Today we took a day trip to Homosassa Springs State Park. This is another former 1950's era tourist attraction that went out of business when Disney World and Busch Gardens came in. The land was given to the state and became a state park which also serves as a wildlife rehabilitation center for injured native fauna.
When it became a state park, one requirement was to remove all the non-native animals, so they all (with the exception of one hippo named Lu) were sold off, and the native animals remained. So today, a visit to the park remains a walk through pathways with animal cages, each of which features a native Florida animal. We saw bobcats, a puma, a river otter, deer, eagles and hawks, snakes, and so forth. I particularly enjoyed the aviary where we could get a close look at many of the local birds.
The warm springs there also serve to draw in manatees which move from the colder river waters into the springs during the winter months.
Although the skies were overcast for much of the day today, one bank sign as we drove to the park said 80 degrees! This is more like it! The warmer weather is supposed to continue for the next few days, although there's more rain in the forecast.
Nice pics of the wildlife, have a good day!
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