Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park

From Hillsborough, I drove to Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, a zoo featuring local wildlife. After a quick, canned lunch, I toured the Zoo. I first visited the Manatees who lived in a large enclosure around the warm springs at the mouth of the Homosassa River. As I read about the Florida Manatee, I felt a bit appalled that almost every living Manatee wears scars from motorboat collisions. An underwater viewing area provided great observation and some fun pictures. Up close, the manatee’s eyes look vacant and unworldly, like someone jabbed in a finger and removed a thumb-sized hole from their thick skin. I watched the Manatee both above and below water for several minutes, visited the information station, and began a loop.

I saw: black turkey vulture, great white egret, white ibis, red fox, American alligators (one with a white feather protruding from his toothed jaw), flamingos, American white pelican, brown pelican, blue heron, bald eagle, an African hippo, red-tailed hawk, American kestrel, burrowing owl, crested caracara, eastern screech owl, American river otter, black bear, Florida panther, bobcat, key deer, white-tailed deer, an eastern hognose snake, corn snake, eastern coral snake, dusky pigmy rattlesnake, and a eastern diamondback. The temperature chilled and I regretted leaving my jacket in the car. I really liked the zoo and felt glad to see so many Florida animals.

Homosassa Springs Wildlife SP Gallery

Homosassa Springs Wildlife SP

Homosassa Springs Wildlife SP

Homosassa Springs Wildlife SP

Homosassa Springs Wildlife SP

Homosassa Springs Wildlife SP

Homosassa Springs Wildlife SP

Homosassa Springs Wildlife SP

Homosassa Springs Wildlife SP

Homosassa Springs Wildlife SP

Homosassa Springs Wildlife SP

Homosassa Springs Wildlife SP

Homosassa Springs Wildlife SP

Homosassa Springs Wildlife SP

Homosassa Springs Wildlife SP