St. Augustine Alligator Farm Celebrates Opening of New Veterinarian Clinic
ST. AUGUSTINE, Florida (September 28, 2026) – The St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park is marking a significant milestone - it has invested in a new veterinary clinic that will advance the facility’s world-class animal care, provide a home base for researchers conducting work, and expand opportunities for scientific study and conservation, with a particular focus on crocodilians. The new Vet Clinic opened on Thursday, August 27, and staff, along with veterinarians, veterinary nurses, and medical students from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine program, got straight to work seeing patients.
“The new veterinary clinic will provide a quiet, dedicated space for veterinary care, away from the main flow of staff and daily operations,” said Gen Anderson, General Curator at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park. “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 new 6,000-square-foot space is located behind the scenes, near the zoo’s commissary. Records indicate the building was constructed during World War II, and it has certainly stood the test of time. For decades, it served as the Maintenance Department's headquarters. The space was completely rebuilt as the zoo’s 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 nearly 700 animals. This partnership gives the animals access to world-class care while providing UF students and veterinary residents unparalleled experience working with over 134 species of crocodilians, snakes, lizards, mammals, birds, and more. The new facility has a holding space for animal patients, an exam room, and an office space. The veterinary clinic will also support collaborative scientific studies with outside researchers conducting work as partners of the Alligator Farm Foundation, the zoo’s nonprofit arm that supports conservation efforts in the wild.
“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,” said Dr. Amy Alexander, DVM, DACZM, Clinical Associate Professor of Zoological Medicine at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine.
