ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — The St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park opened a new 6,000-square-foot veterinary clinic on Aug. 27, creating a dedicated medical facility for animal examinations, treatment, and scientific study.
Located behind the scenes near the zoo’s commissary, the clinic repurposes a building originally constructed during World War II. The structure previously served for decades as the headquarters for the facility’s maintenance department before being completely rebuilt into the new veterinary clinic.
Since the 1990s, the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park has partnered with the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine to provide medical care for its animals.
The park currently houses nearly 700 animals representing more than 134 species, including crocodilians, snakes, lizards, mammals and birds. The partnership allows university students and veterinary residents to gain experience working with a wide range of species.
Gen Anderson, general curator at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park, described how the facility benefits daily operations and biosecurity. “The new veterinary clinic will provide a quiet, dedicated space for veterinary care, away from the main flow of staff and daily operations,” Anderson said. “This will improve biosecurity while providing a climate-controlled environment for the examination, treatment and recovery of animals, including large crocodilians. The new facility will enhance animal welfare, staff safety and the zoo’s ability to provide high-quality veterinary care.”
The 6,000-square-foot clinic features patient holding spaces, an examination room and office space. Medical staff, veterinarians, veterinary nurses and medical students from the university began seeing animal patients when the facility opened. Additionally, the clinic will support collaborative scientific studies with outside researchers partnering with the Alligator Farm Foundation, the zoo’s nonprofit arm focused on wild conservation.
Dr. Amy Alexander, clinical associate professor of zoological medicine at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, noted the educational and research benefits of the facility. “We are very fortunate to have this new veterinary clinic, which allows us to further our veterinary care, advance scientific knowledge and expand educational opportunities for veterinary students and animal care teams from around the world,” Alexander said.
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