A Walk On The Wild Side!
11:06 AMI had the chance to visit Brahma Island this weekend. It's in the middle of Lake Kissimmee and accessible only by boat. It is some of Florida's true habitat and it's protected by the state. There is a ranching operation run by the Lightsey's as well as a game preserve. The island is also home to 28 protected species including the snail kite. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to spot one while there. Let me mention before we get started that all photos are clickable and will enlarge a bit if you want a better view!
Can't be too careful these days and I seriously doubt that he'd seen or a clicking thing (camera) before either!
Once we arrived on the island I had the chance to see quite a bit of wildlife.....
Two water buffalos (momma and calf) here and rumor had it they are mean as the dickens! In other words, keep clear and don't mess with them!
We rode around in an open-air jeep all day. They had one water buffalo that would charge and/or ram the jeep whenever it was near enough!
I didn't expect to fall in love with a Watusi, but this big guy was just the coolest! Check out that spotted hide where the white and black sections meet—isn't that cool?!
Again, the photos are no doing justice to the size of any of these creatures!
There were several species of deer on the island and unfortunately, Chris nor I could tell a Fallow from a Sika or an Axis deer. The fact that they moved faster than Superman might have had something to do with it too! These were quite small in size, but they're youngin's!
Last (for today) but not least, a 400 year old oak tree.....
So how do you know how old a tree is, I asked. You can't ask it...or can you? The tree was bored to take a sample of the rings that indicate growth. That's how you ask a tree its age.
More in the next post!
11 Creative Thought(s)
Beautiful photos of a fun trip.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a wonderful opportunity to see all that greet wildlife!!
ReplyDeleteHey, Lorrie, thanks for stopping by and commenting! It was a fun trip!
ReplyDeleteOh, Teri, it was so totally fabulous! Thanks for commenting!
What a fun trip. That's one way to keep animals safe- put them on an island! Nice pics.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great opportunity! I bet you were in heaven. Thanks for sharing your photos and observations.
ReplyDeleteThat island must be huge to have so many large mammals on it. It sounds like you had a marvelous weekend. That tree is amazing.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh!!! What a fantastic trip! I love the 400 year old tree, and I love the deer photo. I can tell those are not white-tailed deer! They have such cute, little faces. Great osprey pics. Wish you could have seen the kite. I would have been soooo jealous!
ReplyDeleteLucky you! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteawesome photos, Laure! Great catches. Hope you enjoyed it--thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHow cool! What a great place to visit; I love seeing the natural side of Florida. Your photos are excellent, too. I will put this place on my list to visit!
ReplyDeleteLaure, looks like you all had a very nice trip! So happy you were able to get away together and enjoy something different!
ReplyDeleteLet's talk!