tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-345428892012-02-19T09:05:37.306-05:00As a lover of the wild world around us, and a freelance Wildlife Biologist, I thought there should be a blog about my wild life. I hope to educate, enlighten and maybe add a laugh to your day.Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07927273668963823170noreply@blogger.comBlogger131100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34542889.post-60641700468395852702008-12-04T12:36:00.004-05:002008-12-04T13:00:59.305-05:00

Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07927273668963823170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34542889.post-32191020097600609902008-12-04T11:06:00.002-05:002008-12-04T12:02:14.186-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope that during this rough economic time you are finding peace and joy in the season. Today I realized that my family has always been "Green" without even knowing it. Unbeknown to my father he began a "Green" movement 30 years ago by starting a Choose and Cut Christmas Tree Farm. January of 1978, when I was just 2 years old my Mom and Dad planted their first 10 rows

Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07927273668963823170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34542889.post-11353638465288427282008-07-16T09:00:00.002-04:002008-07-16T09:05:55.208-04:00

Here are a few sites of interest that I have found, or have been in our news lately. The first is a fun video about a groups close encounter with the Native alligators. The next two are the P&C article about budget cuts and animal losses at the Gardens. Be sure to read the Comments at the bottom of the most recent news article. I am afraid, to quote one commenter, that stupid is contagious. I

Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07927273668963823170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34542889.post-57554610390153837052008-07-16T08:00:00.002-04:002008-07-16T08:39:34.558-04:00

As we all feared, the "county" went through with its plans to begin the ultimate demise of Cypress Gardens. It was a divide and conquer plan that created animosity among the staff and many good people to be removed from their jobs and most sadly the loss of our beautiful Pedro. As most of you know, I bailed out!. I know that some of you die-hard Curators will call me a sell-out, but when you see

Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07927273668963823170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34542889.post-53468009139891742622008-03-24T11:10:00.002-04:002008-03-24T11:43:06.164-04:00

Hello Everyone,I am so sorry that I have not posted in a long time, but I promise I will do better. My excuse is the uncertainty of the future of our beautiful Cypress Gardens. Have you seen the news? Well if you haven't been reading the paper or seen the small blurb on the news, County Council is about to lay off half of our staff and get rid of the majority of the animals. All of the 13

Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07927273668963823170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34542889.post-43738387229537790392007-10-16T19:42:00.000-04:002007-10-16T19:51:58.170-04:00

Cypress Gardens is an 170 + acre swamp garden and wildlife education park. We are celebrating our 75th anniversary this year. Take the time to come and see us soon!!We have heard so many people in the past few years that say they have lived in the Charleston Area all their lives and have never been out to Cypress Gardens. I think to myself, what a shame, but I know we are all guilty of not taking

Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07927273668963823170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34542889.post-46045471555561325032007-09-15T17:55:00.000-04:002007-09-15T17:57:56.528-04:00

One early morning, as the animals at Cypress Gardens were waking up, Melanie and I saw some interesting mud tracks on the path near Pedro’s exhibit. They contained what looked like elongated feet and a tail slide, so our first thought was small alligator. Now this would not be incredibly unusual. We had Tripod, as you probably guessed a three-legged four foot gator, living there for 3 years. He

Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07927273668963823170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34542889.post-52090295435815572742007-08-13T08:18:00.001-04:002007-08-13T09:45:16.085-04:00

On a recent Sunday morning I heard a small child ask his mother and father, "Why is that turtle standing on top of the other one and making so much noise?" The staff of Cypress Gardens often hear this question in its many forms. Such as, why is the big alligator trying to drown the little one, why is that green lizard biting the neck of the brown one, and why are those two butterflies stuck

Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07927273668963823170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34542889.post-59010032471209462812007-07-30T09:59:00.000-04:002007-07-30T10:48:15.961-04:00

Evolutionarily, alligators have perfected the art of deception. They lie perfectly still until a bird, turtle or small mammal walks by, mistaking them for a rock or fallen tree. This also worked on a very good friend of mine who tried to touch a Caiman's teeth. ( A caiman is in the crocodilian family along with alligators and crocodile.) After it snapped at his finger causing a pretty fair loss

Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07927273668963823170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34542889.post-13947714164694467602007-07-16T16:09:00.000-04:002007-07-16T22:06:24.812-04:00

We have been getting more and more interest in the Meet the Keeper talk/ Alligator feeding recently. I would like to think it is because people are so curious in our last living dinosaur. I have come to realize that some people just want to see if I will keep all of my fingers this week. Well this will be a 2 part blog about Alligators with lots of facts and some funny. If you want the full

Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07927273668963823170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34542889.post-32843821903440117112007-07-11T18:02:00.000-04:002007-07-16T17:25:20.102-04:00

The story of Jack and Jill is really getting around. I have now been quoted in several newspapers. See todays Post and Courier the state and local section--http://www.charleston.net/news/2007/jul/11/jack_jill_give_us_thrill_come_home/ and on several news broadcasts. I really just want to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and support that you are showing for our Jack and Jill. It really

Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07927273668963823170noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34542889.post-79857044923278047432007-07-09T13:09:00.000-04:002007-07-16T21:57:51.973-04:00

Feeling helpless really doesn't even describe the state I am in today. I received a call from work this morning and one of the animal care staff gave me some really terrible news. Some one broke into the Parrot house last night and stole my Toucans. Jack and Jill are their names. (Scroll down for pictures of them). They are Chestnut Mandibled (or Swainson's) Toucans. We have had them for close to

Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07927273668963823170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34542889.post-23992401978907963262007-07-06T13:17:00.000-04:002007-07-15T21:40:38.716-04:00

Well hi Ya'll. I am so sorry that it is taking me so long to get this situated. I am relatively computer savvy, but not really all that fond of sitting in front of the computer for very long. I promise that soon you will have more to read and see about the world of animal care than you can hope for. I also hope to be putting together a Friends of Cypress Gardens group that will get special perks

Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07927273668963823170noreply@blogger.com1