Wildlife Discovery Center

"Crocodiles and more"

We were here for a special event, CROCtoberfest, a fundraiser for the Wildlife Discovery Center.

Nitty Gritty: Admission is normally free, but since we were here for a special event there was a $5 donation. If you'll be viewing the indoor exhibits, I would think twice about bringing a stroller, or I would leave it outside the building. A few moms brought one and seemed frustrated navigating through the narrow aisles. There is a small parking lot that it shared with the farm and a playground.

The fun: The center is located on the restored Elawa Farm. The main highlight was seeing Bubba, the famous crocodile. We were simply awestruck to see him out in the open only a few feet away. Our jaws just about dropped once we saw that people were able to pet him, even sit on him for a photo ops! There were other smaller crocodiles displayed in the main room for others to see and pet.

Though they usually don't always have Bubba the crocodile around, the center offers over 150 other animals to look at especially for those who love reptiles. There are two other rooms that house tanks of more reptiles and amphibians such as turtles, alligators, lizards, pythons, and even rattlesnakes. In fact, they boast the largest public exhibit of rattlesnakes. Not only will you find indoor animal exhibits, but if you venture outside and follow the nature trail you'll find Boris the bobcat, owls, hawks, and even a kookaburra. These animals on the trail have been rehabiliatated by the WDC. If nature's more your thing, you can follow the trail and check out the neighboring tall grass savanna. Look out the viewing deck to see nature at is finest.

We spent about 2 hours here and could have stayed longer had the weather been on our side. Next time we will need to explore the rest of the trail and spend more time with the outdoor animals,

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend the Wildlife Discovery Center even if there isn't a special event happening. There's lots of animals to see that will keep both the kids and adult entertained. Plus, it's very heartwarming to see that they are trying to rehabilitate animals.