Today we visited Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. The park is zoo-like, but not quite a zoo. It contains an odd mix of truly wild/uncaged and captive animals. Many of the wild animals are Florida natives or regular migratory visitors lured in by free food and the relative safety of the enclosures, while other parts of the park have cages with red wolves, birds in an aviary, and even a hippopotamus.

One of our favorite parts of the park was the underwater viewing area that just teems with fish. These are wild, non-captive fish that swim up into the spring. (Photo by quoderat.)

The day was grey and it rained a little as we were leaving. This is a shot of the Homosassa River. (Photo by zanna.)

The park had a flock of flamingoes with other birds flamingling in. (Photo by quoderat.)

And here’s Lu the hippopotamus. (Photo by zanna.)

Apparently the pelicans feel safe enough here to make a small rookery. It’s the first time we’ve ever seen a brown pelican chick. (Photo by quoderat.)

We saw a caracara. (Photo by quoderat.)

And a burrowing owl. (Photo by quoderat.)

This bobcat was pacing its cage. (Photo by quoderat.)

These wood ducks (female and male) are migratory visitors and are not caged. (Photo by quoderat.)