Jungle

Your Caribbean Journey begins in the jungle, a captivating exhibit showcasing the unique wildlife and geography of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve in Mexico’s Eastern Yucatan Peninsula.

This magnificent space lets in natural sunlight from a massive skylight, providing a natural home for tropical flora and fauna including vibrant free-flying birds, bats, and reptiles.

A cenote is your gateway into this new world, guiding our guests onto a twisting jungle pathway where incredible wildlife encounters wait around every corner. Flamingos lounge in a nearby lagoon, while fish, tortoises, and shorebirds forage among the underwater roots of a mangrove forest. The jungle offers overhead views of the underwater world that waits below, giving an early glimpse at sharks, tropical fish, and other aquatic species. Vampire bats, a boa constrictor, and other mysterious creatures reside within the dark Mayan Ruins, waiting to be discovered.

Surrounded by the songs of Caribbean birds, tropical plants and trees, and exotic animals, this exhibit just may make you feel you’ve been actually transported to the lush jungles of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Animals in this exhibit

  • Caribbean Flamingo

    These birds get their vivid pink color from eating crustaceans. Their long necks and legs are made for wading shallow waters in search of food.

  • Vampire bat

    These fearsome-looking bats get their name from their preferred diet of blood, just like the famous movie monster.

  • Scarlet ibis

    This red bird used its curved, slender bill to forage for food in shallow water. The bird’s bright colors come from the crustaceans in its food.

  • Scarlet Macaw

    This tropical bird is highly intelligent, filled with energy and personality.

  • Motmot

    This bird can be identified by the center tail feathers moving like the pendulum of a clock when perched.

  • Southern Screamer

    This unique-looking gooselike species has long red legs and has a very loud and far-carrying call.

  • Rainbow boa

    There’s a reason why these snakes are called “Rainbow Boas!” Their bodies are noticeably more vibrant than some other species out there.

  • Cuban False Chameleon

    Our Cuban False Chameleon, Ricky, is not an actual chameleon! It gets its name from its chameleon-like eyes that move independently.

  • Poison Dart Frog

    Poison dart frogs get their toxins from the prey they eat, so they are not poisonous in managed care.

  • Green-winged macaw

    This tropical bird can be found in forested areas of South America.