Ardastra Gardens, Zoo and Conservation Centre, Garden and zoo in Nassau, Bahamas
Ardastra Gardens, Zoo and Conservation Centre is a garden and zoo in Nassau, New Providence, combining tropical plants with animals from the Caribbean and beyond. Paths lead through planted sections where visitors can see reptiles, birds and mammals in a setting that mixes greenery with animal enclosures.
Hedley Edwards, a Jamaican horticulturist, founded the site in 1937 and chose a name drawn from Latin words that roughly translate as striving toward the stars. Over the following decades, it grew from a private garden project into a place that combines animal care with plant conservation.
The flamingos here perform a coordinated march each day that visitors can watch up close. These birds are the national symbol of the Bahamas and carry a strong connection to how people on the islands see their own natural world.
Visitors can hand-feed tortoises and get close to colorful lory parrots at different points on the grounds. Wearing comfortable shoes is a good idea since the visit is done on foot, and bringing water helps in the tropical heat.
The site is home to three Bahamian boa constrictors, one of the rarest snake species in the region. These reptiles are the focus of education programs that show visitors just how close to disappearing they are in the wild.
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