Having recently moved to North Florida was the perfect opportunity to visit an animal trainer friend that lives in Saint Cloud for a tour of her animal facility. She’s part of the team that operates Amazing Animals– an exotic animal rescue and education organization. They’re home to over 100 rescued animals and teach over 100,000 people each year. Check out their website to find out how to schedule a tour at their private rescue facility, or schedule them to make an appearance at a special event. Spoiler alert: Keep reading to learn about the animals we encountered on our tour…
We began in the herp house where we had the opportunity to observe many different herp species, and hold a juvenile red-footed tortoise, a large Burmese python and a savannah monitor. Reptiles and amphibians aren’t usually my go-to species, so it’s always nice to get to see them up close; I have a lot to learn about them all! If you don’t know- snakes aren’t slimy at all, in fact, they have a really unique silky-feel about them, and it’s cool to feel their scales sliding as they move around.
Then we headed outside for another herp- a juvenile American alligator. This charming guy is quite comfortable in human company, and really seemed to enjoy head scratches. In fact, when scratches stopped, you could hear him make baby gator vocalizations. His relationship with Kylie was so evident, and meeting him would be an excellent opportunity for anyone who might come across an alligator one day. They should be respected, but there’s no need to harm them. In fact, in Florida they’re protected- but mostly because they so closely resemble the endangered American crocodile.
Right next door to the alligator was another often feared, maybe even loathed animal, but this time of the mammalian variety- striped skunks. These guys truly get a bad rap. You may not have known that skunks will go to great lengths to scare off potential threats- sometimes stomping the ground, and even doing handstands- before they release their infamous weapon. And rightly so- it takes time for their… “stock” to be replenished. The skunks at Amazing Animals are pets that owners relinquished when they realized that skunks are big-time diggers, and not appropriate house pets. Most skunks in the pet trade have had their odor glands removed, so there was no risk of having a long, smelly ride back up to Jacksonville. The skunk we met was also quite charming, politely holding its tail reminiscent of Flower from Bambi, and with a striking black and white coloration.
Our next stop was to visit a pair of bushbabies or galagos, who are newer to Amazing Animals but seem to be fitting right in. Their spacious habitat had enriching climbing structures and hides that were selected for their comfort. A rarity in human care, next up was a hopeful-breeding pair of Geoffrey’s cats. A beautiful smaller exotic cat native to South America that is not represented in any current US zoo collection. These guys also had a large and well-enriched habitat, complete with recently de-fluffed stuffed animals. The next few habitats were for Patagonian cavies, ring-tailed lemurs, a bobcat and a barnyard complete with not-so-“miniature pigs”, goats (my favorite!), a charismatic emu, and one of their newest residents- a miniature donkey!
Amazing Animals is also home to a capybara, who was just a little shy on our visit- but he’s a new guy, just settling in. His enclosure features a slope-entry into an enclosed portion of the pond for his enjoyment. There are also several species of birds, including rehabilitated, but non-releasable red-shouldered hawk and barred owl, and several species of parrots. Nearing the end of our tour, Kylie knows to save the best for last-
Two-toed sloths!
We were welcomed into Luke and Lilly’s enclosure, and they were immediately on the move to their prime feeding spots. Kylie alternated handing us lettuce and the sloths special treat: apple slices. The sloths were so close, it was easy to see their impressive teeth as they chewed, but they were so gentle when collecting the produce from our hands, either with their mouths or long-clawed paws. While the sloths were contentedly munching, Kylie showed us where their ears are located- their hair has to be parted, but they’re right where you’d expect to see them. Did you know they only come down to the ground from their arboreal habitat about once a week- to defecate? They’re also great swimmers, and sometimes have a greenish tint because their hair grows algae. We really enjoyed the sloth part of our tour- they’re truly Amazing Animals. They also live right next door to a pair of adorable kinkajous, which are often confused for primates, but are actually Central American relatives of raccoons, and are one of the only non-primates with prehensile tails.
On the way out, we stopped by their gift shop which carries all kinds of fun sloth items, including some Fluke Creative decals. We spent over two hours at Amazing Animals, and had worked up a bit of an appetite for lunch. The owners of Amazing Animals each gave two thumbs up to Billy Bear’s BBQ- and we agreed! Check them out if you’re in the area.
If you’re looking for an awesome way to spend a few hours near Orlando, look up Amazing Animals– you won’t be disappointed! On March 16th, they’re doing a Paint, Sip and Support event on site where you can paint your own sloth!