Having grown up in Miami I was looking forward to a day with my two 6year old grand daughters. I have fond memories of the old Parrot Jungle and was happy to see so many of them settled into their new home.
HOWEVER....the experience was so marred instantly by being herded into a photo shoot with a shy girl who wanted NO parrot on her body as soon as we walked in, being told we were not allowed to use our own cameras when the children wanted to hold an animal and being charged for petting, feeding and photos. I understand any attraction must generate revenue. I should have read the reviews before we went!! At least I would have been better prepared.

On the bright side, the kids had a good time and we could see all we wanted in an afternoon. The bird and Serpentarium shows were great, the handlers knowledgeable and friendly. The Wild Encounter with the big cats was weird and the girls doing the narrative tried, but were not well trained in how to use their vocal tones & need serious presentation & speech lessons.
One visit was enough, zoo next time!

Many beautiful birds to see and learn about, relaxing,leisurely afternoon. The original parrot Jungle was a fixture here for many years and this is a nice addition with the variety of good looking animals. It's a good place to spend the day with the hubby. Lots of lovely birds and cute educational shows.

I had a great time at the Jungle Island for the NIU Alumni New Year's Eve Party this year. We were in town for the 2013 Orange Bowl in Miami, and got a chance to walk around the zoo and enjoy the area with our private party. They had some really cool white tigers and lions, as well as a Liger!

Jungle Island is neither a Zoo nor a animal-based theme park, somewhere in the middle. My 2.5 year old fun, he liked the Camel Ride best. One useful tip, the photo they take during the camel ride, it is free for you to take (more correctly, it is included in the $15 camel ride cost). They don't tell you that, you won't know that unless you check out the price tag at the photo pickup counter. Overall, it was a good experience.