mother around the barn. Okapis have reddish-brown, velvet-like coats with horizontal zebra-like striping on their hindquarters and legs, according to zoo officials. Their body shape is similar to a giraffe, but with shorter necks. "We are very pleased with the successful birth, and are …

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Photo Gallery: Lowry Park Zoo Introduces Baby Elephant, Hippo

Last week, the zoo held a baby shower in honor of the newborn females.

A mob of folks in pink shirts rushed the gates of Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo on last week to get a glimpse of a newborn African elephant and pygmy hippopotamus. The nonprofit facility was offering a half-off deal for animal lovers sporting pink as the day was declared the official baby shower for the zoo's newborn additions. Zsa Zsa, the mother hippo, kept a watchful eye on her little girl, Zola but the duo stayed submerged in water for most of the morning, only coming up for air once in a while. Just a hop, skip and a jump away at the elephant exhibit, Mbali and her calf, yet to be named, roamed happily throughout the area. Zola was born on Nov. 13, while the unnamed baby elephant was considered an early Christmas gift, arriving on Dec. 23. …

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Mystery Monkey Making Move to Dade City

Tampa Bay’s elusive celebrity will soon call the Wild Things zoo home.

One of Tampa Bay’s most notorious fugitives is making the move to Pasco County. Cornelius, the rhesus macaque who eluded capture for years while making headlines throughout Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, is anticipated to arrive at Dade City’s Wild Things zoo on Monday, according to TBO.com. The little macaque’s antics earned him plenty of press – both good and bad. There were sightings of him in Temple Terrace, Town ‘N County and Pasco County during his years on the run. The little critter, believed to have been cast out of a colony in Silver Springs, was also accused of biting a woman during his lengthy life on the lam in Pinellas County. The Mystery Monkey, who was renamed Cornelius after a character in “The Planet of the …

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Fiesta del Coqui at Lowry Park Zoo

The event will be this weekend.

ZooBoo Next Week at Lowry Park Zoo

Children 11 and under can wear costumes.

Photos: WaZoo Beer Festival at Lowry Park Zoo a Fundraising Success

The Lowry Park Zoo raised more than $150,000 thanks to the participants and sponsors at this year's WaZoo Beer Festival last weekend.

Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo hosted its 17th annual WaZoo Beer Fest last weekend. Despite the challenges that resulted from heavy rain and a significant power outage due to a downed neighborhood power line, the event carried on, and TECO crews were able to restore service at about 9:30 p.m. WaZoo drew more than 4,000 guests to the Lowry Park Zoo to sample more than 280 types of beer from hundreds of vendors, in addition to food from 20 local eateries. The event raised more than $150,000, beating its goal and budget projections. It was presented by J.J. Taylor Distributing Florida. The headliner band, One Mile Final, took to the World of Beer Main Stage as soon as power was restored and played for an hour to an enthusiastic crowd of guests in the…

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Rehabilitated Manatee Gives Birth at Zoo

A rescued manatee is now a mother of two at Lowry Park Zoo.

Submitted by Lowry Park Zoo An adult female manatee rescued on Jan. 31 gave birth last month to a full-term male calf at the David A. Straz Jr. Manatee Hospital at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo. The birth marks only the fourth in the hospital’s history, with the first occurring in May of 2000. While at the Zoo, the mother nicknamed Joannie has also became a surrogate mother to an orphaned calf. Joannie successfully gave birth to her own calf in the early morning hours on July 13. Aware that she was expecting, the Zoo’s manatee rehab team had been monitoring her for several months, watching and waiting to find out if the calf had survived its mother’s injuries. The male newborn, nicknamed "Lad", is healthy and weighed 66.8 pounds after birth. He …

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Beer Fest Offers Party

Lowry Park Zoo's 17th Annual Wazoo Beer Fest is on tap for Aug. 4.

Ranked a top 10 beer festival by USA Today, Lowry Park Zoo's annual Wazoo fundraiser gives beer lovers a plethora of options and a way to combine their favorite beverage with a night of wild animals. Last year, Wazoo included more than 250 beers from 70 different breweries worldwide. Visitors can also expect food from a number of area restaurants and live music from several bands. This year, the good times will flow into a special events area near the Love Garden to accommodate more guests and more tasting tables, more comfortably. The World of Beer Main Stage has relocated from the Zoo’s front entry plaza to this entertainment area to ensure a smoother flow of foot traffic during the event. The number of beers has increased to 280 from 80…

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