Believe it or not.
Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 4:01 am
As anyone who lives in South Florida knows, we have some unusual wildlife residing in our region. As many anglers know, occasionally we get very lucky and spot something few others have seen wild in it's "native" habitat.
Practically everyone knows of, and has seen Manatees in the wild. They travel the coast on their yearly migration and pass under the fishing piers and bridges boatless anglers frequent. Many know of and have seen the Key Deer, those small Whitetails the size of a large dog residing in the Florida Keys. I'm certain there is no need for me to mention the Alligators. Wild Boars. (pigs) And how can you miss the Chickens?
How could I forget to mention the sea turtles that lay their eggs on our beaches? Or the estimated 1000 Crocodiles that inhabit our region.
Less often spotted in the wild is the Florida Panther. The best way to see one of those is to visit one of the zoo's or Indian Villages. Same for Rattlesnakes. Both may be occasionally spotted in the wild. Plenty of other snakes also, pythons and boas, formerly pets, that have escaped or been released by former owners.
You never know what you may see while outdoors, and I always suggest you keep your eyes wide open when fishing or otherwise enjoying the great outdoors.
One animal people rarely see or know of is the Florida Pygmy Elephant. At one time, they were thought to be extinct until about 45 years ago when a mating pair was spotted by Fish & Game wildlife biologists.
During the late 1890's, when Flagler built his railroad and "highway" to Key West, he planned to celebrate his miraculous achievement at what was to be a memorable grand opening in Key West, Florida.
Early September, 1900, The Ringling Brothers Circus train and all it's performers and animals were headed south to Key West, Florida. There was to be a lavish celebration for the Grand Opening of the overseas highway, with many of the nations wealthiest and most influential attending the ceremony and festivities.
Unfortunately, the deadliest hurricane ever to hit the USA struck the Keys on it's way to Galveston, Tx, Sept 8, 1900, where an estimated 8,000-12,000 Texans died as a result of the storm and it's 8-15 foot tides which inundated the region. The storm impacted Florida on it's way to Galveston several days earlier.
With the destruction caused by the storm hitting, partially destroying the oversees highway and railroad tracks, the circus train, and numerous circus animals perished. Many other animals escaped into the Everglades (Over 150 according to old news stories from those days). Among these were some great apes (Chimpanzees & a pair of Silverback Gorillas), large cats (Tigers and Lions), Bears, horses, mules, monkeys, snakes, llamas, and exotic animals from foreign lands. And Elephants. In those days, the circus was also a place to see the world's wildlife. "The Greatest Show on Earth".
After the storm, panic ensued because of those animals, during the recovery and rebuilding process, and trainers, keepers, animal handlers, trackers and hunters eventually set out to capture the escaped circus animals. They were very successful, managing to trap alive all but one Tiger which they had to kill. And four Elephants that they were unsuccessful in tracking or finding.
I've always wonder how you "lose" an elephant, much less four of them. They found all the other animals, and yet found no traces of four Elephants? What, they were too small or something?
Remember, most of Florida was a swamp in those days. Tall grasses, "The River of Grass" with Mangrove and Malaleucca islands providing heavy foliage and ample safe haven for wild animals to rest, feed, and live.
What happened after that is not entirely clear. Wildlife biologists believe those four escaped elephants (3 females <2 were pregnant according to circus handlers>, and one bull) found safe refuge and began to thrive in the lush tropical Florida Keys climate. After all, for practical purposes, there were no predators to threaten them. They eventually gave up their search for them after almost a year.
Evolution (see Darwin "Theory of Evolution" for more information) came into play, and the newborn elephants adapted to the habitat much the same way as the Key Deer, only growing 4 feet tall at maturity. (Hence the name, "Florida Pygmy Elephant") they thrived in our tropical habitat, and their numbers quickly grew to an estimated 20+ animals in the mid 1920's.
Not much else is known or written about these elusive and rarely seen elephants. They are known to spend a large amount of time in or under the water, able to avoid the heat and breathe through their trunks. It is also evident they did evolve and adapt to their climate and habitat.
There have only been a handful of sightings over the past 40 years. They were thought to have become extinct.
The herd currently consists of an estimated 32 Pygmy Elephants (2002, hopefully more by now). Life expectancy is guessed to be about 50 years, at maturity, their average height is 4 feet 2 inches, weight about 400 pounds. They are extremely elusive, leading solitary lives, "socializing" only once per year or less for mating.
So the next time you visit the Keys, keep your eyes wide open and your camera handy when you get into the backcountry.
You never know when you'll spot a Florida Keys Pygmy Elephant.
As Ripley used to say, "Believe it or NOT".
<Some information in this message was verified through Google, Wikpedia, and other sources for accuracy>
Remember, you read about it here, first.
Practically everyone knows of, and has seen Manatees in the wild. They travel the coast on their yearly migration and pass under the fishing piers and bridges boatless anglers frequent. Many know of and have seen the Key Deer, those small Whitetails the size of a large dog residing in the Florida Keys. I'm certain there is no need for me to mention the Alligators. Wild Boars. (pigs) And how can you miss the Chickens?
How could I forget to mention the sea turtles that lay their eggs on our beaches? Or the estimated 1000 Crocodiles that inhabit our region.
Less often spotted in the wild is the Florida Panther. The best way to see one of those is to visit one of the zoo's or Indian Villages. Same for Rattlesnakes. Both may be occasionally spotted in the wild. Plenty of other snakes also, pythons and boas, formerly pets, that have escaped or been released by former owners.
You never know what you may see while outdoors, and I always suggest you keep your eyes wide open when fishing or otherwise enjoying the great outdoors.
One animal people rarely see or know of is the Florida Pygmy Elephant. At one time, they were thought to be extinct until about 45 years ago when a mating pair was spotted by Fish & Game wildlife biologists.
During the late 1890's, when Flagler built his railroad and "highway" to Key West, he planned to celebrate his miraculous achievement at what was to be a memorable grand opening in Key West, Florida.
Early September, 1900, The Ringling Brothers Circus train and all it's performers and animals were headed south to Key West, Florida. There was to be a lavish celebration for the Grand Opening of the overseas highway, with many of the nations wealthiest and most influential attending the ceremony and festivities.
Unfortunately, the deadliest hurricane ever to hit the USA struck the Keys on it's way to Galveston, Tx, Sept 8, 1900, where an estimated 8,000-12,000 Texans died as a result of the storm and it's 8-15 foot tides which inundated the region. The storm impacted Florida on it's way to Galveston several days earlier.
With the destruction caused by the storm hitting, partially destroying the oversees highway and railroad tracks, the circus train, and numerous circus animals perished. Many other animals escaped into the Everglades (Over 150 according to old news stories from those days). Among these were some great apes (Chimpanzees & a pair of Silverback Gorillas), large cats (Tigers and Lions), Bears, horses, mules, monkeys, snakes, llamas, and exotic animals from foreign lands. And Elephants. In those days, the circus was also a place to see the world's wildlife. "The Greatest Show on Earth".
After the storm, panic ensued because of those animals, during the recovery and rebuilding process, and trainers, keepers, animal handlers, trackers and hunters eventually set out to capture the escaped circus animals. They were very successful, managing to trap alive all but one Tiger which they had to kill. And four Elephants that they were unsuccessful in tracking or finding.
I've always wonder how you "lose" an elephant, much less four of them. They found all the other animals, and yet found no traces of four Elephants? What, they were too small or something?
Remember, most of Florida was a swamp in those days. Tall grasses, "The River of Grass" with Mangrove and Malaleucca islands providing heavy foliage and ample safe haven for wild animals to rest, feed, and live.
What happened after that is not entirely clear. Wildlife biologists believe those four escaped elephants (3 females <2 were pregnant according to circus handlers>, and one bull) found safe refuge and began to thrive in the lush tropical Florida Keys climate. After all, for practical purposes, there were no predators to threaten them. They eventually gave up their search for them after almost a year.
Evolution (see Darwin "Theory of Evolution" for more information) came into play, and the newborn elephants adapted to the habitat much the same way as the Key Deer, only growing 4 feet tall at maturity. (Hence the name, "Florida Pygmy Elephant") they thrived in our tropical habitat, and their numbers quickly grew to an estimated 20+ animals in the mid 1920's.
Not much else is known or written about these elusive and rarely seen elephants. They are known to spend a large amount of time in or under the water, able to avoid the heat and breathe through their trunks. It is also evident they did evolve and adapt to their climate and habitat.
There have only been a handful of sightings over the past 40 years. They were thought to have become extinct.
The herd currently consists of an estimated 32 Pygmy Elephants (2002, hopefully more by now). Life expectancy is guessed to be about 50 years, at maturity, their average height is 4 feet 2 inches, weight about 400 pounds. They are extremely elusive, leading solitary lives, "socializing" only once per year or less for mating.
So the next time you visit the Keys, keep your eyes wide open and your camera handy when you get into the backcountry.
You never know when you'll spot a Florida Keys Pygmy Elephant.
As Ripley used to say, "Believe it or NOT".
<Some information in this message was verified through Google, Wikpedia, and other sources for accuracy>
Remember, you read about it here, first.