Ancient predators come back to life at new ZooTampa exhibit

TAMPA, Fla. - ZooTampa is set to captivate visitors with its latest and most thrilling exhibit – Prehistoric Predators.

Opening its doors to the public on Jan. 13 and extending its run until April 14, this exhibit promises an immersive encounter with some of the world’s most extraordinary ancient predators.

"So the idea behind prehistoric predators is we've got a lot of construction going on in the zoo right now, getting ready for some new stuff to open up down the line. And when we're doing this construction, we found this whole section of the park that was undiscovered and all these animals that we thought were extinct, were still living," shared Alex Crow, Director of Entertainment with ZooTampa.

The lifelike feel of these creatures is heightened by the use of animatronics, allowing visitors to experience an up-close and personal connection. There's 15 different life-size animatronic creatures, including giant bears and dinosaurs.

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"One of the cool things about prehistoric predators is that all the animals you’re going to meet while you come through here are these giant animatronics. They move, they make sounds, and it feels like you’re coming into real-life contact with them," explained Crow.

ZooTampa takes a step further to make this exhibit educational, showcasing the intricate connections between these ancient predators and the contemporary animal kingdom.

"We kind of opened up the gates of the prehistoric time period. So there's not just one area you're looking at. You're going all the way from the Mesozoic to the Jurassic," said Crow.

Prehistoric Predators at ZooTampa promises guests a journey through time, where they can marvel at the wonders of the prehistoric world.