Hello Zoochatters, I am looking for current info on the Caloosahatchee Aviary and Botanical Gardens in Florida. It was also known by the name International Avicultural Society and Funny Farm Exotics. It was a private facility specialized in parrots and giant tortoises ... Any info on what has become of the collection?
Another try here: anyone has any current information on the Caloosahatchee Aviary and Botanical Gardens in Florida?
Throwing it out there a third time - I've also become interested in this facility as I continue trying to learn more about the US population of Galápagos tortoises. Any information on their tortoise collection (past or present, if they still exist) would be greatly appreciated, especially origins.
It was owned/run by Luanne and Richard Porter, MD, who moved their location to southwest Florida in 1996 after being in Memphis. They were founder board members of International Aviculturists Society. Their vet was Dr. Branson Ritchie. The Funny Farm was their pet breeding branch. Tortoises appear to have come from Ramon Noegel and Greg Moss. Someone by the name of Trent Swigert was associated with the facility and now runs Wild Things Bird Farm near Miami.
Any web links or anything? I cannot find anything about it online really, except a few dead links to the funnyfarmexotics.com website .
When you have a fairly complete list, it would be great if you could post a thread about what zoos have what Galapagos tortoise taxa.
I see that someone is listed currently as a judge with the American Koi Judges Assoc. named Luann Porter in Florida. Might be her? She can be contacted (apparently) through their website Contacts | Central Florida Koi and Goldfish Show 2022 Someone named Trent Swigert was the general curator of Parrot Jungle. But these may not be the people mentioned
