As no one has made any kind of update thread on this place, and since I have just visited, I might as well fill you all in on some of the new things they have done. They added a new exhibit by the pythons. It has two green iguanas, one rhino iguana, and one tegu. Both Florida panthers, Niko and Lucy, have passed away Chester has been moved to one of the white alligator ponds by the swamp walk, and two albino gators have moved to Chester's old pool (With shading of corse) I saw a free roaming peacock, witch I am not sure they had before. The cane toad tank now has Orinoco crocodile hatchlings In the fall of 2021, they added a one year old bison, and a Florida cracker caddle to the pasture by the emus In December, they showed a two towed sloth on there Instagram, but I did not see where they put it.
No sign of the train on the website. I didnet hear of any mention of it closing so I pernsaly think they do. I will let you know if I ever come back here. However they do have a $10 capybara encounter and appeared to have transferred Ben, and added two new capys named Boba and Mochi. Jerry is still there.
Yeah, it is still on the map on the website, but the map is from 2020. Otherwise there is no mention. I found a few youtube videos from October last year, but nothing since. I have tickets to go there sometime this year (bought at an event), so I should have updated information at some point.
Report from vist today Train is still there. The old panther habatat is now home to two of there bobcats. The serval and one other bobcat is in the old area still. Orinoco croc hatclings replaced with Cuban croc hatchlings. Nile crocodile habatat split in two to make room for juveniles. They now have two laughing kookabaras Baby goats were born 10 days ago Splash pad is getting redone. Grass has grown in the emu pen I saw a mini donkey at the bison and cattle yard. The old white gator docks have reopend. They appere to be attempting to bread there leucitic gators. Chester's old pool is now home to there albino gators. A rock wall will open soon. There new big name gator is named "Winchester". According to the sign, he was a rescued nuisance gator. According to one of there spokespersons who I saw making a vlog, they may be opaning up other stuff in the near future.
How is the standard of animal care at gatorland? I remember visiting as a child and being upset at gator wrestling and the way they said we could come back and the idea of them selling gator products in the shop (although at the same time no doubt had eaten ham or chicken sandwiches at a farm!). I was upset by it but I was only a 9 year old and it was the 90’s
care has definitely improved, but still not AZA level imo. When I visited in 2007 you could feed the gators and crocs hotdogs, when I went last November I was happy to see they changed it to croc chow, a definite improvement. I did not watch the gator wrestling show so I can't say whether that aspect has improved.
Gatorland is probably the best "gator farm" in the state, excluding St. Augustine of course. The care is good, better than the 90s for sure - but then even most AZA zoos are a level up from even the early 2000's. The location is solidly suburban now, and renovations over the last 20 years have made it much nicer overall. I don't think that they want to be AZA, they have pretty close ties to Iguanaland and other non-AZA places. They do some sort of in-situ work with Cuban crocs as well.
The park now has Florida panthers again. Two cubs born in November 2022. Splash pad is now complete. Name plates for some of the birds (Mostly parrots) have been added Two female aldabra tortoise juveniles have been put in the parrot area near the raccoon and train. (Note: it is not in the parrot area directly by the train station.) The alligator known as Jaws now has a pond area all to himself within the main breeding marsh due to his aggression to other gators. And i didn't mention this on ether of my past visits, but they now have two laughing kookaburras
Also, a rescue gator with most of her upper jaw gone has been rescued by the park and has been given the name "Jawlene"
What kind of in situ work with Cuban crocs? Other queries Did they breed Orinoco crocs themselves? The November Florida panther cubs acquired from where?
I am not really sure, to be honest. I know they post on social media about it sometimes, but I am not sure what ties in Cuba they really have. I think the Orinoco crocs are newer, but I am not sure. I don't think they have bred them. No idea, possibly Florida Fish and Wildlife, but that is a guess.
