Lowry Zoo Attraction To Feature Pair Of Albino Gators

TAMPA - Alligators are common at Florida wildlife attractions, but Lowry Park Zoo has started work on a unique way of showcasing the state's signature reptile.

A $1.5 million zoo expansion will house a pair of rare albino American alligators and a water flume ride called "Gator Falls."

It is all scheduled to open in April, in time for the 20th anniversary of the Lowry Park Zoological Society, the nonprofit organization that manages and develops the zoo.

Beginning today, sections of the Florida habitat boardwalk will be closed so expansion can begin.

Albino alligators lack melanin, or pigment, in their skin, creating a milky coloring and cloudy eyes that appear to be pink.

The pair coming to Tampa were rescued from the Louisiana swamp and were acquired through an alligator farm in St. Augustine.

The male is about 8 months old and the female about 6 months old

"Because of their pigmentation and coloration, they wouldn't typically last in the wild, so they have to be rescued when they're young," said Dana Metz, the zoo's marketing director.

On Gator Falls, visitors will hop in a log car and explore Florida's native wildlife by water. The ride will plunge almost 30 feet to splashdown, so passengers can expect to get wet.

The exhibit and ride are part of the area known as the Mason M. and Charles P. Lykes Native Florida Wildlife Center. Traversed by a boardwalk, the area is home to native Florida species including Key deer, manatee and some regular gray-green gators.

The Florida wildlife center is one of seven animal habitats housing more than 2,000 animals at Lowry Park Zoo. The zoo, on 56 acres of city-owned land, also features water play areas and eight rides, some requiring an additional fee.

"One of the ways we inspire visitors to return is by offering something new and different each time a guest visits," Lex Salisbury, president and CEO, says in a written statement. "We are one of the only zoos in America that offers such a wide diversity of animals, rides and water play areas in one place."

IF YOU GO

ADDRESS: 1101 W. Sligh Avenue at North Boulevard, one mile west of I-275 (exit 48)
HOURS: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week
ADMISSION: $18.95 for adults, rides extra
PARKING: Free
DETAILS: (813) 935-8552