Wild Florida hosts second annual Gator Week May 7-12

Wild Florida will host their second annual Gator Week from May 7-12 to share their knowledge and passion for alligators with visitors, as well as offer free admission for everyone to its Gator and Wildlife Park throughout the week.

To most people, alligators are fierce carnivores on the hunt, but that isn’t the case. Like many other misunderstood creatures, myths about alligators have developed based on a lack of knowledge about them. As a result of this, Wild Florida decided to dedicate an entire week to educating and dispelling common myths about alligators through live demonstrations and interactive experiences.

“Alligators are the stars of the show out here at Wild Florida, and it is our job, as experts, to educate our guests on these fascinating reptiles,” said Ranier Munns, co-owner and co-founder of Wild Florida. “We dedicate much of what we do to gators all year long, so why not celebrate these animals with a week dedicated to them?”

Check out the schedule for this year’s Gator Week below:

• May 7 – During day one of Gator Week, guests can see the power of alligators’ and crocodiles’ jaws during a live demonstration as they smash fruits and vegetables with them.
• May 8 – The popular Gator Jumpathon returns at 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., where guests can watch these animals jump to catch their prey inside the Gator Pond. In between the showings of the Gator Jumpathon, younger guests can enjoy bounce houses throughout the day.
• May 9 – At 12 p.m. inside the Exotic Animal Pavilion, Wild Florida will host their first-ever Gator Call competition. Later in the day, they’ll also host their first-ever Gator Race, where the winning gator will determine what charity will receive all the money placed during the race.
• May 10 – During day four of Gator Week, the Wild Florida team will measure the bite force of a snapping turtle, freshwater crocodile, alligator and caiman in their Gator Feeding Show Pavilion.
• May 11 – On day five, Wild Florida will host their first-ever Taste of Gator Cook-off. Chomp House Grill’s chef, Chef Ramon, will prepare a variety of gator dishes alongside another local chef, and local food blogger will be the judges of each dish. That evening, guests can enjoy a Wild Paint Night Out where Wild Florida’s albino alligators, Snowflake and Blizzard, will be the stars of the show. Guests will get to paint these animals, see them up close, and enjoy a buffet dinner.
• May 12 – To end Gator Week, Wild Florida will stay open past 6 p.m. to hold a nighttime edition of their Gator Feeding Show, dispelling the rumor that alligators will only jump during the daytime. Wild Florida will also be offering discounted nighttime airboat tours that evening, to show guests what the swamp is like in the moonlight.

For more information on this year’s Gator Week and other Wild Florida offerings, visit GatorWeek.com and WildFlorida.com.