From a Bird’s Eye View - As our Blue and Gold Macaw, Moche, Would Say: Hi Guys!

I hope everyone has been enjoying the odd weather this summer! I firmly believe, though, that SD always has odd/ever-changing weather, so I suppose you could call it normal weather this summer. I shouldn’t complain. It is nice to have variety, sometimes, I guess; unless you are a bird trainer in the bird department here at Reptile Gardens.

Performing a free flight outdoor bird show can be a lot of fun! I thoroughly enjoy seeing the birds do their natural and unique behaviors and see our Guests’ reactions to them! It is quite amazing to get the opportunity to train animals to voluntarily perform outdoors and NOT fly away. However, bird shows are not always sunshine and lollipops. Sometimes it is hurricane-like winds and golf ball sized hail. It can be extremely difficult if (or should I say “when”) the weather does not cooperate.

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Good photos, Terrible Facts: Another Giant Snake Fail

Photo credit: Kevin Dooley

Who needs fish stories when you have giant snake stories? And boy do we see and hear a lot of giant snake stories. In keeping with our longstanding tradition, we offer here another giant snake story we felt compelled to debunk - before it gains any more traction than it already has.

The story tells of the photographer witnessing a 28-foot green anaconda crushing the life out of a caiman. It has some nice photos, and there’s definitely an anaconda and a caiman tussling in them. But there are several problems, and they’re big ones.

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