The Village of Pinecrest is considering welcoming residents of a beloved South Florida attraction: the parrots of Jungle Island.
Jungle Island, formerly known as Parrot Jungle, has been in the City of Miami since 2003, but it's home for decades was at Pinecrest Gardens.
The botanical garden still houses many of the original attractions and infrastructure — except for the parrots, which were relocated to the city of Miami — and was later rebranded in 2007 as Jungle Island.
The city of Miami approved a plan in November 2024 to redevelop Watson Island, where Jungle Island currently stands. The developers plan to build luxury condos and a public park.
READ MORE: If the Watson Island deals pass, what will Miami do with the money?
Now, Pinecrest is considering partnering with Jungle Island to re-house the parrots in Pinecrest Gardens.
"The village sees this as a once in a lifetime opportunity to continue to preserve Miami’s history,” Pinecrest spokeswoman Michelle Hammontree told the Miami Herald, a WLRN News partner.
It's not an inexpensive endeavor. A recently released feasibility report on relocating the nearly 50 birds to Pinecrest Gardens says the effort could cost as much as $3 million.
According to the report, new aviary exhibits will provide naturalistic habitats for a variety of birds and bird species, some of which were originally hatched in Pinecrest Gardens. Some of the birds, like the Hyacinth macaw and African grey are at threatened conservation status.
Funding would go towards the new aviaries, keeper equipment, an onsite veterinarian setup and permit renewals with FWC. All these additions would mean an overall increase in the yearly operation budget for things like staff salary and upkeep.
The estimated annual operating cost is around $80,000.
The Village of Pinecrest council will discuss the plan at its Aug. 20 budget meeting and is welcoming community input.
