I explored the ruins of an abandoned zoo on the coast of Florida, and it was completely overrun by nature

Joey HaddenJun 25, 2024, 01:22 IST

The author in front of an abandoned zoo enclosure (L) and another abandoned structure in the Crandon Park Zoo's ruins in Florida.Joey Hadden/Business Insider

In 2021, I explored the ruins of a Miami zoo that was abandoned after hurricanes ravaged the area.
Nature has taken over Crandon Park Zoo since then. Crocodiles and other wildlife thrive there now.

On a corner of a South Florida beach, animals were once confined at the Crandon Park Zoo, according to the Miami Herald. The zoo was established in 1947, according to CBS Miami, and remained open until 1980, when animals were moved to a larger area after hurricanes drowned some of them.

In 1991, the zoo ruins reopened as gardens with the goal "not to destroy everything," Kevin Asher, a planner for the county, told the Miami Herald.

I visited the park in October 2021 to see what remained of the abandoned zoo, and I found a natural wildlife sanctuary.

The first thing I noticed at the abandoned zoo was a sign on the entrance warning visitors that crocodiles live there.

The entrance to the zoo ruins.Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The walkways through the park made me feel as if I were in a zoo — one where the animals were free.

Birds perch on a fence in the park.Joey Hadden/Business Insider

In one shaded area, I spotted what appeared to be an abandoned animal cage embedded in the rocks.

An abandoned enclosure in the park.Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Some of the abandoned structures were fenced off and covered in graffiti.

A fence blocks access to an abandoned structure.Joey Hadden/Business Insider

But one large structure remained accessible.

The largest abandoned structure in the park.Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Around the back of it, I noticed caged doors that looked as if they were used to feed the animals inside.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The view inside the structures was somewhat haunting and made me think about the animals that might have gotten stuck inside as hurricane waters filled their enclosures.

Inside one of the locked enclosures.Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The view inside the structures was somewhat haunting and made me think about the animals that might have gotten stuck inside as hurricane waters filled their enclosures.

I left the park thinking that it was probably a better home for the wildlife that took it over.

Trees inside the park.Joey Hadden/Business Insider

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I explored the ruins of an abandoned zoo on the coast of Florida, and it was completely overrun by nature

The first thing I noticed at the abandoned zoo was a sign on the entrance warning visitors that crocodiles live there.

The walkways through the park made me feel as if I were in a zoo — one where the animals were free.

In one shaded area, I spotted what appeared to be an abandoned animal cage embedded in the rocks.

Some of the abandoned structures were fenced off and covered in graffiti.

But one large structure remained accessible.

Around the back of it, I noticed caged doors that looked as if they were used to feed the animals inside.

The view inside the structures was somewhat haunting and made me think about the animals that might have gotten stuck inside as hurricane waters filled their enclosures.

I left the park thinking that it was probably a better home for the wildlife that took it over.