Jungle Island is a park that is an eco-adventure park. It can be found on Watson Island, in Miami, Florida. The park was reopened recently after extensive improvements were made following Hurricane Irma’s destruction. The park’s admission price includes pop-up water slides and an outdoor wind tunnel flight experience. Zip lines, escape rooms, Nerf war stadiums, and other attractions.
Pinecrest Gardens was originally called Parrot Jungle. It was moved from its original suburb in Pinecrest to its current location east of downtown Miami in 2002. The land was acquired for Pinecrest Gardens. After a parrot, the island was named Parrot Jungle Island. After the original name was changed, it was renamed Jungle Island in 2007.
Parrot Jungle was an zoological park that was located south of Princeton, Florida, on a 20-acre (8.8-hectare) parcel of land situated between Killian Drive (and South Red Road). It was closed in 2011.
Parrot Jungle, which was established in 1936 by Francis “Franz”, and Louise Scherr and opened its doors in 1936, is one of the oldest tourist attractions within the Miami area. Scherr visited Monkey Jungle frequently, which was operated by Joe Drummond. Drummond said to Scherr, “Go establish your jungle,” when Drummond was discussing one of his many ideas for improvement. Scherr was furious and ordered Drummond to “start his own forest.” Scherr, who ran a Homestead feed and supplies store, was intrigued by the idea of creating an attraction that allowed birds to “fly free.” Scherr decided to pursue the idea. Scherr paid US$25 to purchase 20 acres of hammock land. This would have been equivalent to $466 in 2020. The location was previously used as a resort for naturists. Parrot Jungle was built as a nature trail that winds through the local coral rock and hammock land. Red Road was built to allow access to the natural vegetation.
On December 20, 1936, the attraction was opened to about 100 visitors. The attraction featured Scherr’s bird, tree, and flower collection. Each guest paid 25 cents each to view and hear his talk about them. Since its opening in 1936, Parrot Jungle has been visited by more than a million people. Among the notable people who visited Parrot Jungle were Sir Winston Churchill, Steven Spielberg, former President of the United States Jimmy Carter, and others.
Parrot Jungle Island has 3,000 acres and there were more than 1,000 species of parrots as of 2003. The most prominent feature of the park is the Jungle Theater. This arena hosts shows such as “Tale of the Tiger”, which features large cats and fauna. The Jungle Theater is home to Hercules, a 900-pound liger that is a cross between a lion & a Tiger. It is a very popular attraction. The Parrot Bowl hosts the “Winged Wonders” show. It features birds from around the globe, including the Andean condor and cassowary, the only trained cassowary worldwide, and the king vulture. The “Serpentarium”, named in honor Bill Haast’s Miami Serpentarium, features a variety of animals from African penguins and alligator snapping Turtles to boa constrictor snakes and lemurs. If you’re in Miami Shores, Florida, you had better check this out!
