Category: Animals
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Big Cat Habitat
It amuses me to see something called Big Cat Habitat where, judging by the title, you’d think it would be filled to capacity with nothing but cats, right? And yes, there were lots of cats. But then there were also birds and monkeys, a bison, giraffe, tortoises, donkeys, lemurs, bears . . . well, zoo
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Big Bend Manatees
I’d never seen a live manatee until I moved to Florida. Fortunately, Florida has tons of places to go where you can interact, and in various ways. This time, I chose the viewing area at the Big Bend power station where these wonderful animals congregate in the winter months to enjoy their spa experience with
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Payne’s Prairie State Preserve
The draw for a 2-hour drive to Payne’s Prairie was that you could see bison and wild horses roaming free. Good luck! I understand that having wild animals right where you want them at any given moment probably involves a zoo situation, but maybe park websites should post a “chances are” percentage rate when talking
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Myakka Elephant Ranch
The whole idea of encouraging Florida’s single seniors to get out and do things is not only to keep moving and keep interested in the world around you, but to discover all the wonderful things Florida has to offer. Can you go wrong spending time with elephants? I don’t think so. But then again, I’m
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Manatee Critical Care Center
Did you know the closest relative to manatees is the elephant? Sounds about as plausible as saying hummingbirds are related to polar bears, right? But it’s true. Our guide said if you look carefully at the very ends of their flippers, you’ll see what appears to be remnants (or beginnings?) of giant elephant toes. I
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Chase Sanctuary
Chase Sanctuary, an animal rescue for monkeys, lemurs, sloths and anteaters, is waaaaay back in the country. I have found that some of the tours off the beaten path can be a tad dicey as far as being well-maintained and a good environment for the animals. I’ve often wondered if being further out serves as
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LunaSea Alpaca Farm
What’s the first thing you think of when you hear “alpacas?” I’ll wager most people think of luxurious, soft wool. Not me. I envision little miniature-looking camels traipsing around the cliffs of Machu Picchu. And in fact, alpacas are native to Peru. So with an animal that lives at very high altitudes, it was a
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Florida Aquarium
I try to be organized enough that I have 2-3 weeks of material from which to choose for my blog post. That way, if I can’t go somewhere on my days off one week, I’ll still have something I can whip up and post. But that comes with its own set of problems. I have
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Bearadise Ranch Bear Preserve
The eventual idea for Bearadise Ranch Bear Preserve begins in Trondheim, Norway in 1926 with a young kid named Johnny Welde. With a fascination for bears, he ran away from home and joined the circus, the one place where he knew he could find them. He began to develop an act and eventually made his
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Croc Encounters Reptile Park
This small venue is interesting but could use some TLC. The animals are the highlight, but the setting is a bit casual and unappealing. When I made my reservation, the young man who booked it told me not to arrive early because there was nothing to do. Out front was a small dirt parking lot.
Lisa Browder 