Florida Places: Homosassa Springs

I'm Kevin Pierce with the Florida Environment.

Among the more than 150 Florida State Park properties, only one has the distinction of being called a State Wildlife Park. It is Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park, which houses the natural springs at the head of the Homosassa River. The Park's Susan Dougherty says those springs have been an attraction since Florida's early railroad days...

"People would stop and have a picnic lunch there and then continue on their journey. And we know this because of photographs of it, but there's also bottles and soda pop bottles that have been found in the spring from those early days when people would picnic there."

The springs were a small commercial tourist attraction in the 1940s and 50s, but later became a much bigger draw...

"In the early '60s, Bruce Norris discovered Homosassa Springs and he bought the land and developed it as Homosassa Springs attraction. And it was a commercial attraction until the early '70s."

From that theme-park like background came a new jewel for Florida's state park crown...

"It was owned by the county for a couple of years and it was successfully purchased by the State of Florida and has become a Florida State Park."

I'm Kevin Pierce with the Florida Environment.

The underground springs at the head of central Florida's Homosassa River, are legally protected as part of the Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park, making a warm-water attraction for Florida Manatees that seek out the springs' 72-degree water. In turn that concentration of Manatees is also an attraction for human visitors to the park...

"The Manatees are what most people come here to see."

Susan Dougherty is the park's public information specialist...

"One of the most unique things about this park is that you can see the Manatees in a natural setting as opposed to a concrete tank-type saltwater exhibit."

Originally set up as a commercial attraction decades ago, the park retained some of the better theme-park aspects...

"You can see them up close through the windows of the underwater observatory...they're just the other side of the glass from you. And of course during our educational programs, the Manatees come right up close to the visitors that are in the bleachers."

But in this park, watching Manatees is as close as you'll get...

"We do not allow people to swim with the Manatees here, so that (the Manatees) will have a better chance when they're released to the wild. They won't be so accustomed to human intervention that they'll swim right up to a boat and get hurt again."

I'm Kevin Pierce with the Florida Environment.

When the State of Florida purchased what had been the commercial tourist attraction at Homosassa Springs, they decided to keep part of the attraction's wildlife theme. Which according to the park's Susan Dougherty, makes Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park unique among the State's 150-plus parks....

"We're the only one that has captive wildlife. And of course, being a Florida State Park, our park is about native Florida wildlife."

But the old, commercial attraction focused on non-native jungle animals, which has been changed completely under State Park management...

"When it was a commercial attraction, there were a lot of exotic animals here. Through the years after being purchased as a State Park, we have found home for the exotics and tried to bring in more examples of native, Florida species. In particular, species of special concern and endangered species."

With more than 50 native species represented, that "native-only" rule required a little bending to let a western Cougar stand in for a Florida Panther...

"The Cougar is the closest relative to the Florida Panther. And the Cougar we have is an ambassador for Florida's Panthers, which are down to less than 30."

I'm Kevin Pierce with the Florida Environment.

When Florida's State Parks took over what had been a commercial tourist attraction at Homosassa Springs, they changed the park's wildlife theme from exotic jungle animals, into native, Florida animals, finding homes for the soon-to-be displaced wildlife. With one exception: an old park resident named Lucifer:

"Lucifer is an African Hippopotamus. He is one of the former residents from the commercial attraction days, who we were, as a State Park, trying to find another home for since he definitely wasn't a native Florida animal."

The Park's Susan Dougherty says park-lovers weren't happy with the idea of losing their Hippopotamus. And they started writing letters...

"Thousands upon thousands of letters were sent in, to keep the Hippopotamus here at the park and not to relocate him. Because people wanted to see him stay here for the rest of his life."

Those letters got the attention of then-Governor Lawton Chiles, who made Lucifer a Florida Hippo...

"When he saw the response and how much the local community loved this Hippopotamus, they decided to make him an honorary citizen of the State of Florida. So he has his citizenship papers."

I'm Kevin Pierce with the Florida Environment.

The State Park at Homosassa Springs is unique in the Florida Park system as a Wildlife Park--the only state park where captive wildlife is on display. But park information specialist Susan Dougherty says its wildlife mission reaches much deeper...

"We are a rehab(ilitation) center for injured and orphaned Manatees. Many through the years have come here after they've been treated at medical facilities and where there's hope that they might be able to be released back to the wild. They need to be introduced to a more natural kind of environment like we have here with the springs and the beginning of the Homosassa River."

And of the 50 or more species of Florida mammals, birds and reptiles on display, most all come from a similar circumstance...

"Ninety-eight percent of the animals here in the park--including the birds--could not be released back to the wild. They've either been injured or orphaned or imprinted. And so they are given a home here, and it's an opportunity for people to come and see them up close and be educated about native wildlife."